Instant decluttering tips for a cleaner home
This is the last my series of tips to help you start eliminating clutter and take you from overwhelmed to organized.
Apply the “one-in, one-out” rule to your home. For every item you bring in, one should be donated or discarded. This may need to be modified to one-in, 10-out until your home feels comfortable.
Give experiences as gifts, not material things. Help your family and friends stay clutter-free with gifts of consumables, gift cards, tickets to events or lessons. Clutter-free gift options can be much more fun and the memories last longer than a pair of socks.
Rotate children’s toys. Don’t overwhelm them with too many choices. Store half of the toys in bins, then rotate them every month or so. This was incredibly effective for my daughter, and also works well for pets and their toys.
Hire a house cleaner. Have the cleaner come once a month to clean your floors and bathrooms or the entire house. This will force you to tidy up in preparation for the cleaner’s visit.
Schedule a charity pickup. Many offer free home pickup services. Mark the date on your calendar and start finding things to donate. Deadlines are great motivators and may be the ticket to getting started.
Regularly invite people over for a visit. Again, it will encourage you to pick up and put away things. Be careful not to take the easy way out by stashing things in bags and closets. Make decisions now or you’ll have major regrets when you find the stashed clutter or papers in the future.
You have an arsenal of organizing tips I’ve provided over the last few weeks. It’s a lot to think about so I suggest focusing on one tip and implementing it now.
