Does the thought of attempting to declutter your home fill you with dread? Here are some methods that can help you split decluttering down into easier and more manageable chunks.
7 Different Methods To Declutter Your Home
1. Try The Marie Kondo Method
The Marie Kondo Method has had a lot of attention in recent years. Her book has become a bestseller and there is even a Netflix series dedicated to this method (which is worth a watch if you’re unsure whether this is the right thing for you to try).
There are two key points to remember when it comes to the Marie Kondo Method. The first is that you declutter by category rather than by room or area of your home. So, for example, this might be books, clothes or toys but you do them from everywhere in your home before moving on to the next item.
Secondly, you hold each item, to see whether it ‘sparks joy’ and if it does, then you keep. This method can be good to help you get rid of items you have an emotional attachment to but that are making you sad rather than happy.
2. Checking What You Wear
If you’re anything like me, then you may well have a wardrobe full of clothes but feel as though you never have anything to wear. Or, like me, you also end up wearing the same two or three old faithful outfits because they look and you feel comfortable in them.
One method for decluttering your wardrobe is to turn all of your hangers around the wrong way. Each time you wear an item, it goes back the right way so you know you’ve worn it. Give yourself a set time frame – this can be three or even six months and then take a good look at what you’ve worn.
You could also do this seasonally, because of course there are things you might not wear in winter, etc so you opt to do a section of your wardrobe over each season and go from there.
One of the benefits of this method is it can really show which items you love and wear over and over. I’m terrible for buying clothes that are a bit different or out of my comfort zone and then never wearing them when what I need to do is buy more clothes in styles that love that I’ll wear over and over again.
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3. Family Teamwork
Sometimes the thought of getting started can be completely overwhelming. I think especially if you have children with lots of toys and all the paraphernalia that comes with them, it can get to a point where you just don’t even want to try, and I get that.
Try teaming up with a friend or family member to help you get started. Even if you feel embarrassed, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help.
Friends will also have less sentimental attachment to the things you own, so may help you to see more items that really need to go that you’ve been holding onto unnecessarily.
Related Post: How To Declutter Paperwork
4. The 333 Decluttering Method
If you have a lot of clothing but would prefer to have a more minimalist approach to fashion by curating a capsule wardrobe then this might be the method for you.
First, you choose 33 items of clothing (not including underwear or socks) and these have to last you for the next three months. No buying anything new and no raiding the rest of your clothes – which you can put into the attic or into storage – whatever works best for you.
This method is useful if you often see your clothes as money spent and that is one of the reasons you struggle to part with them – it feels like a waste of money. Choosing only 33 items forces you to be creative and curate items for all occasions teaching you to accessories and wear things differently – simply because you don’t have any other options.
When the three months are up, you can start going through all the clothes you put in storage. Keep anything you still love or have really missed and get rid of everything else.
5. The Four Different Boxes Decluttering Method
This method helps you declutter your home in an organized and methodical way and gives clear purpose to what needs to happen with each set of items you tackle.
Set up four large boxes and write the following on each of them.
DONATIONS
KEEP
SELL
GET RID / RECYCLING CENTER
As you find items around your home that need decluttering add to the boxes and then set aside a specific time for dealing with them once full.
Make sure any donated items are in good condition and that any toys aren’t broken and are in good working order. Charity shops are overwhelmed with donations at the moment so really make sure your items can be resold. There are also lots of options for donating your unwanted items that aren’t giving them to the charity shops, which you can read more about in this article.
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Put away any keep item as soon as you can to minimize stress on the days you decide to donate / recycle / sell.
Selling your old items is a great way to make extra money. Personally I’m not a huge fan of eBay although they do have the biggest audience and buyer protection however I find the upload process lengthy and the fees can quickly eat into your profits.
I’ve had lots of success with both Vinted and Facebook marketplace for selling my old items.
6. Try Daily and Monthly Challenges
Decluttering in small manageable chunks can be a great way to get started and I’ve seen lots of challenges on both Instagram and Facebook that aim to motivate you.
These include challenges such as ’30 bags in 30 days’ and ‘1000 items in 40 days’. Here is a list of various challenges all of which include free printables: 16 Decluttering Challenges.
7. The Team Tomm Boot Camp
Team Tomm is a cleaning method devised by Gemma Bray, also known as The Organized Mum. The cleaning schedule helps you get top of the housework while only putting in 45 minutes a day.
Sounds great right? However, if your home is in need of a huge declutter then getting on top of the cleaning might not be the best place to start.
That’s where the Team Tomm Boot camp comes in. This can help you to have a big declutter before you begin with the cleaning routine. Free Team Tomm Boot Camp Printable here.
The Team Tomm group on Facebook is also really lovely with lots of kind and non-judgmental people so if you need help with any aspect of decluttering or cleaning your home it’s a great place to ask for advice.
I hope at least one of these methods has inspired you to get started on decluttering your home and living a more relaxed and clutter-free life.
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