Easy and Fun Decluttering Tips: A Happy, Healthy Homes Start Here

Look around your home. If you feel stressed out, there’s a good chance that you have a clutter conundrum. Too much stuff and not enough time to use it – or keep it clean for that matter – is bad for your health and can take a toll on your emotional state. Fortunately, it’s not as hard as you might think to make changes that will improve your mood and allow you to better relax.

Where to Begin
 
First, you need to admit to yourself that you have a problem. Be honest with yourself about the amount of stuff in your home and whether it actually serves a purpose other than collecting dust. Grab a clipboard and make a list of each room in your home, including the garage, attic, basement, and guestrooms. Walk through the spaces taking notes of what must stay, what has to go, and which items can go either way.
 
You can take things day by day, but you should begin your purging efforts with those items in the “has to go” column. This will free up space and help you get a better idea on which of the iffy items are necessary and which are not. If you tend to get overwhelmed, Angie’s List recommends starting small, perhaps with the kitchen junk drawer.
 
Room by Room
 
Once you have one small task out of the way, you’ll likely be more motivated to tackle the bigger stuff. Moving on from the junk drawer, there are plenty of other things in the kitchen that probably no longer have any use for your family. If you have kids, this probably means a drawer or cabinet full of excess sippy cups and unbreakable dishes. These are great during the toddler years, but once they began kindergarten, they’re big enough to use the family dishes.
 
In the bathroom, you’ll have to start checking dates. Your deodorant, spare toothpaste, and the makeup and other toiletries you bought all clearance last March are probably still sitting in the cabinet. Clean and Scentsible suggests asking yourself several questions as you go through your excess of bathroom products. These questions might include whether it’s a duplicate item and if it makes your life easier or better. Don’t forget to thin out your towels, especially the towels that have gotten a little thin over the years.
 
You are on a roll and ready to pick up the pace, so you may as well jump headfirst into the harder areas of your home. Parents, this means the kids’ rooms. We all dread the necessary task of getting rid of old toys, stuffed animals, and the shoes and clothing they’ve become attached to. One way you might be able to motivate the smallest and most reluctant hoarders in your home is to schedule a yard sale and allow them to make some money of their own. These tips can help you host a fun and profitable weekend yard sale, which may be even more successful if you partner up with a friend or neighbor.
 
Keep all of the above strategies in mind when you clear the living room, dining room, garage, attic, and other bedrooms. Make a point to check your storage shed and other outdoor spaces, such as under the trampoline or in the deck box, so that you can purge every last piece, especially if you’re looking to make a profit.
 
When the cleaning is done and your home is neat and tidy, your new task is to keep it that way. Look online for a printable cleaning chart that suits your family’s lifestyle. Set a theme for each day. For example, Monday might be pantry and refrigerator day, and you can go through and make dinner out of leftovers or items that need to go to make room for your next grocery trip.
 
A clean and clutter-free home is something we all strive for. It might not be easy when you have kids around, but know that your efforts will make for a healthier, happy home for your entire family — even when your progeny protests the purge.

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