Is your home overflowing with clutter? Do you feel overwhelmed each time you walk in your home?
You want to clear out the clutter, but the process seems so overwhelming? Where should you start? And what should you do with all that clutter once you’re done?
From a small cluttered apartment to an overstuffed home we all have too much stuff in our homes. So if you need to work on decluttering your life and home, you’re in the right place.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Keep reading to discover just where you should start and a step by step process to quickly and systematically purge your home.
Where Do I Start Decluttering My House?
Getting rid of the clutter around your home can be an intimidating and overwhelming project. As you look around at the piles of clutter you might be wondering to yourself where do you even start?
If this is you, let’s start with the easiest clutter. Start with the surface clutter. Walk around your home with an eye only for the flat surfaces. You are focusing on your countertops and your dining room table. You are also looking at the smaller flat surfaces such as the coffee table and nightstands.
Typically, these are the spaces you work with each day. You are probably in your kitchen many times each day. It is likely the place you walk to first when you come home each evening.
Do you dump everything you had in your hands on the first flat surface you find? This is where you should start. Likely there is a lot of trash here that you can simply take to the curb right away. From junk mail to notices from your kids’ school these are the day-to-day piles that can multiply quickly.
The trick is to keep these surfaces as clear as you can. They will also be the places that will get cluttered up again right away – likely the next time you go check your mail. But once it’s done the first time, it shouldn’t take as long each following purge session.
Don’t let the surfaces get out of control for too long and you will notice that you feel much lighter each time you enter your home.
What Is the Fastest Way to Purge Clutter?
Once the surfaces have been tackled, it will be time to get to the bigger projects. These might take longer, depending on how much time you have available to you. But this is also where you will be able to make some real progress in clearing out your home.
The fastest way to purge the clutter in your home is to make three big boxes. One you will label “Keep,” the second will be “Discard” and finally “Donate.” Discard can be separated into trash and recycling if you choose to do so.
Now you will pick one location in your home and get started. When it comes to purging your house, having the right tools makes all the difference. Don’t let your piles start to merge into each other or fall over.
The three box method is the best way to quickly go through each area in your home. Next we’ll share with you the best steps to use to purge your home.
Purge Your Home: Step-by-Step
Step one: The hardest part is just getting started. As much as you hate to hear it, you just need to get going. Then it will get easier from there.
Step two: Choose one area at a time, don’t attempt to clean your whole house in one afternoon. You can either choose to work from room to room systematically or you can choose to work through categories of items KonMari style. This is a completely personal decision and up to you.
Step three: Touch each item as you go through the area you are cleaning. Pick it up, when was the last time you used it? Ask yourself these key questions as you decide whether or not to keep or purge each item:
- Do I use it?
- Will I need it for a specific event or project that I have scheduled?
- Is it still usable and in good shape?
- If not, toss it
- If it is, donate it
As you purge your home, it will be difficult to part with items that are still perfectly good, but ask yourself one more question: Can I bless someone less fortunate than myself with this perfectly good item? If so, put it in your donation pile.
Step four: Finish one area before you start another. Just as you tell your kids to put away their blocks before getting out the playdough, so too should you finish one area before moving on to the next.
The Most Important Step
That fourth and final step above is the most important step. It can also be the hardest to make sure it gets done. You’re tired from clearing the clutter all day, you just want to order a pizza and binge watch Netflix.
But you must make sure you complete the fourth step. There isn’t any sense in doing all this work just to allow your home to return to its prior state. To finish the step you need to get everything out of the space.
This includes:
- Take the trash items out to the trash can outside
- Take the items to be donated out to your car and put them in your trunk so you are ready the next time you are running errands. Don’t simply put the pile by the door and think you will get to it someday, someday will never come. Get the items out of the house immediately.
- Put away the items that were kept. Theoretically, this should be a much smaller amount of stuff, you should be able to designate a home for each item. This is the key to maintaining a clutter-free home after the purge is over.
If you find that this final step is an obstacle for you, then you might consider hiring professional help from a junk clearing company for removals. You might find that scheduling a company to arrive at a specific date and time is the motivation for you to complete your project.
Follow these steps for each area as you move throughout your home. Regardless of whether you choose to work room by room or category by category, don’t move on to the next until you completely get the clutter out of your home.
Get Started and Follow the Steps
Decluttering your life can be an overwhelming process. As mentioned, getting started is always the hardest part of tackling any large project. So just get started and the rest will fall into place.
We have given you a simple step by step process to follow from the surface clutter through the rest of your home. With the right tools and big boxes, you will purge your home of all the clutter in no time.
Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you didn’t end up in this mess overnight. It will take time, and a concerted effort, to get your home uncluttered. But the results will be worth it.
For more information about your home and removing the clutter check out some more of our articles on our website.