Are you feeling overwhelmed by the clutter in your home? You're not alone!
Even more astonishing, 78% of them are unsure how to tackle it, leading to the accumulation of even more clutter. Additionally the average American home is said to contain over 300,000 items, making it more critical than ever to declutter and organize effectively.
Decluttering and organizing are the keys to reducing stress and improving functionality in your home, especially in areas like closets, kitchens, and basements that tend to become clutter magnets.
To help you tackle these common problem areas, we've put together a collection of our favorite, easy solutions for decluttering your home's trickiest spots!
Closet Organization
The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, reveals that you wear about 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time. This means the majority of your clothes are just collecting dust. Instead of dealing with a stuffed-full closet, try the "1 in 1 out" rule – for each new clothing item you bring in, donate or discard an old one. Additionally, employ the "hanger trick" to identify clothes that haven't been worn in a year.
To use the hanger trick, follow these steps:
- Turn all your hangers in your closet so that the hooks face outward, away from the clothes.
- When you wear an item, return it with the hanger hook facing inward, towards the clothes.
- After a set period, typically a year or season, take note of the clothes that still have their hanger hooks facing outward. These are the garments you haven't worn.
- Evaluate these items and consider donating, selling, or discarding those you no longer need.
By following this technique, you'll declutter your closet efficiently and ensure that the clothes you keep are the ones you genuinely love and wear, simplifying your daily wardrobe choices.
Streamlining Your Kitchen
Although it might seem like a challenge, maintaining a clutter-free kitchen can make meal prep and daily life a breeze!
You can get started by keep countertops free of unnecessary items and store rarely used items in pantries or cupboards.
Then remove duplicates and broken items from kitchen drawers and cupboards to maintain organization.
Lastly, group similar items together in baskets or bins to simplify pantry and fridge navigation.
Managing your mail in the kitchen?
To manage kitchen-related paperwork, handle mail near a trash can to discard junk mail promptly. Additonally, consider using an organizer to keep track of important items. To minimize clutter, designate a basket for magazines and newspapers, and purge them when it's full. If you're tired of receiving junk mail, visit DMAChoice.org to reduce the volume of unwanted mail.
For more tips on mail organization, check out more about our Action Filing System here!
Organizing Kids' School Papers and Artwork
Managing your child's school papers and artwork can be a challenge. To tackle this, consider storing artwork in a box and only keep the most cherished pieces. You can also digitize your child's artwork by taking pictures and creating a photo book with programs like Artkive, preserving memories without taking up physical space. Explore creative options such as repurposing the artwork as greeting cards or wrapping paper to make the most of these treasured pieces.
Our owner and Certified Professional Organizer©, Amy Payne, has a great instructional video on how to create your memorabilia organization system here!
Efficient Office Organization
A cluttered desk can be a significant distraction in your home office especially when you already have so much to manage. To enhance productivity, clear your desk of everything except essentials like a pencil cup and a paper tray. Additionally, you can allocate one drawer for additional supplies and opt for a digital calendar to replace paper schedules. If you want to clear up even more desk space, consider displaying personal memorabilia on a shelf or wall to keep them visible without cluttering your workspace.
Organized Storage Solutions
Decluttering and organizing storage spaces in attics, basements, and garages is a substantial task. Thankfully, you can tackle it the way would any other project - one step at a time!
- To start, set aside ample time to complete the project, dedicating a full day or even a weekend for the job.
- Before you start decluttering, create a detailed plan for how you want to organize the space.
- Categorize items into keep, donate/sell, and throw away, making the process more efficient.
- Use storage solutions like shelving units, storage bins, and clear plastic containers to keep items organized in these storage areas.
For easy retrieval, label your storage containers and shelves with a label maker, providing a clean and organized look. Be as specific as possible with your labels to ensure you can quickly locate items when needed.
Find our Professional Organizers favorite label holders here!
When it comes to decluttering your home, take it one space and step at a time. A little organization goes a long way in reducing stress and improving your overall well-being. By following these tips and being patient with the process, you can transform your cluttered spaces into clean and functional areas that you'll enjoy for years to come.
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