6 Home Decluttering Tips That Every Smart Homeowner Needs to Use

If you live with other people, it can become all too easy to start piling up stuff. And, before you know it, your home is a cluttered, disorganized mess of things that, at the end of the day, you don’t even use or need.

Don’t despair, though: there is a way out of the chaos, quite literally. Your best friend? A few, good home decluttering techniques.

Curious to learn more, and looking forward to getting your nice, clean, and tidy house back? Then, read on to discover six great ideas to achieve this quickly and easily.

1. Start Small to Stay Focused

Even if there are dozens of areas around your house that need some serious decluttering action, you’re better off tackling one at a time. Even better, start with the smallest, least intimidating area of them all. A drawer, a box, your home office paperwork: anything that you can get done quickly and can give you a sense of fulfillment will do.

2. Set a (Realistic) Timer

In a similar way, be realistic when it comes to timings. If you know that you only have a couple of spare hours today, don’t force yourself to spend them submerged in clutter. Set aside 15 or 20 minutes for your decluttering project, and dedicate the rest of your time to other activities.

3. Prepare Empty Sorting Bags

If you are sorting out old clothes, accessories, or pieces of furniture, chances are that not everything will need to be thrown in the trash. Get a few empty bags ready and label them. Some will go to charity, some to the dumpster, and others can live in a temporary “Maybe” bag.

4. Rope in Your Family or Roommates

Do you live with other people? Great, then you’ll want to get them involved in your re-organization efforts. To convince them, remind them that not only is a clean, decluttered house much more beautiful to live in, but less mess, dust, and mold, can also help to improve indoor air quality.

5. Remember the Medicine Cabinet!

The medicine cabinet can become super-cluttered over time, so you should give it a good, thorough check regularly. The worst bit? If you don’t pay enough attention, you might even end up taking drugs that are way past their use-by date, with potentially serious risks for your health.

6. Channel Your Inner Marie Kondo

Whether you love her or hate her, you have to admit it: her usual, zen-inspired decluttering method is pretty effective. After all, if it’s worked so well for all your friends, why shouldn’t it be good for you, too?

So, next time you pick an object that you are unsure of, ask yourself if it sparks joy. If it does, it’s a keeper. If not, in the trash (or the charity bag) it goes.