While we all know the secret to a tidy home is to clean it every single day, that is a daydream that most of us struggle to achieve. But one look at the growing clutter in your bedroom is enough of a warning that it’s time for a clearout.
Whether you start including daily 5 minute cleanups to your routine or want to stay on top of the junk for good, here are our top tips for keeping your home tidy:
Start as you mean to go on
Pausing to make your bed in the morning is a sure sign that you are prepared to take on the day ahead. Plus, tucking in your sheets automatically makes your room look tidier.
Then you can focus on the rest of the room, and the best place to start is your wardrobe:
- Sort everything into three piles: things you wear regularly, items you’ve worn within the last three months and will wear again, and clothes that you haven’t thought about/touched in over a year
- Everything you are planning to keep can be stored away
- Everything that you are getting rid of can either be listed on social media buy and sell pages, donated to charity or passed on to someone else
Once you’ve targeted the trickiest area, it’s time to think about storage. Can you store things tidily under your bed? Do you need to install some shelves? Is there further clutter that you need to get rid of?
Tackle each room, one by one
Having a clearout is not a small job. While facing all your mess and junk face on may seem like the best idea, doing too much at once will actually slow you down, and it’s likely you’ll get bored far quicker!
So make a plan of action. Target the areas that need the most work, one at a time. Like your wardrobe, separate everything into piles: keep, recycle, donate.
That way, you won’t get too overwhelmed, and you can keep up the momentum.
Don’t do it alone
While asking for help may not be your go-to way of dealing with life’s problems, clearing out your belongings and junk can be a tiring and emotional job. You may need to let go of some genuinely sentimental things that serve no purpose anymore, or you’ve run out of room for them. Or, it’s simply a bigger job than you first thought.
So ask a trusted friend or family member to come and help you. You can get in the biscuits and motivational coffee to keep you all going and have a good sort out together.
If you need further assistance, it’s worth calling your local professional rubbish removals company. No matter how big or small the job, they will turn up to your front door and take away all your unwanted goods. Minimising stress and reducing the amount of time spent disposing of your goods, the pros will take care of everything from recycling to donating.
Recycle immediately
How often do you open a tin can or a plastic container, empty it and then leave it on the side to sort out later? Equally, how often do you receive letters, newspapers or junk mail through your postbox? But instead of taking it straight out to your recycling bin or bag, you let it clutter your home.
So why not spend a minute and take it straight out and recycle all your unwanted goods immediately?
Most local authorities collect:
- Glass bottles
- Tins
- Food containers
- Cardboard and paper
- Small electricals
- Batteries
- And more
Check with your local council’s list of recyclables to see what you can be safely throwing out each week for collection.
Take your mess with you
Not unlike your recycling, each time you sit down in the evening with your favourite snack and a drink, how often do you get up and go straight to bed without getting rid of your used cup first?
Instead of leaving yourself extra work to do the following day, spend two minutes straightening up your sofa, blankets and pillows. Take all of your empty bowls, plates and cups back into the kitchen – and put them straight into the dishwasher. And, throw all the rubbish in the bin!
Encourage all your family members to do the same, and before you know it, you’ll have one less task each morning.
Spotlight on your kitchen
Having a clearout doesn’t start and end with one room, and for most of us, the kitchen is one of the busiest and potentially messiest rooms in the whole house.
For instance, when was the last time you went through all your tins and packets at the back of your cupboards? Despite jars of herbs and spices, rice and pasta, and chopped tomatoes having typically longer shelf lives, everything has a limit. So make sure you check the dates on all your food items at least every six months and every three months in the freezer.
That way, you can keep on top of all your perishables and make sure you have enough space for the year’s more significant events, such as Christmas.
Rejig your living room
Moving your furniture around every once in a while can tell you a lot of things about your living room. By moving bigger items like the sofa or an armchair, you will quickly see how the flow of your space changes.
It will also highlight what works and what has become outdated, and if it’s time to finally let go of your favourite coffee table!
Remember: while you may have to get rid of some of your more precious items during a clearout, nothing is lost forever. By recycling and donating your items rather than simply throwing them away, they can be reloved elsewhere.
Having a clearout can be stressful. But with a positive attitude and a good plan of attack, you will have a tidy home in no time. Where will you start first?
