Since the pandemic of 2020, most families around Colleyville have been spending more and more time at home. As a result, a lot of people are curious about the things they can do to make their home feel like a sanctuary. We all want a home that we can escape into, rather than run away from.
This is the central theme of the minimalist movement, which stresses decluttering your home and removing things that don’t serve you. You probably noticed that it has been gaining traction recently because of its perceived benefits. Supporters say that the movement is about being intentional with the items you own, making sure each one serves a purpose in your life, even if that purpose is solely to bring happiness. Minimalism means different things to different people, but you don’t have to fully jump into the movement to borrow some useful ideas for decluttering. We, at Brenda’s Cleaning, have gathered a few ideas to help you clear out some of the clutter in your life.
Start Small To Declutter Your Home
The thought of attempting to declutter your home might seem difficult at first, especially if it has been some time since your home was clutter-free. However, the benefits of a clutter-free home are well worth the effort. You can easily get started by setting aside a few minutes to either toss away or donate items that you no longer use. If even that seems like too much to handle, start with just one item that you don’t want and get rid of it, donate it, or give it to someone else. Think about it: if you did this once a day for a year, you would have nearly 300 fewer objects in your home. That’s a lot of stuff.
Pick A Small Area To Declutter & Start
The goal to start the declutter process is to zero in on a single area and work on decluttering that. Remove items from a single shelf or counter at a time that do not belong there in order to simplify the decluttering process. Donate things that you really don’t need, and reposition things that belong in other rooms to where they should be. When you have reached a point where you are satisfied with the results, pat yourself on the back and move to the next section. You can use that area as a model for how to approach the next space.
Expand Your Horizons
Now that you have at least one little area that is clean and decluttered the way you want it, you can move on. Your next goal is to maintain your progress and expand the area that is under your control to the surrounding areas. Once you’ve decluttered an area, don’t go backwards! At any cost, prevent it from becoming cluttered again with unnecessary items. Make it your daily mission to declutter a little more space each day. Keep up with the cleaning and organization of the areas you’ve already tackled, especially on days when you’re not working on other parts of the house.
State Your Defense
You or your spouse may find that you have some difficulty saying goodbye to some of the clutter. When that happens, try to think of reasons why you should keep them and then explain those reasons to your partner. If you have to defend keeping the item during the declutter process, it could encourage you to look at it from a fresh angle. Your spouse may bring up points you hadn’t considered.
Start On Empty
Try this novel approach to cleaning a drawer; instead of trying to decide what to remove from a drawer, start by emptying a drawer completely. Then, try & decide what should go back in. Find a new home for anything that doesn’t belong there or donate it to Goodwill.
Discard Expired Items
You should periodically go through and discard medicines, foods, etc. that have expired. Spoilage is obvious in the refrigerator, but it is less obvious in pantries and cabinets.
Grab A Bag
During this process, keep a donation bag handy and fill it as you go about your normal routine. Once it becomes full, take it to the donation center and get it our of your home.
Use The Inbox
Even in our digital age, paper clutter seems to go on forever. Designate one spot for paper and mail that needs to be kept. It may be helpful to use an actual inbox tray or decorative basket, or anything that works to help you declutter. Keep paper items there before they spread to every surface in your home.
Take 5
Only have a few minutes? Scan the room quickly for 5 things that aren’t where they should be (or need to be tossed) and remove them. If they don’t have a permanent spot, create one. If you no longer need it then give them away or toss them.
Get Going, Keep Going
Even though getting started is hard, keeping going can be even harder. If you find that your motivation is falling, stick with it. Take pride in the clutter-free zones you have tackled and remember how much more crowded your home used to be. It’s good to congratulate yourself on the progress you have made. Your decluttering skills will improve with use, and soon you’ll have the clean, decluttered space you always wanted. Once your decluttered and ready, call Brenda’s Cleaning at (817) 479-6590 and let us help you keep it clean. Request an estimate on the best house cleaning service in Tarrant County today.