by Dakota Storage Buildings, on January 31, 2023
We get it, life can be crazy, and with it, you have likely accumulated more stuff than you intended. We have all been there and know the stress a cluttered home can add. The piles of stuff out in the open or hidden in the closets, cabinets, and drawers can be intimidating. However, you will feel like a weight is lifted off of your shoulders once you have organized it all. We want to make the process a little easier by providing this easy-to-follow checklist for home organization. Here are six practical ways you can declutter your home.
1. Start With a Plan
This first step may seem simple, but it is absolutely essential. It is so easy to procrastinate and put off cleaning your home after a long day or week at work. The last thing you will want to do is come home to weed through all your belongings. However, if you never schedule a time to declutter, it probably will not happen. Being proactive is the best way to ensure you make time to purge your home. Consider planning a fun activity or treat to reward yourself once you have finished the home organization process. That will give you something to look forward to during your project.
2. One Zone at a Time
If you try to tackle everything at once, you can get easily overwhelmed. Instead, section off the areas you want to clean and work through them one at a time. If you are just organizing one room, map out different zones to keep you on track. If you are cleaning your whole house, focus on
one room before moving on to the next. Working with zones or rooms is convenient for anyone needing to make this an extended project. You may not have time to tackle your whole house in one day, and that is okay! Accomplishing your goal one room at a time can help eliminate distractions, allowing you to work more efficiently.
3. Utilize Designated Bins
For deep decluttering, it is helpful to create a designated area, bin, or bag for each item. Using the keep, toss, or giveaway method has been proven to be successful and will help you think realistically through your possessions. Here are a few important questions to keep in mind while you are determining which pile an item should go in.
- Would I purchase this now?
- Have I used it in the last year?
- Does it fit?
- Is it worth it to keep this item?
- Is it broken?
Some enjoy the 12-12-12 rule. Keep 12 things, toss 12 things, and donate 12 things. This will help ensure that your keep pile is not significantly larger than your other two piles. A good rule of thumb is to keep only what you have used throughout the last year and to toss duplicates. If an item is in good condition, donate it so another family can have a chance to use it.
4. Label Everything
This step in the home organization process may seem unnecessary and time-consuming, but it will help you maintain your home in the long run. Creating labels for each bin and basket will ensure that you keep items organized and can help you quickly locate what you are looking for in the future. If a box or bin is not see-through, you will forget what is inside over time. Adding a label will let you know exactly what is in the box, so you do not make a mess looking for something. You can buy simple labels from the convenience store and write on them with a pen or print off labels for a unified look. Either way, labels are a surefire way to stay organized.
5. Eliminate Paper Clutter
One of the most difficult things to organize is paper. From holiday cards, to pictures, to letters, there are some sentimental things that you do not want to throw away. Sort through your papers and find the most important ones that you would like to keep the original, physical copy. Place them in a labeled bin and find a place to store them. For any remaining paper, immediately toss anything that is not important. For the in-between items that you do not necessarily want to throw away or keep, digitize them! There are plenty of apps that let you scan paper documents or pictures so you can always have them at the touch of your finger. By transferring pictures and paper to your phone or computer, you can greatly cut down on the amount of paper clutter.
6. Maintain 15 Minutes Each Day
The final and most important step of the decluttering process is continuing to maintain your home. If you do not put practical steps into place that will help keep your home clean, it will just go back to being disorganized and messy. Allotting 15 minutes each day to tidy up can significantly improve the cleanliness of your home. This can be as simple as walking through your home each night and putting any stray items back into its place or into the trash.
Get Your House Back
Organizing your home is not always fun but doing so will help you feel accomplished and like your home is back under control. If your home is bursting at the seams, follow these six simple steps and you will have your home organized in no time. If you need help deciding how you can store everything, check out our 6 Storage Shed Organization Ideas guide. It can be a valuable resource on your home organization journey!
