The average US household contains 300,000 things. While the ever-increasing size of American homes suggests that we might have enough space for all this stuff, is there really a need for it?
Parting with possessions can be tough, but keeping hold of too much stuff can be a source of anxiety. Especially when it means you can’t find the one item you need in among all the things you don’t.
If you’ve decided that it’s time to get organized and reduce clutter, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for our top tips on how to clean your home and cut the clutter.
Table of Contents
1. Identify the Source
A great place to start in your quest to minimize clutter is by finding the source of the clutter. For example, many people have piles of paperwork, others amass collections of appliances, and some have more mittens and scarves than they could use in a lifetime.
Identifying what kind of clutter you have a problem with will help you find a solution. This could mean creating a filing system for your paperwork, getting rid of unused or duplicate appliances, and donating any unwanted winter accessories to charity.
2. Divide and Conquer
Decluttering your entire home can feel like an overwhelming amount of work, especially if you haven’t done it for a while.
Luckily, these services can help by showing you the best cleaning hacks and organization methods to clear your home and your mind of all the unnecessary items you’ve accumulated. They’ll also show you how dividing your belongings can help make it easier to decide what to keep and what to part with.
3. Out With the Old
One of the best ways to minimize clutter is to avoid collecting it in the first place. To do this, make a point of off-setting a new purchase by getting rid of an old one in its place. For example, if you buy a new mop, rather than dumping the old one in the garage, get rid of it.
You could even use this method in reverse as a way to evaluate the need to buy new things like clothes and shoes. Forcing yourself to part with an old item to make way for a new skirt or pair of boots will save you money and avoid creating extra clutter.
4. Buy Smart Furniture
If your home is tight on space, one of the best organization hacks is to buy furniture with built-in storage.
A coffee table with hidden storage for books and magazines ensures a streamlined living room setup. A canopy bed offers the perfect place to store sheets and blankets. And a desk with drawers for your papers and files is a far better buy than a simple work table.
5. Unused Is Useless
If you want to reduce clutter in your life, ‘unused is useless’ should become your mantra.
Chances are, if you haven’t used something more than a few times, you won’t find many opportunities to use it in the future. We’re talking about the ice cream maker you bought on a whim, the pool inflatable you used once, and the snowboard collecting dust in the garage.
We appreciate that some items are seasonal but if you haven’t used it in over a year, get rid of it.
6. Everything in Its Place
One of the best clutter hacks is to designate a place for every item.
For example, one of your desk drawers can be the new home for all your stationery. And beach equipment like parasols and snorkeling masks can go in a cupboard in the garage.
Sorting items in this way will highlight any duplicates you need to get rid of. Plus, returning objects to their place after use makes it easier to keep everything organized and find a specific item when you need it.
7. Go Digital
While research shows reading printed books is better for our minds and health than e-readers, making the most of other digital advances is an excellent way to reduce clutter in your life.
We’re talking about the clutter created by everything from to-do lists to old photos, CDs to documents. Use your smartphone to create lists, scan and save photos and documents to an external hard drive, and upload your music collection onto an MP3 player.
8. Organize the Spare Room
Many of us create the illusion of an organized home by using the spare room or garage as a dumping ground. But displacing clutter in this way is no solution.
Even if this space is only used for storage, it should be neat and tidy at all times. This means installing shelving, cabinets, and hooks to keep things organized and off the floor.
9. Make Use of Forgotten Space
Making use of forgotten space under the sink, under the bed, or at the bottom of your closet is a great way to minimize clutter.
But, you’ll have to make sure you organize these areas to make the most of the space they offer. This means sorting the cleaning supplies under the sink into boxes or drawers, adding sliding boxes under your bed, and installing extra shelves in your closet.
10. Declutter on a Regular Basis
One of the best clutter hacks is to make a regular habit of it. Not only will it feel less overwhelming to declutter bit by bit, but you’ll also become more discerning with practice.
Every time you clean your home, make a mental note of disorganized spaces and items you haven’t used in a while. It will then be easier to know what to focus on next time you want to reduce clutter in your life.
How to Reduce Clutter in Your Home
If it’s your aim to reduce clutter and create a more streamlined, organized home, following these tips is a great place to start.
Then, by keeping organized, off-setting new purchases, and practicing regular purging, it’ll get easier and easier to stay on top of your clutter.
For more inspiring lifestyle advice, be sure to check out our other blog posts!
