If you thought downsizing and streamlining your home was the end of your clutter woes, you were wrong. There are a few bad habits that need to be broken in order to prevent clutter from creeping back in. These seven bad habits can mean the difference between a tidy home and clutter war zone.
Do You… Recycle and Donate Regularly?
Decluttering is great, it gets the things you don’t want out of your life to make more room for the things you do want. But unless you tackle these unwanted belongings, you may find there are bags and boxes of things lingering around your home causing a cluttered eyesore. Tossing, recycling, and donating regularly removes these items for good; make it part of your routine to tackle items as soon as you realise they are unwanted. This is what you should do after decluttering to tie up loose ends and prevent anything lingering at home.
Do You… Have A “One In, One Out” Rule?
This rule keeps clutter at bay and if you don’t utilise it you may stuff just keeps piling up. The “One In, One Out” rule is simple: every time you bring something new into your home another like-item must leave. So if you bring home a new magazine, recycle an old one; new books? Give away ones you’ve already read to friends; if you purchases a new cutlery set, donate the old one. This rule is especially useful for people who have thoroughly decluttered their homes and want to maintain the balance. Haven’t decluttered yet? Follow this no-nonsense guide for decluttering your home.
Do You… Put Things Away After Use?
Whether it’s unwanted items you need to donate, dishes from dinner, or a stack of books; when you don’t deal with mess straight away it becomes clutter. The biggest clutter-banishing rule you can implement at home is giving everything a place and putting it all back after use. Organising your home and adopting a few clutter-free habits is key to maintaining a tidy environment. If you know where something belongs you’re much more likely to put it back after use; spending 10 minutes every day to return items means less housework and less chance for clutter to creep back in.
Do You… Overthink The Process?
We have a tendency to get emotionally hung up on parting with gifts our loved ones gave us or items that represent a fond memory or moment in time. When we declutter we’re reminded of all these moments which make the process of getting rid of them much harder. If you find yourself overthinking the process you’re much more likely to keep items you don’t really want “just in case,” or putting aside gifts you don’t use simply because someone you love gave them to you. Making a conscious effort to break the sentimentality attached to our belongings is crucial for removing what we don’t want in our lives to make room for things we do. If you’re having a tough time deciding, here are three questions to ask yourself.
Do You… Only Get Rid Of Things You Don’t Like?
The easiest part of decluttering is getting rid of the things you don’t like and when you’re just starting out there’s a lot of them! Making progress is so easy when you can fill sacks and sacks of belongings you dislike. The hard part comes when you’re down to those perfectly serviceable items, what to do with them? If you’re only getting rid of things you actively dislike, you’re likely to find yourself with a bunch of useful items you don’t use: clutter. These items may be useful but if you’re not using them they’re going to waste, it’s best to pass them onto someone who will.
Do You… Do A 10-Minute Tidy Every Day?
Clutter isn’t just things we don’t use or love, it can also be things left out of place. A stack of books on the coffee table, washing left out to dry, plates in the drying rack; all these things are part of the everyday clutter of life. Spending a little time each day to put things back in place returns your environment to a composed state. When all your belongings are where they belong you’ll find your home looks and feels fresh and clutter-free. Adopting these five everyday habits will help you maintain a clean, tidy, and clutter-free home.
Do You.. Throw Things In A Junk Drawer?
It’s easily done and we’ve all done it; the junk drawer is where all those things we don’t know what to do with go. The end result is a pile of clutter that stagnates and only accumulates. If you find you’re throwing odds and ends into a hidden space, ask yourself whether you really need to keep them at all. If not, save yourself the hassle and bin them immediately. If you really do want these miscellaneous items, get the right storage and find somewhere to keep them.
