How often should I de-clutter?
Ah, clutter. When you have children (or let’s be honest, even when you don’t), clutter is, unfortunately, something seems to build up quite quickly… or is that just us?! Small people seem to just come with so much ‘stuff,’ don’t they?
While we’re all different and have different approaches and tolerance levels when it comes to clutter, everyone needs to buckle down and have a really thorough de-clutter every now and then. But how often does this need doing, and how can you make it as painless as possible?
Read on to find out our top tips.
Define clutter
They say that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, which is definitely the case when it comes to clutter. By definition, clutter is the accumulation of ‘too much stuff’ that you don’t really need. It’s the things that collect on windowsills, inside drawers, and on top of kitchen cupboards. You know, the stuff you think you might need one day, so you keep just in case.. yep, that’s clutter!
That said, we all have different definitions of what constitutes clutter. What you might consider acceptable to keep, someone else might shudder at even considering it!
So, the first step— define clutter. Ask yourself honestly what you need and what you don’t. Be ruthless!
Do we really need to de-clutter?
De-cluttering the house is utterly different to cleaning. Cleaning is something we do daily, but de-cluttering isn’t. So do we really need to do it? Ask yourself: do I feel happy in my living space right now? Do I feel like I have enough space? Does my house look tidy after I’ve cleaned? Am I spending too much time hunting for objects hiding beneath other things?
If the answer is yes, then it’s time to de-clutter. Sorry!
How to de-clutter…
Here are our three top tips for making the dreaded de-clutter as easy as possible:
1. Don’t expect to do it all in one day
Especially if you have kids in tow! It took time to build up the clutter, so it will take time to sort it. Planning in small, manageable chunks of ‘de-clutter time’ will help make it a lot easier.
2. Do it step-by-step
De-cluttering an entire house is not an enticing prospect for anyone. So, taking a step-by-step approach might be the way to go.
Make a list of the items you know that have been building up, wherever they are in the house. For example, shoes, coats, or toys. Pick a category and work your way through the house, room by room, de-cluttering.
3. De-clutter specific ‘hot spots’
We all have ‘hot spots in our homes. These places are where we tend to put things when we aren’t sure where they go (or, let’s face it— can’t be bothered to put it away). Like the kitchen drawer we mentioned earlier or the large spot on the windowsill that gets overcrowded regularly.
These are your hot spots. These are places that you can periodically tackle to keep the build-up of clutter at bay. Clear a space and sort the contents of your hot spots into categories- after deciding what you want to keep and what you no longer need.
So, how often should I de-clutter?
The answer is… it depends. It’s always a good idea to have regular deep cleans, and this can be a perfect time to have a de-clutter. But if you wonder where on Earth your spare surfaces have gone or why that kitchen drawer no longer closes… it’s time.
If your clutter builds up quickly, you’ll need to de-clutter more often than someone a little more organised. Setting a schedule might work, for example, every month, you have a blitz. It will become easier to do if you keep on top of it regularly. You might need to do it once a week or once a month.
Remember to ask yourself the questions we talked about previously, and if you find yourself saying yes, then it’s time to grit your teeth and get on with it. Good luck!