5 Top Tips for Decluttering

This guide will explain how to organise your living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and more, with 5 simple decluttering techniques.

Plenty of people crave a clean and organised home, but often feel overwhelmed by the task and are uncertain where to start. There is no doubt that decluttering an entire home is a big project. The best way to tackle it is in stages. Focus on one room at a time, pick your style, prepare your decluttering tools, be systematic, and stay positive! This way it will be easier to keep motivated and you will reap the benefits sooner.

In every room, you will have to start by separating your belongings into three piles:

• Things you will keep
• Things you will throw or give away
• Things you will store

To help you decide which items to keep, really think about how often you use them, if you love them and if they are valuable.

The pile of things you will throw away can be further divided into objects you can recycle, donate, or sell. Don’t leave these items piled up in your hall! Take a trip to the recycling centre or charity shop, then you can reward yourself with a well-deserved cuppa.

If you have things that you can’t use because they are broken, only consider keeping them if you are serious about repairing them.  

Finally, items such as skis, festive decorations, and other infrequently used items can be kept away in plastic bags or boxes - perfect for storing in your attic, shed or cupboard.

Living Room

Divide the room into zones and work through them meticulously. Think about what you want where. You can start with something simple like papers. They often account for a lot of living room clutter. Place your important documents in one safe place and get rid of the rest.

Focus on the areas that matter most, like the coffee table, which is often the focal point of the living room. Try not to overpower it with decorations which often do nothing more than collect dust. Instead, agree with the rest of your household where you will keep frequently used items such as the remote control.

It’s best to keep books, magazines, and blankets in a separate area to the side. If you are lacking storage space, invest in some baskets or shelves. The same goes for toys and electronics. If you want to keep your cables neat, use a rubber band to keep them together.

Bedroom

Make your bed right after you get up. This little act will give you a sense of accomplishment first thing in the morning and help you maintain a positive attitude during the day.

Remove anything from your nightstands that doesn’t belong there and either put it in a cupboard or throw it away. Try to aim for no more than 3 things on top of it.

Go through your wardrobe and drawers, take everything out and place anything that is no longer worn in a donation bag (if you feel like they are suitable to be reused by someone else). To help you figure out what you should keep, ask yourself these questions:

• How often do I wear it? 
• Is it comfortable?
• Is it stained or damaged?
• Is it my style?

Resist the urge to shove things back into drawers. Instead, fold them neatly and organise them according to season.

Kitchen

Mess materialises fast in the heart of your home. In the kitchen, it’s best to start with the counters. Clear off everything non-essential, ideally leaving 2 to 3 objects like the kettle, toaster or coffee machine.

Do you have a panini press you haven’t used for years? Put it in the cupboard or give it to a friend. If you haven’t used it for this long... chances are you probably don’t need it!

You can make the most of your cabinet space by installing racks or hangers. The same goes for wall space; just hang your pots and pans from S-hooks on a pegboard.

In general, you can keep dried spices for around four years. If you've had the same coriander for more than this, it’s probably time to bin it.

Top Tip

Organise your spices and other products according to colour and remember to label them if you don’t want to keep them in the original packaging.  

Bathroom

Start with the surfaces and medicine cabinet. Take everything out and throw away any outdated or unwanted products. Once you figure out what you want to keep, place the items you use most often at eye level. Avoid filling up your sink space, and take advantage of the space below with stackable plastic drawers. Products that you don’t frequently use like bath salts or bath bombs can be kept in a basket for an aesthetic display. If you're short on wardrobe or cupboard space in your bedroom, then bring your towels and bath-robes into the bathroom.

Top Tip

If you have very little product left and you aren’t sure if you should throw it away, give yourself a month to use it. If you don’t, it probably means you don’t need it.

Decluttering doesn’t have to be an agonising job. It can be a fun activity for your whole family to get involved in. By starting with small steps like making your bed first thing in the morning and ensuring your worktops stay neat and organised, you might begin to find the decluttering process very therapeutic.

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