De-clutter sounds like a swear word to some people. But after you’ve done it once or twice you soon realise it’s actually an easy process and some even say it becomes addictive. It’s amazing how quickly the areas in your home can build up with ‘stuff’. When you think about it, we are constantly getting new things into our homes but never really getting rid of anything. I like to take the change of seasons as a cue to go through my home, although there are times where it’s more out of desperation than organisation!
The struggle is real!
If you struggle to put things away because your drawers and cupboards won’t close properly, then you can be almost certain that bigger problems are about to come. On a busy morning, stress levels are already high, you’re struggling to get the kids fed, dressed and out the door so you don’t run late to work… and you can’t find your child’s school faction t-shirt that they need TODAY!! There are so many things in those drawers (many of which don’t fit anymore!?) that you are frantically throwing things in the air making an even bigger mess as you go. Something needs to change.
The simple process of de-cluttering.
Kids clothing can be one of the simplest to de-clutter because they grow so quickly that when it’s time to shop for new clothes, it’s obviously time to get rid of the old. My son’s birthday is June and we always make it a rule to go through his toys before his birthday (and at Christmas time) as we know that he will always be getting more.
The simple organised solution I follow is the SOS system:
SORT – get rid of those broken, chipped, cracked, expired, outdated, unused, outgrown, multiple items you no longer need. Then clean the area once it’s cleared out. Ask yourself, do I need it, do I use it, is it broken?
ORDER – now its time to group your like items together and place them in the area’s they are likely to be used. For everyday items, bring them close at hand and where you can see them. Keep those items that aren’t used regularly towards the back or up high. It’s all about location, location, location!
STORE – storing your items in the correct way is important as it helps look after them. Then label everything so it has a place and others know where to find it or put it back. This may need to be edited as you go depending on whether its working for you or as things change.
Most importantly!!
My most important tip is to just get started! Don’t over commit to a large area or space if you are short on time. If you need to work on one drawer or one shelf at a time then so be it. Just get in there!
An incentive to get rid of some of your unused items is to sell them for cash. This is really handy if you have a holiday coming up or you need to convince your kids (or spouse) to get rid of some things. From experience, this can be well worth the effort!
See you next time!
Mei x
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