Love the idea of a home that’s clutter-free and beautifully organized? There’s never a better time than now to get started! A messy home can make you feel stressed and overwhelmed, and you can end up feeling not too good about your life. This holiday, take some time out to simplify and declutter, and you’ll be surprised at the huge difference it makes to your lifestyle.
Here are our top ideas to declutter your home and transform your life!
Do A Kitchen Clean Up
You’ll get a lot of time during the holidays to try out all those new recipes, and it’s always a joy to work in a kitchen that’s pristine and has everything in its place. Start by decluttering your appliances and utensils. If there are any toasters, waffle makers or blenders that are broken, set them aside to get them fixed. In case you have already bought new ones but are yet to give away the old items, it’s time to let them go! If you’re like most of us, you probably have an assortment of frying pans and kadais, but use only one. Keep only what you need and give the rest away to someone who could use them.
Next, tackle the groceries. If there’s anything that’s past its best by date, throw it away. Stack items that are close to the expiry date in front so that you can use them first. Group like items together, and take stock of what you have so that you don’t end up buying more of the same.
It’s nice to have a clutter-free countertop in the kitchen, so do tuck away appliances, jars and bottles out of sight. There are plenty of drawer organizers and pantry accessories available that can help you eke out every inch of storage space—and if your kitchen is outdated you could even consider giving the cabinets a makeover!
Declutter The Bedrooms
All of us accumulate clothing over the years. We buy more than we need, and the old clothes pile up at the back of the cupboard and are soon forgotten. Our kids outgrow their clothes, and we hang on to the old ones simply because of how cute they look! Fashions change, and we like to keep up with the times— so the clothes that are no longer trendy tend to pile up, unused.
Take a quick look through your wardrobes. You can make three piles, like Marie Kondo advocates — those that you want to keep, those that you can donate and those that have to be thrown away. Also consider a fourth pile — those that can be upcycled into something new; cushion covers or quilts, for instance. Do make sure the items for upcycling don’t end up forgotten, or they will become clutter again!
Once you’re done, put back only the clothes that you want to keep. Store like items together, and fold them or roll them up so that they take up the least space and are easy to access.
Want to know more about the Konmari method of tidying up your clothes? Read our article for how-tos.
Organize Your Kids’ Rooms
Children’s rooms are spaces where clutter creeps in all too easily. For one thing, children grow up in the blink of an eye, and storybooks or toys that were a favourite just yesterday are already discarded today. Clothes are rapidly outgrown or get torn beyond repair, and gadgets are soon replaced by newer models.
This is a good time to donate toys that are not getting the love they need, and throw out jigsaws with missing pieces, broken Legos and decapitated, dismembered dolls! Do encourage your little ones to share with other kids who are not as fortunate as they are. The holiday season is one of giving, and there’s no better way to nurture the spirit of sharing than by having your children participate and do it themselves.
Once your child’s room is organized, gently tell her that it’s her responsibility now, and she needs to pitch in to keep it that way. Children who are given responsibilities from a young age grow up to become responsible adults, and who doesn’t want that!
Declutter The Bathrooms
Bathrooms are also often spaces that can turn messy all too quickly. How many of us remember to throw out a toothpaste tube that’s all squeezed out before starting on a new one, and have just one brand of shampoo or body wash on the shelves at any time? Here, too, we are guilty of overindulgence, and all those bottles, jars and tubes can pile up.
Do a quick spring clean and discard anything that’s empty or is well past its best by date. Keep aside bottles with just a little bit of lotion or oil in them aside, and remember to finish them first before opening up a new jar. Plan to have storage shelves or drawers where towels, bath essentials and other accessories can be displayed neatly and readily accessed when needed.
Give Your Living Room A Makeover
In most homes, the living room does not get cluttered as much as the other areas, but here, too you can consider paring down to the essentials. Clean up the top of the coffee table, remove all books and magazines that you have already read, and tuck away gadgets and appliances out of sight when not in use. If there is any furniture that is cluttering up the space, give it away.
For a quick holiday refresh, try upgrading the upholstery or investing in new curtains. And don’t forget the indoor plants!
Ready To Get Started? Here’s What You Should Keep In Mind:
- Start small. Even if you cannot carve out enough time to go through all your belongings in one day, every step counts. Pick the area in your home that’s giving you the most stress, and tackle it first.
- Have a schedule and stick to it. It can be whatever works for you, and even a half-hour a day will make a difference. Remember, the more progress you make, the better you will feel.
- Anything you have outgrown, or is in need of repair needs to go. This includes those broken watches that have been in your drawer for over a year, clothes with stains that don’t go away, and children’s school books that they no longer need.
- Try to restore, reuse and upcycle items as much as possible, rather than just throw them away. Our cities don’t need more garbage piling up in landfills!
- Once you have decluttered and organized every space in your home, remember to keep it that way! Set aside sometime every weekend to pick up and clean up, or all your hard work would have been in vain.
We hope these tips and ideas have inspired you to pare down the clutter and get down to organizing your home. If you’d like help with a kitchen and wardrobe makeover, do call a HomeLane designer today!
