I am definitely one of those people that functions better with a clean home and a clutter free house. With 3 kids under the age of 6, clutter adds up quickly so I try to declutter our home a couple times a year. Today I am sharing with you 5 simple tips for for decluttering your home, room by room.
5 tips for decluttering your home, room by room
Make a declutter list
First and foremost, make a list of every room in your home with a check box next to it. When decluttering your entire home, it can be a little overwhelming and it certainly is not an easy task. I find it much easier to go room by room, space by space. Maybe you don’t need to declutter the entire house, but making a list of priority areas will help keep your attention on the spaces that need it, rather than the house as a whole. It feels so good to make a check mark next to the spaces that have been decluttered and organized.
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Make a list with the rooms in your home that are priority to be cleaned/decluttered
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Start on the main floor of your house. Move room by room without skipping rooms in between.
Commit to declutter each space on the list
After choosing the space you are going to declutter, do not leave that space until it is completely done. I think often people get overwhelmed with cleaning because they chomp off more than they can chew by trying to do too many spaces at once. For example, if you are starting with your pantry- your pantry is your job until its complete- not the rest of the house. This will keep you organized, on task and allow you to really get into the guts of the space.
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Declutter one space at a time. Do not move on until that space is complete
Everything you keep must have a purpose
If it doesn’t have a purpose, find it a new home. While decluttering and cleaning out the powder bath, take out all items from the drawers. If the items have purpose and a need, place them in a pile to be put back in the drawers. If they do not have a purpose, find them a new home. You may find it helpful to get boxes or bins to keep nearby when organizing. Each bin can serve a purpose. One can be for throw away, return to owner, donate or place back in original home but organized.
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Only keep items that have a purpose
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Make bins while organizing/decluttering. Each bin serving as a purpose: donate box, return to owner box, throw out box.
Organizing items in different bins can reduce alot of wasted time and help with functionality. Check out The Spruce blog post on tips for decluttering using bins. Once the drawers of your spaces are empty, simply wipe and clean them out before putting your items back in.
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Invest in organization bins and trays. These will help reduce mess and clutter built up in the future. I linked a few of mine below
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Invest in Organization
Make sure decluttering and organizing go hand in hand. I find it so helpful to order or buy the organizing items I need for the space I am trying to declutter. For example, when organizing my office, I will make a list of the items I need to make the space more functional going forward. This may be drawer organizers, post its, folders, additional files for the file cabinet, or maybe even a garbage can.
When I am able to dissect each room slowly and individually I am able to figure out ways to make that space more functional for me in the future – so ideally less clutter collects over time. I can attest to organizing items helping to keep things clutter free. Last year I organized a hall closet and purchased bins to keep the kids art supplies in. Since then, they actually get used the way they are supposed to.
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Make a list of items you need in that room to make it more functional and then either find those in your home or purchase. A fully functioning space will operate more efficiently.
Deep Clean
Lastly, once your spaces are completely decluttered organized and cleaned up- give your house a once over. If you have a service that you like to clean your home, allow them to come in, or simply put time aside to do the final wash down, vacuum and sweeping. Lord knows that while decluttering is satisfying it is a messy task! Just makes sure your put your cleaning supplies back in its proper spot when you are done 🙂
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Finish with a once over clean. Organizing and decluttering will certainly make a mess, so its best to do your final clean when its all done.
I hope you found these tips and tricks helpful 🙂 Clutter is inevitable in any home. What I have found helpful may not be what works for you but I am hoping some of these tips may help you find ways to declutter your home and life. Along with decluttering and organizing, a new year typically brings new goals and resolutions. Make sure you check out my blog post on my tips of setting obtainable and achievable goals.
xo, kayla
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