Is your home optimized for living? 10 tips for decluttering

The idea of owning less means only keeping things in your home that provide value and joy. Decluttering is for the purpose of making room in your home for the things that matter and creating a space where your daily tasks become easy and efficient. 

The process of decluttering your home can be overwhelming, but with these ten tips, you’ll be on your way to a clean and organized space.

1. Before you get started, make a plan 

Make a list of the areas that you want to declutter and include a deadline for yourself. Having a cleaning schedule and a course of action is a great way to ensure that you stay on track and committed to your goal.

2. Tackle the area that has been on your mind for some time

Decluttering the area or room that’s been on your to-do list for ages takes the weight off of your shoulders and gets you in the groove of things. Most people like to tackle their closet first, as this is a point of constraint for many when getting ready in the morning or organizing laundry.

A good rule of thumb to follow is that each of your possessions should have a designated storage place. If you’re looking to optimize a small closet or find custom closet solutions, choose a reputable company in Calgary specializing in closet organizing.  It’s incredible the amount of space you can create with even the smallest of closets by using simple solutions.

3. Donate clothes you no longer wear

A trick you can use to identify clothes you never wear is to hang all of your clothes with hangers in the reverse direction. When you wear an item, face the hanger in the correct direction. If you haven’t touched the item after a few months, it’s time to discard it as it takes up precious space in your closet that can be dedicated to other belongings that you do use. 

4. Use the four-box method

Get four medium or large boxes and label them as follows:

• Trash
• Donate
• Keep
• Re-locate

This is a simple and effective way to organize every single item in the room you’re tackling. It’s important not to skip a single item, no matter how small. This task may be time-consuming, but you’ll know exactly what you own and what to do with each item. 

5. Use the 80/20 rule 

As a general statistic, we only wear about 20 percent of the clothes we own 80 percent of the time. This also applies to other items in your house, including books, video games, DVDs, toys, and more. 

This rule aims to discard the things that you don’t use 80% of the time. Think of how many times you use that item in a year; this will give you a good idea of whether you really need it. 

6. Give your kitchen extra attention 

One of the most complex and time-consuming areas of the house to declutter is the kitchen. As the busiest room in almost every home, the kitchen needs extra TLC. Toss expired food products, ask yourself if you really need five of the same pan, and take inventory of what is making your countertops look cluttered. Often, when we work in an uncluttered space, we can get things done more efficiently, and our quality of life improves. 

7. Consider custom closets organizers for your pantry

Many households haven’t yet learned how to optimize the space they have in their kitchen, but it’s one of the most tried and true methods to save time from searching for items, organizing, and cleaning. 

Space-saving solutions can include a rack on the back of a cabinet or pantry door, a roll-out rack in cupboards, and creating more overhead space above existing cabinets. A custom closet organizer in Calgary can assess your existing kitchen and design a custom solution that fits your needs. 

8. Toss products that you don’t use

Little things can accumulate over time; the free sample bottles of shampoo and conditioner that have been sitting under the sink for months, the expired bottle of sunscreen, and that gift you received that you haven’t gotten around to using. 

These small things add up and take space in your closets and under the sink. If you haven’t touched it in months, chances are, you probably won’t use it. It’s time to toss them!

9.  Categorize items

Once you’ve gone through your home and know each item you own, the next step is categorizing. Keep like things together, store items close to where you will use them, and create a system that makes sense to you. Each of your belongings should have a designated place and you’ll know exactly where to look when you need a particular product. This makes your daily tasks easier and your household more efficient. 

10. Label and organize

Last but certainly not least, take advantage of storage boxes and label each. This helps other members of your household identify where items need to be put away and where they can find them.