Keeping New Years Resolutions: Tips to Keep Your Home Decluttered

 

Happy New Year! With so many people working from home, keeping things organized and decluttered is at the top of many peoples’ list of resolutions. Having a decluttered home can help you feel more productive and even less stressed! Here are some tips to work towards keeping your home decluttered in the New Year.

Start by purging to remove any items you may have been holding onto that are taking up space unnecessarily. This can be an overwhelming task, so break it down to one room at a time if necessary. This may include items accumulated over the holidays, things you have been holding in storage, and even some surprises you didn’t know you still had. The most convenient way to dispose of all unwanted items is a residential friendly bin rental. Even our largest bin size will fit in only one parking space, and is a very simple way to get rid of your junk all at once. This includes furniture, electronics, glass, metal, renovation materials, even yard waste!

Try to follow an important rule; if there is something that needs to be done around the house (e.g. cleaning, a chore, maintenance) and it will take less than 5 minutes to complete, don’t put it off. Surely you can spare 5 minutes to get whatever it is out of the way right away. This prevents multiple small tasks from snowballing into a more daunting task. By keeping on top of small jobs, you also reduce the risk of clutter re-accumulating!

The best way to deal with clutter is to prevent it from happening in the first place! There are a couple of ways to do this:

• Stay on top of incoming paper clutter. This can accumulate very quickly, so keep your incoming mail and other paperwork tidy by throwing out what you won’t need straight away, and dealing with what you need to as soon as possible.

• Don’t buy the clutter! It sounds simple but it may be an adjustment for some. Avoid stores that you don’t actually need anything from - this includes online stores! Planning your shopping trips will help you to avoid this.

• Stop buying more hangers and storage bins. Although some are necessary, this is a great way to prevent adding more clutter to your home!

It is a great idea to take 30 minutes weekly to make sure that everything has a home. During this time, make sure that any flat surfaces are tidied and cleaned. It is also important that when you do buy new things, you put them away immediately. This avoids accumulating clutter in the long run, as well as keeping items that you don’t need. It’s also a great time to make sure that no one else in your home has been putting things where they don’t belong.