4 Helpful Ideas to Kick-Off Decluttering and Organising

 “Where do I start?” is a question I often hear and it can be hard to decide.  I believe with most things the hardest part is doing the first few minutes, after this you are on your way!  It is really important to work on a smaller task initially, one that you can complete in one go and will actually make your life easier. 

For example, whilst ordering books alphabetically may be useful, it probably won’t make tomorrow morning any easier for you.   Instead focus on small, practical wins. 

When starting to declutter and then organise your home it is important to set a clear vision of what you want to achieve, otherwise how will you know when you have finished? 

I also find setting a timer really useful, often I am not quite finished but it makes me focus and finish quicker. 

Here are 4 simple tasks I’d recommend  when starting to organise your home.  Each one has an immediate and noticeable impact.

1 – Shoes

We all have them, they are often scattered around our homes, by the front door, back door, in bedrooms, under the stairs on racks…  So, start by finding a big box or washing basket, walk around your house and collect them all together. 

Here’s how I do it; my everyday shoes are on the rack by the front door, the rest are stacked neatly in my wardrobe. Then, sort through them — anything worn out or that you never use can be recycled, donated, or thrown out. Put the rest where they belong.

Next time you go out you won’t have to run round the house looking for shoes.  It is good to get your children in the habit of leaving their shoes in one place too, which will mean no more morning panics before school.

2 – Plastic boxes

Sandwich boxes and little plastic tubs drive me mad.  I appreciate we need them for lunches and storing leftovers but they soon create a chaotic cupboard.  There is no need to have a waterfall of plastic lids falling over you when you are trying to make lunches in a hurry. 

So, empty the cupboard or drawer where you keep these boxes, match the lids with the containers and then decide do you really need all these boxes?  Donate the spares and recycle or bin the mismatched ones. 

This little bit of organising will make your coming days much easier.

3 – Toiletries

I think we can agree most of us have too many toiletries.  This is a simple thing to sort out and will save you money and give you a little more space.

Check your bathroom, bedroom or cupboard where store your toiletries. Go through what you have, I think I do this differently to most organisers.  I go through and sort out all the products with a little left and move them so they are used next – why throw them away if you still use them?

Then I sort out what is left, grouping product together, so I can easily see what I already own.  Any products you know you really aren’t going to use, that bar of smelly soap give to a food bank or a charity. The new habit here is to only buy products you don’t have already and putting them away when you get home.  This will make life a little easier.

4 – Wrapping paper and cards

How many times have you had a last minute panic looking for that card or wrapping paper you know you bought?

Gather all the wrapping paper, bags, ribbons and cards together, I’ll bet you have quite a pile.  Sort through it, recycle anything that is damaged.  Then organise the remaining items, grouping similar items as you go.

It is also worth taking stock of what you have, if you have a pile of birthday and Christmas cards you may not need to buy more for a while.  This small task save time, money and stress.

Each of these tasks will probably take less than an hour, but will benefit you immediately.  As you use these items regularly you will notice the difference, a calmer and less stressed home.

If you’d like help tackling the bigger decluttering and organisation tasks please contact me and find out how I can help you.