Clutter doesn’t just arrive instantly in the area, it’s a gradual accumulation. It’s not like you wake up one day and your space is suddenly full of clutter. If it were, it would be easier to tackle and maintain.
Clutter is the result when neglecting to maintain the standards of organizing our home. It can happen to anyone and there could be various reasons behind it.
It could be due to a stressful period at work or a personal crisis that takes up all our attention. We can be too busy dealing with mental health challenges, or just lack the motivation to keep our space in order. Sometimes, there’s no specific reason, but the clutter just happens.
We often never realize the accumulation of clutter due to it happening gradually. It can be neglected like nothing has changed until you realize it yourself to put in the work needed in removing the clutter.
5 Tips to Help You Avoid Clutter In The House
- Ensure that every item has a specific location designated to it.
- Ask Yourself First Before Buying
- Follow the “one in, one out” rule.
- Identify the Source of the Clutter and Reduce them
- Regularly maintain your space.
Ensure that every item has a specific location designated to it.
One way to stay organized within your house is to ensure that every item has a designated space for it to be placed.
You get to avoid the accumulation of items that don’t belong in a certain place, by being able to place them back where they belong. When books are left on the table, then you don’t just simply place them somewhere else but on the bookshelf. Other items like snacks would belong to the pantry. Accumulation of Dirty clothes of course doesn’t belong on a chair but in the laundry.
Add in places for everyone to know where things belong within the house. Adding a hook or wall organizer to place stuff such as keys or the mail. Designate bins or boxes with labels to designate where the items belong.
Ask Yourself First Before Buying
Some of us can accumulate more clutter than others, depending on what type of buyer we are.
However, it is best to control the clutter even before it has accumulated to some extent. Avoid impulsively buying things that we may not need for a long period. Never buy items within the next two days or even a week—we see something on Amazon and buy it without questioning if we need it and where to put it in the house later on.
Allowing yourself to have a waiting period before buying the item, lets you reflect on whether or not you simply want it or need it. Ask yourself first, will I have the room or place to fit this item? Do I already have this item in my house? How will this item help me in the days to come?
By being deliberate in buying the items, you get to filter out all the items that you are going to buy and take in only the items that you truly need. Just like in health—prevention is better than cure, when it comes to decluttering, the best way to avoid clutter is not to add more items in the first place.
Follow the “one in, one out” rule.
It is unavoidable to buy new items for your closet. However, every closet has a limit and can only hold a certain amount of wear.
There can be items within the closet that you don’t usually wear anymore. Buying more clothes while retaining those unused items is now considered clutter. When going for a clutter-free house you will have to adapt to the one-in-one-out rule.
Practicing the one-in-one-out rule can be challenging to some, especially when you are just starting. This can allow you to buy new clothes. However, you will also have to discard some clothes depending on the number of clothes you add to your closet.
Through this method, you get to maintain only a certain amount of items that fit within your closet.
The one-in-one-out rule not only applies to your clothes but can also be applied to other items within your house. You can apply this practice to books, decor, and other items that tend to accumulate.
Identify the Source of the Clutter and Reduce them
Buying is one factor that adds up to the clutter. However, there can be other ways or sources that bring the clutter to your home.
Other sources that can add up items within your house can range from—gifts, hand-me-downs, and event swag. There can be items that you might need. However, for most of these items, it can just add up to more trinkets and clutter within your home. These items might be free but can take up space and could accumulate to the point that you will have to find designated places for these items.
Go through each of these items to sort out whether to bring those items in the first place, donate, sell, or discard them. Going for clutter-free gifts can be an option for families. There can be clutter-free gifts such as trips and other experience-based gifts for the family—like bringing them to the zoo, a trip, and a vacation.
Regularly maintain your space.
The best and easiest way through the clutter is not by cleaning everything all in a day—but by constantly decluttering and cleaning the house regularly. Set a decluttering schedule that works for you, designating a section of the house for each day or week. Dividing the decluttering workload of the house into chunks helps you get through the decluttering job much more achievable, than having to work your way all on the same day—which can be overwhelming and can lead to stopping the decluttering project together.
Choose whatever decluttering plan that works for you— as long as you stick with it. Start the decluttering project and follow the decluttering plan, be it a month-long or week-long plan.
The clutter within your home did not just happen instantly. It accumulates over time without us even knowing it. It is best to treat the clutter problem one day at a time and slowly remove every clutter within the house as time goes by.
Regularly decluttering your house not only helps you get on top of the clutter problem each day, but it also helps you build the habit of decluttering and organizing all the items within your house—making sure that the items get back to where they belong, and all the items that are to be disposed of are to be discarded within the day.
It is overwhelming, even unrealistic to remove and declutter everything at once all in a day. Removing all the clutter and expecting to finish all the workload in a day can set you up for failure with the decluttering project. However, getting help from a professional junk removal company can help you haul away the clutter from your house all in a day. They make it easy for overwhelmed homeowners who need help decluttering the house. By simply calling them, they will turn up on your preferred schedule and haul away all the junk items to their truck.
