Are you looking for some simple tips for decluttering and organising? Are you feeling overwhelmed by the clutter in your home and find yourself constantly searching for things you know you have, but can’t seem to locate? If so, it might be time to declutter and organise your space. In this post, I’ll share practical ‘getting started’ ideas for decluttering and organising most rooms in your home, from the kitchen to the office. Let’s get started!
In the Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of any home but it can also be a popular dumping ground for papers by passers-by! Here are some simple tips for decluttering your kitchen plus find more in this blog post.
- Find a tray or box to place on the kitchen bench and encourage everyone to put things in there. Think of it like the household ‘in-tray’. You can set aside some time each week to ‘process’ what’s in there.
- If you don’t do it already, introduce menu planning. Not only is it great for saving money, it is a sanity saver too. At the start of each week, sit down and plan out the week’s menu, including snacks so you’re not tempted by junk. Once you know what you’re going to make that week, write your shopping list.
- Organise your pantry – it will make it so much easier to implement your menu planning and bring order to your kitchen.
- Create a kitchen cleaning roster and delegate age-appropriate chores for the kids, things like unpacking the dishwasher and mopping the floor.
- Tackle the cleaning in stages. There’s no point putting it off, waiting for the perfect time to fit the whole job in. Work from the top down or from left to right or simply break the job into manageable chunks. Alternatively, look at getting a cleaner in when you can.
In the Laundry
Keeping clothes washing under control is an area that can bring huge improvements in not just the laundry but the whole home.
- Putting a system in place for washing is key to creating some order in the laundry and keeping tabs on that growing pile of dirty clothes.
- Keep the process simple and sort the wash into lights, darks, colours and hand wash.
- Fold your clothes immediately after taking them off the line so they don’t crease in the basket. You’ll save yourself ironing time.
- Store cleaning products in either a locked cabinet or out of reach in a high cupboard to keep children in your home safe.
In the Bathroom
Stress-free mornings start in the bathroom.
- In the cupboards and on the bench, group like items together for easy access.
- Do the wet towels end up on the floor? Make sure there are enough hooks.
- Keep a squeegee in the shower to immediately clean the glass. It saves time when you come to clean it and it helps prevent mould growth.
- Schedule 15 minutes a week or fortnight to clean your bathroom. The longer you leave in between cleans, the longer it takes to clean!
In the Living Room
Clutter tends to accumulate in the living room. They are, after all, where we do a lot of ‘living’. Put some simple things in place to manage this space.
- Put a basket in the corner of the room for things that need to go somewhere else. At the end of the day, it is easy to spend 5 minutes delivering things to where they belong.
- Remove old magazines and newspapers. Collect any paperwork into your ‘in tray’ (see In the Kitchen above).
- Assess the furniture, ornaments and trinkets in the room. Decluttering what you don’t need or love will create more space – physically and visually.
- If you have a toy box in your living room, see my tips for Kids’ Rooms below.
In the Kids’ Rooms
So it looks like the toy box exploded! Where do you start?
- Firstly ask for help! Get the kids involved if they’re old enough. Even toddlers can pick things up and put them in a box. Make it a game.
- Group like items together and place them in boxes or baskets labelled with photos and/or words. Older kids will be able to sort things into the right place if they are labelled well.
- Do a toy cull. Get rid of the broken ones and the ones that don’t get played with. This can be an emotional task, so consider how you can preserve the memory (perhaps with a photograph or diary entry).
- Rotate the toys with a toy rotation. It encourages your kids to be creative and invent new ways of using the toys. It also reduces overstimulation which can result in pulling item after item out of the toy box.
- Consider setting up play zones in the room or even throughout the house. This helps keep activities under control and the spaces organised.
In the Bedroom
The average woman wears 20% of her wardrobe 80% of the time. But when the wardrobe is under control, she will not only have items that feel good on, but she will step out on time, feeling more confident.
- So, do a wardrobe declutter. Assess each item in the wardrobe and separate them into the following categories: Keep, I Don’t Know, Mend and Toss. Download my Wardrobe Declutter Guide to learn the whole process.
- Use good quality hangers. They help your clothes stay in shape but they also stop things from falling off.
- Group ‘like’ items together then colour code the ‘like’ items. So, hang all your skirts together by colour order and do the same for shirts, dresses, pants and jackets.
- If an item of clothing does not make you feel great or comfy say goodbye to it. You are worth it!
In the Home Office
Paper piles can be never-ending. Whether you have a home office or not, here are some simple tips to declutter and organise paperwork wherever the piles accumulate.
- Follow the rules ‘Dump it. Do it. Delegate it. Display or File it.’
- While following the above rule, try to only handle each piece of paper once, preferably when you first lay eyes on it. If you do this, your paper pile woes will be over.
- For anything that needs to be done but can’t be done right away, create an ‘Action Station‘.
General Tips
To finish this post, I’d like to share some simple tips for decluttering that apply to every decluttering and organising task.
- Whatever space you choose to work on, commit to that space – even if it is just one drawer. Allocate a specific period of time to get the job done and don’t get distracted. Stay focused and stay in that room. If things need to be delivered to another room, create an ‘Other Room’ box and empty it as the last thing you do.
- Speaking of finishing the job, stick to my 60:40 rule. Use the last portion of the time you have set aside to make sure things get put where they belong.
- Clear a designated ‘sorting’ space near where you are working. It might be a table, the bed or part of the floor. This can help you stay focused and organised during the task.
Decluttering and organising your home can be a daunting task but it’s worth it in the end. Not only will it make your home feel more spacious and inviting, but it can also have a positive impact on your mental health and well-being. Remember, taking small steps consistently is the key to success. Start by choosing one room or area to focus on, use these simple tips for decluttering and work your way through the rest of the house gradually.
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