7 Steps of How to Declutter Your Home!

We all know about that stack of papers on the kitchen counter that we try to ignore but somehow keep adding to every time we check the mail! Don’t let your clutter control your life and make the changes to keep your home neat and tidy.

Why Is It Important to Declutter?

According to ABC News, people who live in a cluttered environment tend to have increased stress, unhealthier eating habits, and decreased focus and productivity.

There are other harmful things that could be affecting your health if you have too much clutter in your home. Mold likes to grow in dark and wet places, and those places are easier to hide from sight if you have a messy room. Water damage can also be a problem if you can’t see the signs of a leaking pipe or ceiling.

7 Steps of How to Declutter Your Home!

The task can seem intimidating at first, especially if it’s been a few months or a few years since you’ve deep cleaned your home. There’s no need to be scared, though! We have some useful tips that will help you clean up and organize your home!

Step 1: Determine Which Rooms Need Decluttering!

Take a walk through your home and assess each room. Some rooms may be cleaner than others so start with the cleaner rooms first. This will help you get in the habit and practice of how to declutter so you’ll be prepared for the messier rooms!

Make sure you set small goals and try not to get too overwhelmed! Make a plan and stick to it! Keep in mind, decluttering doesn’t have to be done in one day. Span it over a week or even a few months.

Step 2: Develop a Sorting System

A goal without a solid plan won’t get you very far! That’s why it’s a good idea to have a way to sort through everything! That way you know exactly what you need to keep and what needs to be left behind. It’s a good idea to sort things into a keep pile, a store pile, and a toss pile.

Don’t get too attached to the things that you’ll be tossing or else it will be counterproductive to the end goal! When you’re sorting through your stuff, try and only keep the things that you’ve used in the past 3 months and see yourself using in the next 3 months.

This gives a good time-frame for you to determine how often you use the item and will help you live a more minimalist lifestyle.

Step 3: Keep the Essentials Organized

The things that you do choose to keep should be organized so that your room looks cleaner. Every person will have their preference for what kind of organizing system they want to use but several things might be helpful to everyone.

Some of these things include using:
Old shoe boxes or small plastic containers. Used to organize smaller items like charging cords or socks in drawers.
Labels. A great way to find things kept in drawers or cabinets.
Filing folders or cabinets. Have paper? These are useful for coupons, letter, and papers you can’t throw out.
Small garbage cans. Put on in every room to encourage you and others to take care of trash immediately rather than leaving it around the house.

Step 4: Store the Necessities

If you have things you need to keep but don’t necessarily follow the 90/90 rule, you’ll want to organize those into storage. If you have extra space in your home, make sure you designate that closet or extra room to storage.

If you don’t have enough room, you might want to consider investing in waterproof containers to keep things in a storage facility. Use plastic bins to keep things safe from any hazards that may occur like water damage or flooding in the event of an emergency.

Filing cabinets are also useful to keep important documents in that you’ll need to keep for years to come so that they are out of the way but easy to find.

Step 5: Get Rid of the Rest!

Make sure you discard anything that you don’t or won’t need to use! Like we mentioned before, clutter can affect your health in negative ways but it’s important to discard of it. If you have papers, plastic, glass or metal that can be recycled, take it to your local recycling plant!

Anything that can be donated to thrift stores or charity can help the communities you live in and if you want to make some extra money, then you can try having a garage sale.

If you still have leftover clutter, it’s best to get rid of it! Rent a dumpster or go to the dump to get rid of the rest of your mess!

Step 6: Deep Clean

The last step to decluttering your home is deep cleaning. Make sure you get into every nook and cranny! This will help you keep on the lookout for hazards like mold or water damage that may have formed behind the mess! Mold can be extremely harmful if not taken care of properly and almost always starts growing as the result of water damage.

Step 7: Call Rapid Restoration

It may be confusing to know what to do if you happen to find mold or water damage in your home. Make sure you call the experts in charge of helping you clean up these hazards because they’ll know how to best fix the problem! Rapid Restoration does professional mold testing and inspection to make sure your like-new clean home is safe and sound!

Want to Learn More?

We’ve covered a variety of similar topics and the impact of mold in your home.

Take our quiz to see if your home is making you sick.
Learn more about the risks of black mold.
Find out how to eliminate and remove mold from your home.