Winter is almost over which means that the perfect time for fresh starts will arrive.
But, before you can start dealing with and enjoying all that life has in store for you, you need to clean your house.
Both your “psychological house” and your actual house. While I can only advise you to read good books and be kind to yourself for the first one, there are numerous things I’m going to tell you about the second, actual one.
Here are some household decluttering tips and hacks so that you can prepare your home and start your new adventures properly.
How to prepare for household decluttering
While household decluttering is a pretty straightforward thing to do, it is not simple by any means. That is if you want to do it properly.
You need to figure out which items you want to get rid of and how to do so properly. As you will soon find out, this is a lot easier said than done.
Which items are clutter?
Most of us live in cluttered homes. We just don’t realize it. We grow attached to our possessions as we have either paid a lot of money for them, or they have some sentimental value. This makes us reluctant to get rid of our items as we seldom see them as clutter.
That is not the way to stay on top of your health, to say the least. But there are certain tricks you can use to figure out which items are truly cluttering your home. Start by asking yourself “Have I used this item in the past six months?”.
If the answer is no, then you are probably dealing with clutter. Even seasonal items, like Christmas decorations, are in essence clutter. But, don’t let that worry you. Just because something is clutter doesn’t mean that you have to get rid of it.
What to do with the clutter?
In essence, there are two things you can do with your clutter. You can either get rid of it or store it. Once you have figured out which items are going out of your home during household decluttering, you will separate them into three groups.
The items you are sure you want to get rid of rid of, the items you are sure you don’t want to get rid of, and the items you are not sure about. The first two groups are pretty self-explanatory, but for the third one, you need to listen to my advice. Get rid of them.
They are just in your way and you need to spend time cleaning them and taking care of them. Get rid of them without any regret. If you want to have a fresh start in your life and take steps to manage your energy properly, do this first.
Using storage for household decluttering
The best way to save your items and declutter your home is to put the clutter in storage.
If you choose to do so, your best course of action is to find a reliable storage and moving company and work with them. Whether you are moving out of your house, or simply trying to make your home less cluttered, you will benefit greatly if you get some professional help.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to wait for the movers to do everything. There are plenty of things you need to take care of before they come to take your boxes and packed items to the storage unit.
Proper Packing
You cannot expect your items to survive storage if you do not pack them properly. There is simply no way around this. Start off by getting proper moving boxes. It is true that you can get free moving boxes, but you should think twice about that.
Free moving boxes tend to be of poor quality. What you need are good, sturdy boxes that will retain their shape throughout your storage period, which may last a long time. A good idea is to get plastic containers as they are much more durable.
Be careful what you store
When separating the items for storage, you need to keep in mind that not all items are suited for it.
Decomposable or dangerous items should never be put into a storage unit, no matter how much they get in the way of your household decluttering.
Talk with your storage providers so that you have a clear idea on what to put in storage.
Getting rid of your possessions
Just because you are getting rid of your possessions doesn’t mean that you have to throw them away. That is, actually, the worst thing you can do with them.
What you need to do is to either organize a garage sale or donate them.
Garage sale
A garage sale can be a great way to get rid of clutter. There are two things you need to keep in mind, though. First, safety is a priority.
Make sure that your home is locked up and safe throughout the sale. Do not let anyone use your bathroom, especially without someone you trust following them in. Second, you are doing a garage sale to get rid of items. Not to make a fortune. So, haggle, but do not be too hard. If you can make some cash while doing household decluttering, great.
Donating
Every household decluttering project is made much better if you add altruism to it. Therefore, you should consider donating all the things that you no longer need. Talk with your local charity organizations and figure out which items they can use.
If you end up donating, make sure to follow the donating procedure and to do the paperwork. You might even end up getting tax benefits for your donations.
Guest Post By Sally Norton
Images Pixabay
