Contributing Author: Olivia Forgette

After years of enjoying your home, things can tend to…pile up. If you’re feeling like your space is beginning to get cluttered, look no further for all your spring-cleaning tips on how to declutter.

The average American home contains nearly 300,000 items. Letting go of unused items can feel invigorating. In fact, many studies have found that decluttering your physical space can lead to lower levels of stress. Reducing clutter reduces your visual distraction and chaos.

Let’s dive into some steps you can take to get your home feeling fresh.

Decluttering your space is also a great way to increase property value if you’re thinking of selling soon. According to an agent survey conducted by HomeLight, real estate agents estimated that deep cleaning and decluttering could add a potential of three-percent to the median home sale price.

 

General tips on how to declutter

The best way to tackle a major declutter is to go room-by-room. Keeping your focus small as you tackle the entire project can limit your feelings of overwhelm and offer you the greatest rate of success as you hit your spring-cleaning running. Some other general decluttering tips include:

  • Stay in each space until it’s completely decluttered and cleaned
  • Bring a trash can into the space with you to encourage tossing out unwanted items
  • Place items that have traveled from their designated places back where they belong
  • Take before-and-after photos to help motivate you as you work
  • Create a timeline on when you’d like to complete your decluttering to keep your goal feeling attainable and on track
  • Keep like-items together for easier organization
  • Create piles for keep, donate, and trash and follow through with the donating and discarding
  • If you’re having trouble throwing away items that may have sentimental value, take a photo and let go
  • Rent a dumpster to help with an excess of trash (pro tip, be sure to get a dumpster with a door in the front so you don’t injure yourself by tossing items over the side)

Mindful rules

Keep in mind some of these helpful guidelines as you enter your decluttering journey:

  • 80/20 rule which states we use 20-percent of our belongings 80-percent of the time. So get rid of or store the other 80-percent you don’t use regularly
  • Five-second rule should be used to help make quick decisions. Give yourself five seconds to remember when the last time you used an item, if you can’t remember in the five seconds, let it go
  • Five-year rule is another great tool to help you decide if something is ready to leave your home. It states that if you haven’t used the item in five years or more, it’s time to exit your space

 

Room-by-room

Entryway

A great place to start while decluttering is your entryway. It’s a small space and clears the first impression of the home. Remove out-of-season coats, excess shoes, and piles of old mail sitting around. Make sure to give the floor of your coat closet a good cleaning, as this area typically gets neglected. Giving your entryway a little facelift with some new items is also a great way to enhance the first impression of your home.

Kitchen

To get your kitchen in tip-top shape, it’s best to clear any visible surfaces first. Then go for the cabinets, drawers, and your pantry. Don’t forget to declutter all the items that have accumulated on the front of your fridge (include an excess of magnets). Toss out all expired food and consider ditching non-frequently used cookware. Then finish the job with a good deep cleaning to make everything sparkle this spring.

Living room

Often the living room will feel cluttered due to too much furniture. It might be as simple as getting more appropriate sized furniture pieces for your living space; or consider removing items that are in excess. Remember to remove any extra trash that could be lying around (i.e. old magazines, toys, etc.).

Bedroom

Bedrooms tend to collect more sentimental items, and an excess of clothing. Be sure to clear off any surfaces including nightstands and dressers. Remove old tissues, tuck away eyeglasses, and keep the bed clear so you can start sorting out your clothing. Clothing can sometimes carry sentimental attachment. It’s important to trust yourself that the memory won’t leave you when the item finds a new home. Try snapping a photo of the item before donating the item. If it’s a child’s room, be sure to eliminate any clothing that no longer fits. Plus, clear out any old toys that are no longer loved.

Home office

Since the pandemic, the home office has become a must-have for many working-from-home Americans. This space tends to be a dumping ground for paperwork and miscellaneous items. To declutter your office this spring, be sure to clear surfaces of clutter. Create piles for garbage or to file, and follow through with filing. Go through old files and discard any that are no longer needed (AKA those super old tax returns considering it’s typically recommended to only save the last three years).

Hallways and windows

Hallways can also become a place for random piles of items to build up. Whether it’s on your stairs waiting to head upstairs or just sitting in your hallway. It’s great to declutter these items as well and bring them to their rightful space. Once your hallway is cleared, be sure to dust your baseboards in this area, and clean the handrail if you have stairs. Finally, clear off your windowsills and give your windows a good cleaning to let in ample light this spring season.

Garage

Last but not least, the garage. This space is another notorious dumping ground for random garbage and stuff. Clear out the junk and discard any actual garbage. Next step in decluttering your garage is to organize your keep items by keeping like items together. Organize your tools so when that next homeowner project strikes you know just where to find what you need. If your garage is still feeling cluttered, consider adding a shed in your backyard to alleviate some of your seasonal items such as a lawn mower or snowblower.