Decluttering and cleaning out your home can feel like a chore, but it shouldn’t have to. Sometimes, getting rid of things you don’t need anymore can be overwhelming but decluttering your home can be easier than you imagined.
Instead of “getting rid of things”, concentrate on the items that you love and that make you happy. If you can remember to focus on those things, it will make it much easier to let go of others. Donating your useable items is a great way of passing these items to others who can find a use for them! Search your community for businesses accepting donations, or use Facebook to help sell the items you’re ready to part with.
Start With Your Bedroom Closet
What do you wear regularly? What pieces make you happy? Is there anything that doesn’t fit? How long has it been since you’ve worn it? Clothing for certain seasons can always be stored in different stackable bins, freeing up some space in your closet. If you bought it a year ago and haven’t worn it – sell it/donate it!
Books and Papers
Organize one shelf at a time, or pull all your books off at once and ask yourself, “will you read this book again? Could it be useful to someone in your family? Are you holding on to it without reason?” Decide what to keep, store for future use, or donate/sell! Go through your documents, receipts, taxes, and bills. You’ll want to hold onto the documents with value such as your deeds, rental agreement/lease, important certificates, etc. However, you can get rid of the out-of-date bills, random receipts, and documents that have no value.
Home Office or Work Space
A clear organized desk helps boost your productivity and creativity. Everything should have a place where it belongs when not in use. Again, with any papers and documents go through them and sort those which hold value. Proper storage (bins, cabinets, boxes) will help with storing those items you need for future use.
Kitchen
Look at what’s in your kitchen and decide if you need everything. Is it necessary to hold on to three broken wooden spoons? Having an organized kitchen will help create a space where you actually enjoy cooking meals. Go through your pots, pans, utensils, dish rags, etc. to determine what you can keep and what you can let go of.
Pantry
Remove everything and discard any out-of-date items along with items that no longer fit your eating plan. Using a method such as placing your regularly used items on the middle shelf, using clear and labeled containers, baskets, and other storage accessories will make your pantry more organized.
Sentimental Items
This is best to do last during your decluttering challenge as these are items you have an emotional attachment to. This makes them harder to toss. If you have a few items you simply cannot part with, take the time to properly store them. Ask yourself, “do I really need to hold on to every card I’ve received?”
Always remember that whether you are keeping it, storing it, donating it, or selling it, you should find ways to keep this stress-free. Put on your favorite playlist, have a cold drink nearby, ask a friend to help – decluttering your home and your mind is very important. Declutter those negative thoughts during this process! Recognize them and replace them with positive affirmations. Sometimes making a schedule can help make things easier. Take 30 minutes a day for 30 days to tackle each of your rooms and you’ll feel more accomplished in the long run than overwhelmed.
This post was written by Midwest Property Management, and published with permission by Bluebird Self-Storage. Midwest Property Management is Western Canada's largest privately-held apartment rental company in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. We serve a variety of cities within Western Canada, including Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, Yellowknife, and Vancouver.
