Most homeowners have heard of the term spring cleaning. Typically, this is a time devoted to deep cleaning in the home once spring has arrived. Before you open all the windows and break out the mop and broom though, you should conduct a thorough de-cluttering of your home. Once you have gotten rid of, put away, and organized your belongings it will make it much easier to give your home a deep clean and keep it clean afterwards as well. Use these 8 de-cluttering tips for homeowners to get your home into tip top shape for the spring season!
Designate De-cluttering Time
When you make the decision to de-clutter your home, the first step is to designate a specific time for the project. Figure out which rooms you will be working on and then estimate how much time it will take you to complete. Then, add a few extra hours in case it takes you a bit longer. Having a designated time for de-cluttering will help keep you focused and motivated.
Try the 5 Bin Method
The 5 Bin method is a popular trend that is used when de-cluttering a home. First, you start with 5 bins, totes, garbage bags, etc. Then, you designate one bin for each of the following: put away, recycle, fix, throw away, and donate. This helps you visualize where your belongings are going and to organize throughout the process.
Declutter Storage Areas First
Before starting with any specific room in the house, it is a good idea to declutter the storage areas in your home first. This way as you move on to each room you are aware of how much room you have in the organized storage areas to put your belongings away in.
Ask for Help
De-cluttering your home can be an overwhelming task to take on by yourself. Why not get the entire family involved to make the process go by faster? Especially if it is their belongings that need to be sorted through as well. The last thing you want to do is throw away someone’s favorite shirt or book.
Use Labels
When organizing, using labels is a great idea to know where your belongings are located. This helps to make sure your items get put away in the correct spot as well. Using labels can be a great teaching tool for younger children when it comes to organization.
Go Digital
Most homeowners think of de-cluttering their home as just their physical belongings, but what about your paperwork? Paperwork and files can accumulate over the years and become disorganized and cluttered. Turning your paper copies into digital documents can help free up extra space in your home. Just be sure to check that the document is allowed to be a complete digital copy before making the switch.
Make De-cluttering a Regular Habit
It’s important that once you have gone through the initial de-cluttering process, that you maintain the organization in your home. Work time into your weekly schedule for smaller organization projects to keep belongings from piling up and getting disorganized. You can also implement the one in and one out rule. An example would be if you buy a new white sweater, you get rid of your old white sweater. This helps to eliminate duplicate items in the home and keeps things from becoming cluttered.