10 Simple Tasks to Help You Make a Start at Decluttering
Feeling overwhelmed by clutter? Don't know how to tackle it? Start small and you'll be amazed at the difference it makes
If you want to declutter but don’t know where to begin, the key is to break it down into small jobs that can be completed in an hour or less. Honestly, if you try to sort the dining table clutter, the kitchen, followed by the whole of the downstairs, it will all seem too overwhelming. Instead, start with one of the small tasks below as your first step towards decluttering your entire home. Don’t spend more time than planned and tire yourself out – save your motivation until the next time.
Cull your cutlery
Before you start this task, make sure you’ve got a cutlery divider – you can pick them up easily at DIY stores. Empty your drawer onto a clear kitchen surface, give it a quick clean and leave it to dry. Gather your matching cutlery sets together and pop them back in to the relevant sections of your cutlery divider, then pick out any odd items and set them aside to take to the charity shop. Lastly, consider the remaining items that are not cutlery – it may be that they need a new home.
Before you start this task, make sure you’ve got a cutlery divider – you can pick them up easily at DIY stores. Empty your drawer onto a clear kitchen surface, give it a quick clean and leave it to dry. Gather your matching cutlery sets together and pop them back in to the relevant sections of your cutlery divider, then pick out any odd items and set them aside to take to the charity shop. Lastly, consider the remaining items that are not cutlery – it may be that they need a new home.
Prune the cleaning products
As most of us stash our cleaning products in the hard-to-reach space under our sinks, it’s easy to forget what lurks at the back and end up with duplicate products. Gather like products together and see if there’s any items that have been bought more than once. Also add a note on your phone to remind you what to stock up on next time you shop.
Take a closer look at the cleaning products and make note of how many different items you have that do the same job. One multi-purpose cleaner, for example, will clean both the kitchen and bathroom, and a bottle of vinegar is handy for cleaning, sterilising and descaling.
As most of us stash our cleaning products in the hard-to-reach space under our sinks, it’s easy to forget what lurks at the back and end up with duplicate products. Gather like products together and see if there’s any items that have been bought more than once. Also add a note on your phone to remind you what to stock up on next time you shop.
Take a closer look at the cleaning products and make note of how many different items you have that do the same job. One multi-purpose cleaner, for example, will clean both the kitchen and bathroom, and a bottle of vinegar is handy for cleaning, sterilising and descaling.
Ditch the dried-up nail varnish
It’s likely there’s a fair amount of decluttering to do in your cosmetics drawer. To make this task less overwhelming, first just focus solely on nail varnish (you can move on to the lippy next time). Open up every single little pot and put each one that’s dried up, sticky or impossible to open in the first place in a bin bag.
Also, weed out those colours you’re never going to use. If you feel guilty about throwing these away, make a note of your emotions and recall this next time you’re choosing a new varnish in a colour you’re not sure about. Your bag of varnish will have to be taken to a hazardous waste disposal service (your council will be able to tell you where one is).
It’s likely there’s a fair amount of decluttering to do in your cosmetics drawer. To make this task less overwhelming, first just focus solely on nail varnish (you can move on to the lippy next time). Open up every single little pot and put each one that’s dried up, sticky or impossible to open in the first place in a bin bag.
Also, weed out those colours you’re never going to use. If you feel guilty about throwing these away, make a note of your emotions and recall this next time you’re choosing a new varnish in a colour you’re not sure about. Your bag of varnish will have to be taken to a hazardous waste disposal service (your council will be able to tell you where one is).
Command your stationery
In many homes, the hallway table, radiator shelf, breakfast bar or dining table can end up becoming clutter magnets for paperwork, pens and other odd bits and pieces.
This is where the idea of a ‘command centre’ is brilliant. Set up a space in your home that is dedicated to storing the paperwork and stationery you need (and get rid of the rest). This could be a corner table, a desk, a shelf or even a wall-hung magazine rack. Keep up the good work by allocating a 10-minute slot once a week to file the paperwork, recycle unwanted papers and put stationery away.
In many homes, the hallway table, radiator shelf, breakfast bar or dining table can end up becoming clutter magnets for paperwork, pens and other odd bits and pieces.
This is where the idea of a ‘command centre’ is brilliant. Set up a space in your home that is dedicated to storing the paperwork and stationery you need (and get rid of the rest). This could be a corner table, a desk, a shelf or even a wall-hung magazine rack. Keep up the good work by allocating a 10-minute slot once a week to file the paperwork, recycle unwanted papers and put stationery away.
Curate your collections
Do you collect books, shoes or anything else that seems to multiply with little effort? If you can’t resist the temptation to indulge, try moderating your passion slightly by only keeping your favourite objects. For this decluttering session, select just one item from your collection that you like the least and let this go to a charity shop. You’ll appreciate the collection more if it only contains the things you find most beautiful. Next month, try the same thing again.
