Do you feel overwhelmed by all the things in your house? Do you feel like you’re constantly running out of room to put things? To help, we are sharing with you the best way to declutter your house.
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How NOT to declutter your house
Before we tell you the best way to declutter your house, we are going to tell you how NOT to do it.
How many times have you attempted to clean up your house to only be distracted or overwhelmed enough to give up?
Although you may be tempted to, we would NOT suggest for you to take on your whole house all at once.
You may look around your home and feel swamped with all your stuff and just want to tackle everything, but that is just going to overwhelm you more.
The best way to declutter your house is to pick a room, and only work on that room until it is finished.
How to know where to start
If you are having a hard time deciding where to begin in your decluttering process, we suggest either picking a room that is small and easier to declutter, or picking a room that your guests see the most.
If you’re feeling really overwhelmed, we might suggest picking just a closet to start off with.
How to know what to get rid of
As very sentimental people, decluttering can be really hard for us when it comes to certain items.
You certainly could go the KonMari route, but that can be a bit extreme unless you are really trying to downsize a ton or be a minimalist.
Because everyone’s house is different, we are going to mention the big rooms or categories of things that typically pile up in our house.
Kitchen
Go through your kitchen cabinets. Do you have dish towels that are really worn? Put them with your cleaning rags.
Are there dishes that never get used? Donate them to a thrift store or save them in a box to sell at your garage sale in the summer.
Do you have small kitchen appliances that you never use like an ice-cream maker, waffle maker, rice cooker, etc.? These things take up a lot of space if you don’t use them on a regular basis.
Check your cupboards and fridge for expired foods and spices and throw them out. We are guilty of buying cake mixes when they are on sale and never baking them. Another option for food if it is NOT expired, is to donate it to a food pantry, homeless shelter, or to someone you know that could use it. This helps prevent unnecessary waste.
Look through your cleaning supplies. Do you have carpet shampoo but now only have wood or laminate floors? Get rid of the things you no longer use.
If you have some sort of junk drawer or area in your kitchen where things accumulate, go through it and put things where the go or get rid of them.
| Related: Simple DIY Kitchen Organization Ideas On a Budget
Clothes in Closets
Are there clothes that you never wear or are saving until they fit again? It’s time to get rid of them. Clothes that don’t fit will probably be out of style or just seem old by the time you will actually fit in them again.
If you aren’t sure if you wear something often, turn all your hangers with clothes backwards so that the hook faces you when you open your closet. When you wear something and wash it, put it back in the closet the normal way. After six months to a year, check and see which hangers are still backwards. Unless it is a costume or outfit for a special occasion, get rid of it.
| Related: 10 Bedroom Organization & Storage Ideas
Books
We have a small room with built-in bookcases that we call our library. We only keep the books that fit on the shelves. Once it is full with no more room for books, we don’t buy more books unless we get rid of some.
Another thing to think about with books is whether or not you’re actually going to read them again. If you don’t think you will read them again, then get rid of them. Don’t keeps books that you didn’t like or that were just okay. Keep what you actually love!
Also, if you are someone who likes to buy books that you haven’t read but want to read, make sure you aren’t accumulating books and never actually getting around to reading them.
There are a couple easy ways to see how long you’ve had a book that you haven’t read. One idea is to write on a piece of paper the date that you bought or were given a book and place it inside the book. Then, every six months to a year, check the books that you haven’t read and get rid of ones that still have not been read for at least a year. You probably aren’t going to get around to reading them any time soon. If you decide in the future that you really want to finally read it, you can always check it out at a library.
Another thing you could do is to have a separate shelf for books you haven’t read. If the shelf is full, you have to read a book on it before you buy any more books.
Knick-Knacks
We do like knick-knacks and souvenirs, but that doesn’t mean you should go overboard on them.
We only have designated areas for them since we really don’t like to dust them. One place we keep knick-knacks is in a curio cabinet, and then we have a few shelves to put some on.
When we dust them, we ask ourselves if we still want them. If they no longer seem very important or match the décor of your home, get rid of them. That way if you find something new, you will have space for it.
Craft Items
I sort through my craft items every so often. I throw away dried up paint, things I will never use, and give to thrift stores things that are still good but I don’t want anymore.
Craft supplies can be difficult to declutter because you never know exactly what you might need for a project. If you have had certain items for a long time and still haven’t used them by now, you probably aren’t going to use them in the future either.
Recently when going through my crafts, I decided to get rid of my tabletop loom. Although it is nice, I have not made anything with it in about 15 years.
