A cluttered home causes stress and makes getting things done more difficult. Clutter also reduces productivity. Once you declutter your home, you’ll instantly experience less stress and become more productive in your daily life.
If you currently have a lot of clutter in your home, don’t worry; You’ve come to the right place! It’s normal to accumulate things over the years, and if children live in the home, clutter can add up quickly! If you follow the simple tips in this article, you’ll be taking your first step toward having a clutter-free home.
Trust me; I know how hard it can be to get started. Sometimes you need someone to walk you through the process, encourage you, and hold you accountable.
That’s where I come in! I’m here to show you that having a decluttered and organized home is possible. For the past 7 years, I have been sharing the same organizing tips that I offer my professional organizing clients during their sessions.
I know the tips I’m providing work because of the responses I receive in the comments section and my inbox. Many of you express how you are able to gain some sense of control by following my tips to declutter your home and schedule. That’s music to my ears! 🙂
If you’re not already subscribed to this website, I’d like to help you too! Click here to sign up to receive my weekly posts full of tips to help you painlessly declutter and organize your life. As soon as you sign up, you’ll receive a FREE decluttering checklist to get you started.
What are the Benefits of Decluttering?
Decluttering is important because it helps you reduce stress. When our homes are cluttered, it is overwhelming to the mind and can cause tension and anxiety. We begin to feel irritable and even embarrassed when visitors stop by.
Decluttering your home will help you sleep better because your mind will be at ease while at home. Things are where they are supposed to be, and you know you will be able to find them when you need them. Your mind will wind down easier, and you’ll have a more restful night without all of the clutter surrounding you.
Saving money is another benefit of decluttering your home. Once you declutter and organize your home, you’ll know exactly what you have, where it is, and avoid making multiple purchases. You can also sell things you no longer want and make a little extra cash.
I could go on and on about the many benefits of decluttering, and I plan to discuss them in future posts. If you’d like to be notified when a new post is published, click here!
How Do I Start to Declutter My Entire Home?
When a client states that they don’t know where to start when decluttering their home, I usually advise them to start small. Select one area of your house that is driving you crazy. That area could be a kitchen drawer, the kitchen counter, your child’s dresser drawer, etc., and take everything out.
I suggest starting with something small because if it takes too long, you probably will not finish and get discouraged. If you do it right, organizing can become addictive! Once you start, you’ll see how easy it was to organize that small space, and you’ll be inspired to keep going.
When you take the items out, sort them into one of three piles: donate, keep, and trash. Place the items you plan to donate into a box or bin to make it easy to transport them to the donation site. Place the items you want to discard into a large trash bag.
Look at the items you plan to keep and ask yourself if you REALLY need and use them. If so, you can now put those items back where they belong and decide if you need any organizing products. Check around your home to see if there are things you already own that you can use before you purchase anything. Get creative and think outside the box.
I have written many articles about decluttering and organizing your bathroom, bedroom, laundry room, children’s bedroom, kitchen, pantry, garage, and storage room. These articles offer specific tips and tricks to help guide you on your decluttering and organization journey. Be sure to bookmark them so you can refer to them later.
Download a FREE Decluttering Checklist
- Declutter your home at your own pace
- Check off completed tasks
- Know which areas still need to be decluttered
- Enjoy your decluttered home! 🙂
Tips for Success in Decluttering
The secret to successful decluttering is to take it slow at first until you get the hang of it. Start with a small space and complete it before moving on to other spaces. You’ll realize that if you declutter and organize small spaces at a time, eventually, you’ll have the entire room done! One kitchen drawer turns into more drawers, then upper and lower cabinets. Next, move on to other areas in the kitchen, and before you know it, your entire kitchen will be organized! Here’s a post I wrote about organizing your kitchen into zones to help you get started.
If decluttering your home is too much for you to handle alone, I also offer virtual organizing services. I will hold your hand and guide you through the entire process. We can work on one space together or your entire house! Click here if you’d like to learn more about virtual organizing.
Common Questions About Decluttering
How long does it take to declutter a house?
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how long it would take to declutter an entire house because everyone’s amount of clutter is different. It could take approximately 8-12 hours to declutter one room in a house. The best way to approach it would be to break the time down into 3-hour increments for a total of 4 sessions. Smaller areas like bathrooms and closets will take less time, around 2-4 hours, to completely declutter and organize.
How do I declutter when I’m feeling overwhelmed?
Start small when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Choose a dresser drawer, your kitchen junk drawer, or a basket filled with miscellaneous items. Don’t take everything out at once if you think it will take longer than 15-30 minutes to put them back. Make decisions quickly about whether you’re going to keep something and donate items instead of trying to sell them. Complete the space you’re organizing in one session, or you won’t feel motivated to come back and finish.
How can I prepare myself before I begin decluttering?
To prepare yourself before decluttering, first envision what you want the space to look like. You can look on Pinterest for ideas. Second, don’t bring any new items into your home until it is completely decluttered. This will allow you to see what you already have and what you may need when it’s time to organize. Third, mentally prepare yourself for the hard work ahead. This mindset will motivate you to keep going. Lastly, schedule your organizing sessions on the calendar. You’ll be more inclined to follow the schedule and get it done.
Last Thing to Know about Decluttering
Decluttering is not a one-time event; it is a lifelong process. To keep your home decluttered, you will have to tend to it daily. You’ll also need to get other family members on board, which really isn’t that hard to do.
I hope this article gives you some clarity on why it is important to declutter your home and some motivation to get started. If you think you may need some accountability decluttering your home, a few virtual organizing sessions may be just what you need!
Feel free to leave any questions or comments below or send me an email. I’m always here to help! 🙂
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