Raise your right hand if you’ve come up with, at the very least, five New Year’s resolutions. We’re with you! Decluttering our home is on top of our list for 2015! If it's on your list too, read on! We’ll give you the simplest ways to make your room neat and tidy! You won't have a reason to break your New Year's resolution. But first, let’s briefly talk about why it’s necessary to get our homes decluttered. In Feng Shui, it is believed that a home that's free from unnecessary clutter harbors in positive energy. A clutter-free home will directly affect the ebb and flow of the different aspects of your life – family, love, health, finance, and career. And to point out the obvious benefits: you can have more space, you can easily search for your things, and of course, an tidy home is aesthetically pleasing.
Easy tips to declutter your home:
Sort and Shake Off Get three boxes, label the first one ‘Keep’, the other ‘Give Away’, and the third ‘Throw’. Start decluttering the messiest part of your house. For some, it’s the kitchen, for others, the garage. Start sorting out items, and place them in the proper boxes. Know the life span of the products in your home, especially the ones who don’t have date stamps such as makeup.
Guilt and sentimental value are the two things that may stop you to throw an item away. If you’re unclear on which items to part with, ask yourself these simple questions: “Have I used it in two years?”, “Does it still serve a purpose?”, and “Is it still useful?” Onward and Upward Go and occupy the walls! Create as much shelving as you need. Wall-mounted units, wall racks, hooks, and other vertical storage units will be a big help in clearing up the mess in your home.
Just because you have enough shelving doesn’t mean you should stuff them with more items. Remember, we’re all about subtraction, not addition. Organize the items you decided to keep neatly in the shelves. Better yet, label the shelves. You can use clip-over labels, metal label holders, or use chalkboard paint on the shelves! Use Containers…Lots of it! Put small, easy-to-lose items (bobby pins, paper clips, push pins, hair ties, etc.) in different containers or in one container with dividers such as a large pill organizer.
Make use of plastic containers to segregate your cleaning products, beauty products, and kitchen items. Wicker boxes can be used for magazines and towels. Clear shoe boxes are heaven sent, as well! It saves you a lot of time from taking pictures of each and every shoe you own, and pasting them on the box. Those with kids can attest to the damage a single Lego brick can do to the sole of your foot! Store them in transparent plastic boxes so that your child can easily look for what they want to play with. It will also be more convenient and easy for them to put away their toys when they are in individual plastic boxes rather than shelves.
Compartmentalize Maximize your drawer’s space by putting compartments or divisions. You can DIY your way into making your drawers mess-free or buy drawer organizers instead. They come in plastic, bamboo, and metal. Cutlery or utensil trays are the most used, but there are small, individual boxes that you can use for your desk drawers or bedside table drawers. Instead of hanging neckties and belts, roll them loosely then place them in drawer organizers.
Go easy on yourself when decluttering your home. Set a good pace. Do one or two rooms per day. You’ll be overwhelmed with the task if you decide to do the whole house in one day. Also, extra help is very much welcome. Seek it!