In this post
Welcome to the decluttering zone
Decluttering doesn’t have to be a huge, overwhelming task—it can actually feel amazing once you get started!
Imagine walking into a room that’s neat, and organised, and makes you feel relaxed instead of stressed.
Sounds good, right?
I know it can feel impossible at first, but trust me, with these 4 simple steps, you’ll be clearing out the clutter and loving your space in no time.
Let’s make your home a place that feels lighter, fresher, and totally you!
Ready?
Let’s dive in!
Did you know...
Did you know that (44%) of people say that although their home is tidy, they are prone to hoarding and keeping items they don’t need, with 1 in 5 (18%) admitting to having a cluttered home according to Psychreg
Why declutter?
I can help you fall in love with your home again with these simple steps to decluttering.
Are you overwhelmed by the clutter you have?
Are you a beginner and need a step-by-step guide?
Let’s be real. Clutter can feel super overwhelming.
It’s not just about the mess, it’s about how it makes you feel.
Now I’m a firm believer that you cannot tidy your space, (whether it’s your bedroom or your whole home) before you have decluttered. “why?” you ask, well that’s easy.
All you will be doing is moving your things from one spot to another. It is a lot harder to be organised and for everything to have its home when there is too much clutter.
To some the word ‘declutter’ fills them with dread, but fear not, because you only have to declutter once a year and together we can create a space that gives you a buzz of happiness in only 4 simple steps.
The best bit is you can make money decluttering too! Win Win right?
A clutter-free space isn’t just easier to clean, it can also boost your mood, help you focus, and make your home feel like the cosy, peaceful place it’s meant to be.
Plus, when you declutter, you might find things you forgot you even had (bonus!) and make room for what truly matters.
Ready to feel lighter and happier?
STEP 1: CHOOSE A CATEGORY TO DECLUTTER
Choosing a category to declutter and sticking to it is important. This will prevent you from getting sidetracked to another category during this decluttering process.
I enjoy the KonMari method so I also start with clothes as my first category and that’s because we often have a lot of them, right?
When I did this process for the first time, I had items of clothing I hadn’t worn in a long time and were just taking up precious wardrobe space, not to mention each time I looked at those unworn items I felt bad about myself.
You need to remove ALL the clothes you have and put them in one space to work on them.
After clothes, the order I have goes from the most to the least.
Below is the order I like to declutter in my hive, ( you will notice I refer to a home as a hive, we all work together) but of course you don’t need to have this order.
Just choose what works for you. What I would advise from my experience is to have your order of categories written down, again this prevents you from getting sidetracked and also helps you know you haven’t missed an area.
It’s an awful feeling when you think you’ve finished a task only to find out you forgot the playroom or bathrooms.
Just remember to stick to that category and you will get the task done quickly.
After clothes, my categories are:
- Kitchen
- Books
- Office
- Bedrooms [Toys, Accessories]
- Lounge
- Bathrooms
- Garage / Loft
STEP 2: WHAT STAYS AND WHAT GOES WHEN DECLUTTERING
Okay, so you’ve got out all of the categories you are going to focus on, in this case, it’s clothes. The second step is deciding what stays and what goes.
Again this is another important step and probably the most important in my mind. If you skip it you won’t have decluttered anything, you would have just moved everything around your hive (home) and wasted time and energy.
I don’t know about you but I have a busy life and I’m looking for the quickest and easiest route to declutter, right?
When it comes to your children’s bedrooms, if they are young, let them know your decluttering plan and encourage them to help make decisions about their space and items.
If they are teens, this is tricky but again let them know the plan you have for your hive, explain you can do it together if they wish but ultimately it’s really important to respect their space and their decisions about their items.
Eventually (talking from experience) they will come around to the idea once they have seen the rest of the hive transformed into an organised, clutter-free space.
Go through each item in your chosen category and ask yourself:
- Does this (dress, book, spanner) have value to me?
- Do I wear/use it?
- Does this item give me a buzz of happiness?
If the answer is yes then it’s easy you keep it and store it in the next step.
If the answer is no then you have options.
You can bin it if it’s past its day, charity it, or sell it!
I prefer to sell as many of our hive’s unwanted items as possible. Not only does this clear much-needed space in your hive but it can be of use to someone else and I do love a bargain. Plus obviously, you get to make some money, win.
“Okay but what if it’s a maybe?” Well, then I make a ‘maybe pile’ and go back to it at the end of that category.
It’s then that I make up my mind if it is to stay or go.
Don’t get rid of something if you know deep down you will use it, but on the other hand, don’t keep everything in case you might use it again. Despite it not being used in the last year.
If you really can’t make up your mind, keep it for two months and see how you feel about it then. Don’t forget to make a note of each item that you do this with though.
Side note: When you get around to doing medicines and food, don’t forget to check expiry dates, you will be surprised how long we keep expired goods in our homes and they could make us more unwell consuming them.
STEP 3: STORAGE
Step 3 is all about storing the items you have chosen to keep.
This is my favourite bit. (rubbing hands with glee) You don’t need to go out and spend loads of money on storage boxes or a new wardrobe. There are lots of different ways to store and organise your items with what you already have.
I have a post on 11 easy ways to maximise storage and save money (beesorganisedhive.com)
You just need to find storage solutions that work for you and your hive.
Ideally, everything has a home so you and your hive members know where everything is and more importantly where to put it back. Hallelujah!
I strongly believe this is key to organising and tidying.
As a home educating mum of two (make it three with my husband) I know the challenges everyday life has on us, but by getting everyone in your hive to take responsibility for looking after their belongings and the hive as a whole. This will help you and them immensely.
STEP 4: REPEAT AND RELAX
Step 4 is to repeat each step with each category and that’s it…that simple!
In the end, all you are left with is a hive full of all the items that you value, give you a buzz of happiness, and that you are proud to own. (beaming)
Once you’ve completed all your categories it will be much easier for you and your hive members to keep it organised, tidy, and clean.
Of course, we are all human and our hives get messy sometimes, due to busy lives, family and friends visiting, and so on.
Try not to give yourself such a hard time and know everything will go back to its home again.
Now you know these 4 simple steps to decluttering. You now know what’s of value to you and store your organised items in a way that gives you a buzz of happiness.
It Doesn't Stop Here
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