10 Easy Ways to Declutter and Organize Your Home – Step-by-Step Guide

Decluttering your home can help in clearing the physical as well as mental space. It is clear that a clean environment decreases stress, makes it easier to concentrate and brings a sense of order into anybody’s life. Here is the step by step guide for decluttering your house and to also improve your mental health.

• Start Small – Tackle One Area at a Time

The reason is that starting small is more crucial for not getting discouraged at the early stage of the process. Don’t attempt to declutter your entire house in one day, maybe just try to declutter one drawer, one shelf, or one corner of the house. This makes it easier to build momentum to the task which definitely reduces the challenge thereof. When you try to clean a small area, by the time you are done you will feel very accomplished, and this is likely to motivate you to clean large spaces. While doing this, you are more likely to remain focused on the task without getting easily stressed up because the task appears manageable.

• Sort and Categorize

Organizing your items into piles is one of the most comprehensive steps when it comes to cleaning. Create four piles: choose, donate, recycle and dispose of. It is recommended that we should use labeled bins or bags to enable us to organize ourselves as we sort. Not only does this method make it easier to sort through, it also gives you a clearer picture of just how much mess you are going to be dealing with. Most people find it comforting to know that it is ok to remove clutter from their home to cut down on the mental weight that belongings possess.

• Create a “Home” for Everything

When you decide where everything should go, you are rewarding each item with a home, and thus making sure that nothing in your home is out of place. Things that people use often such as keys, and papers of significance, should be put where they can be found easily. But if their ideas are to be contained, using bins, baskets or shelves can go a long way in keeping the items in order. This will help to lower the daily challenge of searching for lost items and bring about some degree of order that is important for mental clarity.

• Declutter by Room

It’s easier this way because you can notice tangible changes in a building or space which energizes the workers. Begin with the areas that are important for the functioning and have the greatest influence on your life, for instance, the bedroom, kitchen or sitting room. Home decluttering strategies should be based on room usage; store kitchen items by group, maintain a quiet bedroom, and keep the living room free from clutter. The immediate visibility of a clean room will help you to instantly get a renewed sense of purpose.

• Use the “One-Year Rule”

When you are in doubt as to whether an item should be retained or not, as a rule of thumb, ask yourself whether or not you have used the item in the past one year. If not, it may be time to part ways with it unless it is symbolic in some way or needed during the holidays. This principle assists you in making more decisions quickly without feeling so bad afterward. Having something ‘for backup’ is seldom useful; one only accumulates more stuff to later toss. When you free up your home and separate the necessary items from the unnecessary or rarely used, you significantly decrease the burden an individual is prone to face due to the range of choices available today.

• Practice the “One In, One Out” Rule

On the matter of reducing clutter, follow the “one in one out” philosophy. For any new item that you introduce in your space, make sure you get rid of one existing item that is less useful. This rule also applies to avoid accumulation of items which are not needed and promotes the use of critical purchase. This is a positive way of organizing your property that maintains the balance thus less chance of cluttering and the pressure that comes with it.

• Optimize Your Storage

Organization of storage solutions can make a big impact on the flow of homes. One should incorporate under-bed storage, stackable bins, vertical shelves, and many other options that are going to help enhance space. Some of the other long-term investments that should be made include; multi use furniture for instance ottomans with storage. Some of these hacks assist in making the house clean in a way that most items are easily retrieved.

• Establish each day and weekly cleaning schedules

The primary requirement for creating and maintaining an orderly home is consistency. An arrangement should be made to spend 10-15 minutes a day taking things to where they belong, wet mopping, and doing ‘mini-sweeps’ on small objects. Every week, you should also set a day of the week where cleaning and organizing happens at a more detailed level. Creating such routines is useful as the objects do not accumulate in large amounts and everything appears well-organized. Regular cleaning can also be helpful for day organization; people find organization helpful for the health of their mind.

• Organize for Decluttering as a Family

Organization does not have to be an individual effort and it is perfectly acceptable to seek help from others when you are unable to handle the clutter build-up. In this case, engaging the family members can be done by providing each of them with some job or area to manage. Make it fun where you turn it into a competition or challenge like who can fill the donation box the quickest. Such a model can help in building understanding between parents and children, and make a harmonious climate in the family.

• Celebrate Your Progress

Motivational theorists have known for time now that one has to from time to reinforce oneself in order to stay motivated. As a result of properly managing the items in your home, you should take some time and wonder at the uncluttered environment around you after each sorting session. Reward yourself with something healthy that you love – this can be a piece of cake, a hot bath, or a movie time. It also makes a person feel appreciated and wanted, and in turn, fill your home with positive associations to decluttering.