Has your place been looking a little . . . clogged up lately? Well, it may be time to do some organizing! The new year is the perfect time to declutter, streamline, and organize your space so that you can tackle all the other goals you have for 2024. If you want some help to get started, look no further: we’ve got the 12 golden rules of decluttering all laid out for you below.
1. Get rid of duplicates
If you have duplicates lying around, get rid of them if they are not necessary. Keep the better duplicate and trash or donate the other.
2. Get rid of things you haven’t used in a year
So you keep telling yourself that you’ll use it eventually. But if you haven’t touched it in a year, chances are that you’re not going to in the near future. Do your home a favor and get rid of the items that aren’t getting any use.
3. Digitize nostalgic items
Do you have too many nostalgic items that you can’t seem to get yourself to give away? Take photos of them and then get rid of them – you’ll be able to keep them around forever without cluttering up your space.
4. Don’t keep items out of guilt
I’m sure you have a thing or two around the house that you keep out of guilt. Perhaps it’s a sweater sweet aunt Betty knitted for you for Christmas that you never wear or that fancy dress you splurged way too much on. Time to be brutal and get rid of them all.
5. Put things back where they belong
It’s easy to just leave things lying around, but that’s how clutter builds up. After you’re done using something, immediately put it back where it belongs so you won’t procrastinate.
6. And find a home for them
Make sure every item in your home has a place, whether it’s a plastic container or an under-the-bed organizer. And remember: a pile of items is not a true place for your things.
7. Sell, give away, donate, upcycle, or throw away
When assessing things you want to get rid of, start by seeing if you can make some of your money back by selling it. If you don’t think it’s worth the effort to sell, give it away to people you know who will use it. Perhaps to your family and friends, or even your Facebook network. You can also choose to donate it to get a tax write-off.
8. Don’t keep items you wouldn’t buy now
Are there some items you have that you would never buy now? Perhaps you should take a good hard look at them and figure out why you need them now and if you can do without them.
9. Opt for covered furniture
If you have a clutter problem, choose furniture that is covered, such as a closet with a sliding door instead of open shelves. This will help your place look cleaner and more organized.
10. Don’t forget storage under your bed
There’s a lot of real estate in your home that’s not being put to good use; one that people often forget about is under-the-bed storage.
11. Think tall
Use up all the space in your home to make the most of it, including the vertical space. The more space you have for your stuff, the less likely it’s going to get cluttered up.
12. Evaluate your spending
If you’re buying things you don’t need, take a hard look at your spending. Perhaps you need to take part in a 30-day spending hiatus to motivate yourself.
