Decluttering has been a big buzzword for the last few years since Marie Kondo took the world by storm on Netflix. Since then, there have been even more books, shows, and tips dedicated to decluttering.
There is a good reason for it, too; decluttering stops us from holding on to things we don’t need, sure, but actually, the more things we have around us, the bigger the mental load. Mess and clutter play a role in our mental health – the more clutter you have, the more cleaning, tidying, and storage you need to think about.
But, there is a big difference between a light declutter and a tidy-up – and being ruthless enough to make a big difference. By nature, we want to hold onto things; we surround ourselves with things that comfort us – and in the end, we have spent money on them – so it makes sense to want to keep them.
However, the time has come to be ruthless – and here is how to do it.
Clothing
One of the biggest culprits for keeping things we never use is clothing. And for many, it can be difficult to see an almost empty (read: decluttered / capsule) wardrobe. We are marketing new clothing constantly, and there will be some trends that we enjoy.
But for many people, they are holding on to clothing that is too small, they don’t like, or they never wear. Be ruthless, and donate anything you haven’t worn lately that doesn’t fit or that you don’t like. It can be good to call a friend in to help you because they will likely be more ruthless.
Appliances
Most of us have appliances stored away that we purchased on a whim after watching a cooking show or finding a new recipe and wanting to try it out. Immersion blenders, sous vide wands, pressure cookers, or the bread machine that you used three times to make banana bread four years ago. Sell anything that works and bin anything that doesn’t.
General Stuff
Pen lids, chests of drawers, old notebooks, letters from 10 years ago, stuffed teddies with one eye, bottles, jars, anything that you have lying around that could be categorized as ‘I was going to do XYZ with it’ can go. General stuff often makes up the second largest amount of things that can go and might be the one category you need a skip hire for.
Keep with the rules: don’t love it, use it, or wear it – and it has to go.
Cables and Old Electronics
That old Sony Ericsson phone and the huge mess of cables and cords isn’t going to come in handy one day. Unless you plan on switching from your smartphone to an old phone with no internet or opening a cable shop – they can and should go. Look for local electronic recycling points so that they are recycled properly, or check and see if the skip hire place will handle them in their household rubbish skips.
Force It
Plan a length of time to declutter for, make sure you stick to it – and no matter what, get rid of at least a box of items per day (more is better) for the entire duration. A good declutter isn’t usually done in one day, so give yourself at least a month, and have a goal in mind about what each room should look like.
A deep decluttering will help with the long-term cleanliness and tidiness of your home, and once you have done the big one, here are tips to keep your home looking shipshape: Keeping Your Home Tidy All the Time with Less Effort.
