How Can I Declutter My House?

Where to start?  Start small; pick a target, such as a desk, countertop, or just a drawer.   Clear the space completely.  Sort the Items you removed into piles. One for what you want to keep, one for discarding, and one for donation.   Considering the KEEP pile carefully, if an item is sentimental to you, maybe store it, or ask yourself these questions.  This is special to me, but what’s going to happen to it when I am no longer here?   Will one of my children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews want it?

I brought this up because several years ago, my husband and I decided to sell our 5-bedroom home and move into an RV and travel!

So, I decided to get a box for each of my children and fill it with the things that I thought they may want, eventually.    I put everything from cards, ornaments, school pictures, a stuffed animal, their baby books, to locks of hair I kept from their first haircut.    I gave them the boxes and told them Here are your childhood memories, do with them what you will.    I also gave some sentimental items to my nephew and niece that I thought they may want that had belonged to their grandparents.

When you have decided on what you want to keep, put the items back.  Then step back and look at the space that you just decluttered.  How does it look?   Are you happy with It?   If you are great, if not, then reconsider just how much you need or want these items.  Then move on to donations.  Put them in a bag and take them out to your car so the next time you’re out, you can drop them at a donation center.  Don’t leave the bag in the house where you might forget about it or be tempted to pull thigs back out.

Next the discard pile.  Take it to the trash!   NOW!    You also you don’t want to leave it hanging around the house.  Another way to get started decluttering is to get a trash bag and go around your house deposing of unused items.   Ask yourself “when was the last time I used this?”  Is it even usable anymore?  Throw out things like old receipts, dried up nail polish, old make up and beauty supplies that you don’t use, expired products, worn out shoes, sauce packets, anything you haven’t used in the last year!  Throw it out! 

Just For Kicks

Did you know that there are actually rules for decluttering?  Who knew?  Here are a few.  Here are a few.

• 12/12/12 Rule: Locate 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to be returned to their proper home.
• 20/20 Rule: Get rid of items you can replace for $20 and under 20 minutes.
• 80/20 Rule: According to this rule, we use 20 percent of our belongings 80 percent of the time. Either get rid of or store away the 80 percent you don’t use regularly.
• Five-Second Rule: Sort through items and give yourself five seconds to remember the last time the item you’re holding was used. If you can’t remember within five seconds, it’s time to get rid of it.
• Rule of Five: This rule is the five-year rule. When decluttering and deciding on an item, assess items not used in five years and consider removing them.
• Don’t tidy as you go: We often waste time trying to tidy up constantly, but decluttering naturally creates some mess. Remember, you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs, accept the temporary disorder, knowing things will be tidy soon.
• Don’t have a maybe pile:  Decluttering is all about making decisions on each item—keep or discard. Using a “maybe” pile often leads to procrastination and wastes time, as you revisit those items later instead of deciding now. Avoid creating a maybe pile; making decisions right away helps you stay efficient and prevents unnecessary delays.
• Never Declutter Others peoples Stuff: Never discard items that aren’t yours without permission.  Professional declutterers only remove things with client approval.  You can’t always tell what others consider clutter.  Consider if you’d want someone else sorting your belongings—likely not.