Do you collect books, shoes or anything else that seems to multiply with little effort? If you can’t resist the temptation to indulge, try moderating your passion slightly by only keeping your favourite objects. For this decluttering session, select just one item from your collection that you like the least and let this go to a charity shop. You’ll appreciate the collection more if it only contains the things you find most beautiful. Next month, try the same thing again.
Collate your photos
Although many of us forget to print our photographs nowadays, we still have boxes and drawers full of old photos we haven’t managed to sort.
Photo organising is a whole project on its own, but the first thing to do now is to collect all your images together in one place. Find a box or two large enough to fit them all in, and go around your house gathering all your stray pics.
Once you’re sure you’ve got all your photos together you might want to enlist the help of a professional photo organiser to guide you through the process of sorting, organising and preserving your treasured memories. This is a big job, but an important one.
Although many of us forget to print our photographs nowadays, we still have boxes and drawers full of old photos we haven’t managed to sort.
Photo organising is a whole project on its own, but the first thing to do now is to collect all your images together in one place. Find a box or two large enough to fit them all in, and go around your house gathering all your stray pics.
Once you’re sure you’ve got all your photos together you might want to enlist the help of a professional photo organiser to guide you through the process of sorting, organising and preserving your treasured memories. This is a big job, but an important one.
Beautify your bathroom
In your washspace, assess which grooming products and tools you use regularly. These are the ones that you can keep. Ideally, you should collate these in one or two attractive plastic tubs or trays. This will keep them together and visually declutter the surfaces – it will also limit the number of items you can keep. Storing them like this also makes it a lot easier to clean your surfaces.
Next, look at those products that are rarely used. You could either use them up during a month of pampering or cut your losses and chuck them out.
Bathrooms are humid and surfaces get mucky quickly, so it’s best to keep everything not used on a daily basis inside a cabinet. This might be a purchase to add to your wish list, so that you can complete this final part of the task another time.
Find inspirational vanity units for storage and style
In your washspace, assess which grooming products and tools you use regularly. These are the ones that you can keep. Ideally, you should collate these in one or two attractive plastic tubs or trays. This will keep them together and visually declutter the surfaces – it will also limit the number of items you can keep. Storing them like this also makes it a lot easier to clean your surfaces.
Next, look at those products that are rarely used. You could either use them up during a month of pampering or cut your losses and chuck them out.
Bathrooms are humid and surfaces get mucky quickly, so it’s best to keep everything not used on a daily basis inside a cabinet. This might be a purchase to add to your wish list, so that you can complete this final part of the task another time.
Find inspirational vanity units for storage and style
Cook up a storm
Set aside five days in the next month, during which you can try creating a daily dish out of some of the food items languishing at the back of your cupboard or freezer. You might have to be a little creative as you’re sure to find some wacky items. For recipe inspiration, check out the Love Food Hate Waste recipe page.
If you’ve been meaning to create a meal plan, but haven’t got round to it, start with just one planned meal a week. Try to use up food you’ve already purchased as part of the meal.
Set aside five days in the next month, during which you can try creating a daily dish out of some of the food items languishing at the back of your cupboard or freezer. You might have to be a little creative as you’re sure to find some wacky items. For recipe inspiration, check out the Love Food Hate Waste recipe page.
If you’ve been meaning to create a meal plan, but haven’t got round to it, start with just one planned meal a week. Try to use up food you’ve already purchased as part of the meal.
Clear out the car
Your car can quickly turn into a dumping ground for all manner of things. Think about booking your car in for a full valet every now and then to leave it smelling and feeling fresh. Having the car returned to you all spick and span can help motivate you to keep it that way. Also resolve to remove any rubbish each time you return home. Keep some wet wipes in the glove box to clean up any spills, and give the surfaces a quick dust from time to time.
Have you done any of these small tasks to spark your decluttering? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Your car can quickly turn into a dumping ground for all manner of things. Think about booking your car in for a full valet every now and then to leave it smelling and feeling fresh. Having the car returned to you all spick and span can help motivate you to keep it that way. Also resolve to remove any rubbish each time you return home. Keep some wet wipes in the glove box to clean up any spills, and give the surfaces a quick dust from time to time.
Have you done any of these small tasks to spark your decluttering? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Make a date in your diary for next week, setting aside 15 minutes to start your declutter. Write down how you are feeling, whether that’s anxious, overwhelmed or even excited.
During that 15-minute starter session, go in to each room in your home and pick one item you’ve been meaning to let go of. Add it to a bag or box and donate these items to your local charity shop.
Once these pieces are out of the house, write down how you feel again – perhaps you’re relieved or pleased. Flip back to your initial list of emotions and appreciate the difference that releasing just a few items from the house has made.
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