Are you constantly tripping over shoes or kids toys on the floor? Or is finding your car keys in the morning an ordeal that should come with its own Mission Impossible background music? If this is you, you might be interested to find out how to declutter your home!
While you may joke about the hunt for your second shoe over drinks with friends, it’s not really a laughing matter. Just think what you could achieve if you spent the time you currently use searching for things on something productive! Not to mention how bad clutter is for your health…
We, of course, love helping you out, and have sourced some decluttering tips from our network of experts. Here are five things you can do today to halt your inner hoarder.
For a lot of people, thinking about how to declutter is overwhelming. The task seems so daunting that they do what any sane person would do: buy chocolate, find something to watch on Netflix and pretend the problem isn't there, says Mostly Mindful’s Angela G. Horn.
As a minimalist lifestyle blogger, Angela recommends starting small to make decluttering easier. “Choose one area, say the hall closet, and give it a thorough clean out. The next time you have a couple of hours to spare choose another room or area to focus on. Keep at it and before long you'll have decluttered your whole house. The caveat being that you can't return to your old hoarding habits.”
She also notes that getting rid of everything you haven't used in the past year is a great way to make some extra money. You could even set up your own eBay business to sell your junk! Or if you don't need the cash, donate everything and rack up some good karma.
If tackling an entire room or area in one go sounds like too much commitment, Angela and Elin Swain, Managing Director at Domestic Innovations, recommend throwing out one item a day.
Elin says: "When it comes to decluttering and organising your belongings, why not set yourself a challenge. Perhaps start by getting rid of one item per day by either donating it to a charity or just simply throwing it away. You will feel less sentimental about your belongings over time, will do your bit for charity and, will slowly declutter your home without even realising it.”
If you’re trying to figure out how to declutter without actually getting rid of anything, hanging your clothes instead of folding them is a great way to do this, says Yvonne Manomano, Cleaning Operations Manager at Handy, a platform for connecting people who need home services with top-quality, pre-screened independent cleaners and handymen.
“Clothes can take up a lot of space, especially during winter. Instead of putting your jumpers in drawers, organise them into a hanging canvas unit. This will also make colour coding easy and will show off all your options at once. For belts, instead of folding them, try hanging them up; this will look better and free-up valuable space for other items.”
Yvonne also recommends vacuum storage bags to keep the things you don’t need right now out of the way.
“These bags are a perfect way to store seasonal items in your wardrobe”, she says. “You’ll save space, protect your clothes and shoes from dirt, dust and damp, and you can use them to store large belongings like duvets.”
If, after this you still feel trapped and closed in, in a house or flat too full for comfort, why not consider self storage?
If you’re feeling sentimental and can’t say goodbye just yet, self storage is a great alternative to keeping your belongings at home, and should you decide to store your goods with Access, you can access your storage unit 24/7.
There really is no reason to continue living in a cluttered environment. Now that you know how to declutter, take action today and you might just find your keys in record time soon! Just think how impressed your friends will be if you’re on time for your next gathering!
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