You can’t organize until you declutter. You have to decide whether the items in your space are actually clutter or not. Let me help you decide where they belong and to take action on that decision.
Many people cannot do this on their own, so they hire a professional organizer.
Decluttering is best done in stages. Focusing on one area, room or even one space within a room at a time like your bathroom drawers or cabinets is a great first step. Completing the declutter of one area fully before moving on to the next is important so you don’t get overwhelmed with all of your decluttering tasks.
What items do you need to declutter your home?
Four boxes or baskets (something you already have) is fine, this is strictly for the purpose of decluttering.
- DONATE BOX – For items you can donate to another person or charity.
- TRASH – To throw away items immediately.
- SELL – To sell to a local resale shop, FB marketplace, eBay etc.
- KEEP – To relocate items to the right location in your home or business.
You can bring these bins/boxes/baskets into each room or choose to keep in a central location while you declutter.
LIVING ROOM
Let’s start with the LIVING ROOM – One of the most difficult rooms to keep neat & organized on a daily basis is the Living Room.
Start with deciding on permanent storage spaces for commonly used items such as remote controls, magazines, books and mail. Declutter this living space regularly.
Storage Ideas for Living Rooms:
- Bookcase or open shelves
- Storage ottoman
- Armories, sideboards
- Wall-mounted shelves
- Trunks; which can also be used as tables.
- Dressers can be used in living rooms/den areas for storage.
- Stylish boxes, baskets, bins.
BATHROOMS
- Remove everything from drawers and cabinets. Throw away all outdated medicine, makeup and skincare products. Do the same thing with items around your tub and closet.
- Keep counters clutter free.
- Use inside of cabinet doors for storage, over door organizers, command hooks, clear storage containers that stick directly to cabinet doors.
- Use drawer dividers. I’m a huge fan of drawer dividers. Items can easily get lost in a drawer, dividers help give everything a home.
- Use acrylic containers. I really like clear containers. The clear design allows you to easily see what’s inside.
- If multiple people use one bathroom, add command hooks for towels and labels for containers. Labels for kids work great. They can never tell you they don’t know where something is!
KITCHEN
Everything has a home. Declutter the refrigerator, cabinets, drawers and pantry first. Throw away all outdated items.
My kitchen is the most organized area in my home. I donated a lot of multiple items from my kitchen. I mean do you really need multiple blenders, coffee makers and hand mixers? Pull everything out and purge. It’s important to see everything and start with a blank slate.
- Clean and sanitize your counters, drawers, cabinets and refrigerator.
- Install hanging racks for pots and pans to free up cupboard space.
- Drawer organizers, drawer dividers, baskets, bins, labels, containers.
- Utilize door, cabinet and pantry space. Use hooks, over door organizers, Lazy Susans (which are great for refrigerators, under sinks and cabinets.
- Use the side of your cabinets for hanging organizers, don’t let any space in your kitchen go to waste. If you have cabinets with exposed sides use them. Add rail hooks or even a shelf.
- Get rid of unnecessary packaging. Half-empty bags of sugar, twist-tie bags of rice create visual clutter. Containers make a big difference.
- Add rolling racks to your existing cabinets. FACT – I have found drawers are almost always better than cabinets. You can purchase these to add to your cabinets almost anywhere.
- Keep counter space clutter-free.
CLOSETS
- Store clothes by category. Keep like items with like items. Store all your summer dresses alongside each other, keep your jeans separate from your dress pants.
- Hang everything you own. Remember, if you haven’t worn it in a season, (last summer) you probably won’t wear it this summer. It’s time for that tank top or sundress to go bye-bye from your closet.
- If you have enough space to hang, hang it all! Hang everything facing the same direction, shorter items then longer items.
- Use coordinating hangers. Nothing screams closet chaos more than plastic hangers.
- If limited on hanging space, stack bulky items like sweaters and sweatshirts.
- Use storage containers and boxes for your drawers for an organized and neat look. Things like undergarments, workout shorts and tanks.
- Keep your shoes off the floor. Sort shoes into seasonal categories. Purchase shoe bins, use clear shoe boxes with lids. Store high heels at the top of your closet. Store flats, flip flops and slip-ons in over the door organizers.
Thanks for letting me help you declutter your home. Please, keep NEAT in mind for all your organizing needs.
I found something I love and I’m making a living doing it! ♥️
