Spring Cleaning 101: How to Declutter Your Life and Home
A cluttered home is a cluttered life. At the root of it all, those tiny messes around your home are just a sign of procrastination. I’ll do it later. I’ll tidy up this room when I have more time. Before you know it, you have piles of papers and boxes that have been sitting in the same place so long, they’ve started collecting dust.
Clutter increases stress and kills productivity. While it may seem like a daunting task, de-cluttering your life can help clear your mind and make you feel at ease.
Spring is the perfect time to tackle your clutter problem. Here’s how:
Adopt the One-Year Rule
Start living by the one-year rule. If you haven’t used an item in a year, you probably never will. Of course, there are a few exceptions to this rule, but in general, many items can be tossed if you haven’t used them in the last 12 months. This rule is especially useful when cleaning out your closet.
Do you really need that dress you wore to prom 10 years ago, or that funky patterned top that’s been sitting on the hanger for the last three years?
Depending on your level of clutter, you may need some help getting rid of your trash pile. Most cities have some sort of removal service available. For example, you may find services that offer junk removal in Toronto which will haul away a dumpster full of trash.
Alternatively, you can try the “one item a day” rule. With this rule, you give away one item per day that you no longer need or want. Eventually, your give-away pile will dwindle down to nothing.
Try the 12-12-12 Challenge
The 12-12-12 challenge is simple, but it really does challenge you to live a simple life. Here’s how it works:
- Find 12 items to donate
- Find 12 items to throw away
- Find 12 items to return to their proper homes
It’s a quick and easy way to organize 36 things in your home. You can assign the challenge to everyone in the household, which allows for a quick way to get rid of a lot of junk in your home.
Try taking this challenge every few months or a few times a year. If your home is exceptionally cluttered, you can practice it every month or week.
Start Small
If you try to take on everything at once, you’ll find yourself overwhelmed and frustrated. You may even give up on de-cluttering entirely.
Try taking just five minutes per day to organize and de-clutter space. Pick one small space in the house, like your bookshelf or desk drawer. After a few weeks of this daily practice, you’ll have eliminated a lot of junk from your home.
Invest in Organization
De-cluttering your home doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to get rid of everything. Disorganization is really just another form of clutter. Your desk may be cluttered with items that you use on a daily basis. Give those items a home, and you suddenly have a clean, clutter-free desk.
Invest in storage bins and other organization items that will help you keep your home in order. Follow the mantra “a place for everything, and everything in its place.”