Clutter is the bane of my life. I’m a natural hoarder and have to force myself to part with even the most useless items. As a result, I end up with tonnes of semi-useful things that I don’t have space to keep. They creep into my living room, fill my kitchen cupboards and multiply across my loft.
One of the problems this causes is that nowhere looks tidy. I keep my house clean. I lift the clutter, clean under it, clean it, and put it back slightly neater. But the house never looks tidy, and to most, tidy equals clean. Despite it being clean, it doesn’t stop other people associating the mess with uncleanliness.
Another issue is, it’s hard to relax in a cluttered room. I feel stressed when I see something that I haven’t got a place to store, but I don’t want to get rid of ‘just in case’. I worry about how much stuff I’ve got, and how I’ll choose what to part with. When I’ve had a big clear-out, it feels like a weight has been lifted.
The simplest solution would be to never let clutter accumulate at all, and honestly, I’m trying. But learning to live without clutter takes work. It’s hard to change your ways, so for now, I’ll have a regular clear out and get rid of whatever I can bear to part with
Are You Ready for a Clutter Free Home?
Are you like me? Is your house so messy you can never find what you’re looking for? Are you often late for work because you can never find your car keys?
These tips will help save time and keep you more organized.
Get organised in a way that makes sense
Keep things in a place that makes sense. Drop your keys in a dish by the front door so you won’t waste time looking for them throughout the house. Put anything you need to take with you by the front door (eg. bag, water bottle, phone charger). This will save you time in the morning because you won’t be running around trying to gather what you need for the day.
Tidy and de-clutter as you go
Straighten up as you go. Pick up the newspaper and put in the recycling bin instead of leaving it on the coffee table. Fill the dishwasher after every meal instead of once a day. Put your groceries away rather than leave them on the kitchen table. When I get my shopping delivered, non-perishables stay in the hallway for far too long. I’ve started to try and pack them away immediately after the chilled stuff, but if I’m in a rush, I’m still guilty of leaving them!
How can you possibly know what food you do or don’t have if last week’s haul is still in the bag? This makes the kitchen an appealing place to enjoy a meal instead of a constant reminder of chores that need to be done.
Keep your bathroom tidy. Wipe up the sink and mirror after you wash your face, then put your toiletries away. Doing these small things as you go keeps the bathroom looking cleaner in case unexpected guests stop by- you won’t have to be embarrassed if they ask to use the loo.
Do one thing at a time
Finish one project before starting another. I have a friend who has started to update her bathroom, never finished the project and is now working on her kitchen. Her house is constantly in a state of confusion and she never manages to get any project completed because it’s too overwhelming.
I can’t pretend I don’t do this too, but on a smaller scale. I’ll start a crochet project and get bored so start another. I get distracted and abandon things. I washed my kitchen blinds last week but I still haven’t put them back up!
Spot things before they become an problem
Regularly organise your wardrobe. Even if you just seasonally put your warm clothes away for the summer and your sundresses away for the winter. This stops it bursting at the seams and begging for a de-clutter. Keep shoes in boxes or shoe racks. Donate anything that no longer fits or if you haven’t worn them in ages. If that doesn’t leave you with much, you could sell your clothes and replace them with the money you earn. Don’t hang onto things you can’t use anymore because there is someone out there who wants it!
Have a filing system
Keep your important documents and papers in a safe place. I have an ‘important documents’ folder because I’m still not all that organised. I should probably have a fire-proof lock box or something, but honestly, I’m not that organised yet. Baby steps, right?
If you keep important financial information on your laptop, it’s a good idea to backup to a flash drive and keep this somewhere safe too.
Taking small steps every day to keep organized will help keep your home cosy and clutter-free.
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