Clutter is anything you’re keeping that doesn’t add value to your life. Organizing and decluttering will reduce stress and make your living spaces more functional. If you want to tackle a decluttering project, read on for a few tips. Create a plan and get started working to declutter your home.

It Won’t Happen in One Day

It’s unreasonable to think that you’ll be able to clear years’ worth of clutter in one day. Attempting to do everything at once only leads to disappointment and a feeling of defeat. Instead, start small and develop a strategy. For example, plan to declutter one closet by the end of a weekend. Small gains will inspire you to keep going through the process.

Create a List of Places to Declutter

Make a list of significantly cluttered places and develop a plan for each space. You might decide to clean out your closet and donate several items to charity. The list will be personalized to your home, but some ideas are listed here.

  • Clean the desk and sort paperwork.
  • Declutter the mudroom closet.
  • Work with the kids to clean the clutter from under the beds.

Your projects can be large or small, depending on the amount of free time you have. It’s okay only to declutter a single kitchen drawer if that’s all you can do in a day.

Sort Your Belongings to Declutter Your Home

As you clean an area, sort your belongings into piles of things to keep and items to donate, and keep a garbage bag nearby for trash. Collect items to be donated in cardboard boxes.

When you’ve finished sorting, load the donation boxes in your car so you can drop them off next time you’re out. Take out the trash every time you fill a bag. This keeps your home clean and tidy while you work on decluttering each space.

Get Rid of Duplicates

If you own multiples of anything, donate the duplicates. You don’t need a backup toaster oven or a surplus of cleaning supplies. Purchase only what you need and will use within a reasonable amount of time.

Reducing Paper Clutter

Piles of paper lying around leave the entire area looking messy. When decluttering your home, create a system for organizing documents and paperwork. If they are essential, store them away in an appropriately labeled file. If not, shred them. Make a habit of taking care of mail immediately. Pay the bills, respond to invitations, and toss junk mail in the trash instead of letting it pile up on the kitchen counter.

Create a Schedule to Declutter Your Home

Once you’ve removed clutter, set a regular schedule to maintain your home. Plan to declutter each closet every three months. Remove clutter from bedrooms biannually. The kitchen and pantry should be cleaned out once per month because those items accumulate quickly.

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