10 Ways to Declutter Your Home

I hear the word declutter and I automatically want to revamp my home. A simplified, uncluttered life sounds wonderful. Owning fewer "junk" means less to clean, less debt (for some), less to stress, less to organize, and more and energy to do use your resources elsewhere.

HELLO!

Where do I sign up?

At the same time, the thought of cleaning out overwhelms me. I don't know where to begin, and sometimes I make way more mess than to begin with and feel completely defeated.

I am extremely Type A and need simplicity in my life. I get overwhelmed when my house is a mess or dirty. It probably has to do somewhat with my upbringing but mainly just my personality. 

I have tried some of these methods and they really do help. Here is a list of 10 simple ways to get you started to simplify your home life and rid yourself of the extra house "pounds": Because sometimes, cleaning out for me is just as important as keeping my body help. :)

1. Give yourself 5 solid minutes. Leo at Zen Habits recommends 18 different 5-minute decluttering tips. Pick one today that sounds right for you and commit 5 minutes to completing it.

2. Give away one item each day.  Its easy to pick up one item a day and get rid of it. This is simple but highly effective. 

3. Fill one trash bag. Grab a large trash bag and see how quickly I could fill it. Doesn't matter if its for trash or Goodwill, but fill it up. :)

4. Try the Oprah Winfrey Closet Hanger Experiment.  To identify wardrobe pieces to clear out, hang all your clothes with the hangers in the reverse direction. After you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After six months, you’ll have a clear picture of which clothes you can easily discard. This experiment could also be applied to a number of clutter areas in your home (cleaners, toys, linens, tools, hobbies and craft items).

5. Make a list. Create a list of places in your home to declutter beginning with the easiest. When you’re done with one area, STOP. This list could be made as easy or difficult as you desire based upon what areas of your home make up the list (drawers/closets/rooms).

6. Take the 12-12-12 Challenge. A simple task of locating 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home can be a really fun and exciting way to quickly organize 36 things in your house.

7. Change your perspective. Going to invite someone over - friends, boss? This will help you see the clutter you might have missed. Take a picture, see what else passed by you when cleaning out.

8. Experiment with numbers.  Wear 33 items of clothing for 3 months - If 33 articles of clothing seems too little, adjust the rules as you need by picking a new number. The important thing is to challenge yourself to live with less and see what you learn from the experiment.

9. Use your imagination.  Ask yourself questions while going thru you clothing, “If I was just buying this now, how much would I pay?” Is it worth keeping?

10.The Four-Box Method. Bring four boxes: trash, give away, keep, or relocate. Each item in every room should be placed into one of the four categories. No item should be passed over.

Try these simple steps to having a clutter free home! Whatever your goal, there is a beautiful world of freedom and fresh breath hiding behind all your clutter.