Tips to Help with Decluttering Your Home
Whether you just need a little more space in your apartment or you need to completely clean out your house’s basement, decluttering can feel like a stressful process. Getting rid of old items can seem scary, but it’s an important task to take care of—unless you want to end up drowning in your own possessions. When the piles of old junk get a little too high, check out these tips to help with decluttering your home.
Start Small and Slow
Rather than attempt to get rid of everything in your life all in one day, you should ideally declutter at a more gradual pace. This is less labor-intensive, and it will help you overcome any roadblocks you may run into along the way. Start with one area of the home and designate it as you “clear area.” Always keep this area clear of clutter, and during the next few days, slowly expand the range of this clear space. This way, you’ll only need to clean a small portion of your home each day.
Donate Instead of Trashing
Thinking about throwing your well-loved stuff into a landfill somewhere can really make you put decluttering on the backburner. However, you don’t need to toss everything in the trash. Instead, fill a large garbage bag with any old items that are still usable and donate them to charities and thrift stores that need them. This lets you feel good about getting rid of your things rather than guilty about all the possible trash you’re creating.
Have a Plan for the Rest
Things you cannot donate still need to go somewhere. If you live in a larger home with multiple people, thinking about what you’ll do with all the garbage you’ll be disposing of can be overwhelming. This is where you need to do some thinking. Can you sell certain items? Can you repurpose items so that they don’t have to go into the trash? If all else fails and you still have a significant amount of trash, consider renting a dumpster for a short time so that you can get rid of everything in one place. Contrary to popular belief, renting a dumpster is neither expensive nor a hassle.
Ask for Assistance
There’s no need to feel like you must do everything on your own. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when decluttering your home. Outside perspectives can be useful in changing the way you see your possessions. Other people might have good reasons you never even thought of for getting rid of something. This is especially important if you live with other people. You don’t want to accidentally throw away an item that meant something to one of your housemates.
