Organization Tips-How To Declutter Your Home

The hardest part of the process is realizing just why things became so chaotic. For some people it can be laziness, procrastination, tiredness, lack of time or many other things. But 5 minutes here and there to clean up can make a big difference in the long run and keeps things manageable. So, starting with yourself, grab a piece of paper and write down some things to help you focus.

1. You will need to plan to organize each room and be willing to throw out things you no longer use, which are worn out or are just taking up unnecessary room.

2. Be realistic-if you need to tackle your whole home, try not to look at it as a whole project or you may stop yourself from doing anything before you even get started. Allow yourself so many days or weeks to go through each room of the home if necessary, and just concentrate on that one area at a time. Stick to the plan and it will all get done before you know it.

3. Some rooms are probably worse off than others. Make a list of all the rooms in your house and which areas you consider to be the worst.   Take notes of whether something may just need a simple organization, or if the purchase of storage boxes, shelving units or other useful furniture needs to be bought to help with your organization.  More often than not, you will find you can use the furniture you already have once you have removed what is no longer needed.  Look at your furnishings with a creative eye and don’t be afraid to think outside of the box.  

What has previously served as a dresser for the master bedroom might make the perfect nursery changing table with railing and pad added to the top.   Or an unused entertainment center, more recently banished to the garage, might make the perfect hobby and craft center with just a cheerful new paint job. 

You also need to think about the reasons behind why you may have so much stuff. Are you a hoarder who is afraid to get rid of anything based on past experiences? By getting to the bottom of why you may have let your home get so cluttered, you can take the steps to ensure that it does not happen again in a few months.

Once you have decided on the room to tackle, start at one corner of the room and work your way around it in a clockwise pattern. Some people find starting in the closet is a good beginning.  Others find starting at the doorway and ending in the closet is best. It is up to you but once you decide, work your way around in an organized manner.

When you have filled up your boxes, they need to go out of the room and off to their new home (attic,  basement, or your trunk to go to a thrift store).

Don't buy anything new and bring it into the room or you will just be adding to the clutter. Also, if you have a family who is old enough to take care of their own room, they too need to get in on the plan. If they do not want to, tell them that you will more than likely be throwing out stuff they don't want you to (or coming across things they don't want you to see as is the case with many teenagers).

As there is a lot to cover on this subject of how to declutter your home, we will share tips with you next time for how to better organize each room of your house efficiently so it will be easier to stay on top of things as time goes along.