If you scrapbook, look through your stickers and papers. Sometimes I buy a slab of assorted paper and use certain sheets. I usually have some leftover papers that I don’t particularly like. Get rid of the stuff you will never use.
One other thing to keep in mind is that some crafts kind of go out of style after a while. If something goes out of style and you’re not likely to make it again, then it’s time to get rid of it.
| Related: How to Organize Craft and Scrapbook Supplies
Bathrooms
Our bathrooms are small with not a lot of storage. We keep extra items under the sink.
It is a good idea to sort through stuff like that occasionally.
We usually find items that we forgot we had or won’t use or have expired (like sunscreen).
Also, get rid of expired medicines and makeup that won’t do the job they are supposed to do any longer.
Another thing to look at in your bathroom are your towels. When ours get too worn or stained or dingy, we replace them with new ones (usually clearance ones to save money).
Our main bathroom has a beach theme with a mix of colors, so we are not locked into buying towels of the same color.
Papers
Ahh papers, one of the most time-consuming things to go through!
Although it can be tedious, it is important to go through all the papers lying around your house. Recycle what you can, but make sure you shred things with personal information on them.
At least once a year I go through my file cabinet and look through the papers inside. I also keep warranties and manuals in there.
I throw out papers from things I no longer have and only save records (insurance, bank statements, etc.) for one year. Income tax records I save for 7 years.
If you have old school papers or notes from school that you don’t need, get rid of them.
Dressers
Do you have socks, underwear, or other items that are stained, stretched out or have holes in them? It is time to part with them. Make sure you throw them away instead of donating them because no one wants yucky clothes like that.
You may want to save one shirt and one pair of worn pants for painting or dirty jobs, but everything else should go.
Another thing that happens with dressers is that we tend to wear what’s at the top of the stack of clothes the most. It’s a good idea to switch around the stacks of clothes, so that you’re not always wearing the same thing. Then you’ll know for sure what you haven’t actually been wearing in a while.
Electronic Media
Sometimes I buy used DVDs or get new ones for presents. After several years, they accumulate. I will go through what I have and decide if I will ever watch that movie or TV series again. If the answer is no, then it is time to get rid of it.
This is also true for CDs and video games. We just recently went through all of our Wii games and got rid of a bunch of them that we don’t ever play.
| Related: How to Keep Track of Your Library of Books, DVDs, etc.
Board Games
Many people like to play board games. We like certain ones, but we also like to try new ones.
We sort through our games once in a while to see if we will still play them.
Some trivia type games have a limited number of questions. Once you have gone through all of them, the game isn’t a whole lot of fun anymore.
Also, some games can become outdated. For example, if a trivia game was made in the 1980s, then it will have no recent information. This can make it really challenging and frustrating if there are correct answers that aren’t listed on the cards.
Linen Closets
Make sure you go through your extra bedding, shower curtains, tablecloths etc. Do you really need that many extra sets of bedding?
Get rid of linens with stains or holes in them. Don’t keep more than you need.
You might be surprised by the number of blankets you own. Do you honestly need that many blankets?
Electronics
Do you still have old or broken electronics like cellphones, CD players, or TVs? Get rid of them if you are no longer going to use them.
Make sure you are properly disposing of them because most garbage companies don’t accept a TV with your trash.
If you have things that are in good condition but you no longer use, you can consider donating them or selling them. Depending on what you have, a thrift store might not accept it.
Basements
Basements tend to get the most stuff that you probably don’t need to keep because they are often used for a lot of storage.
Just like the other rooms in your house, make sure you actually go through everything and decide if you really need stuff. If it is just going to sit packed away in your basement, is the item really worth having?
What to do with the things you don’t want
If you aren’t keeping something, you should sell it, donate it, or throw it away.
Don’t throw away things that are not actually trash when you could easily donate them. This is so wasteful, yet we see people put stuff out at the curb all the time that is not really trash.
Some things can be sold at a garage sale, flea market, or on eBay. It depends on the item’s worth and whether or not people would actually buy it.
If you don’t want to take the time to sell something, you can donate it to a local thrift store. This allows someone else to enjoy your items.
How to keep your house decluttered
Once you have decluttered your whole house, how are you going to keep it that way?
Improve your shopping habits. Don’t just buy things just because they are a good deal. When you buy something, picture where it will fit in your house.
Also, when you buy something, get rid of something as well. Then, you will always have room in your house. For example, if you buy yourself a new shirt, get rid of one that you never wear anymore.
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What have you found to be the best way to declutter your house?
Comment your tips below!
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How to Keep Track of Your Library of Books, DVDs, etc.
