My number one tip for a more organised home is to have less in it, so you don’t need to organise as much.
Clearing out clutter and items you don’t use isn’t just good for your home, it’s good for you too!
Clutter can have a negative impact on your life. It doesn’t feel good to live in a home that’s tricky to keep clean and tidy.
Trying to clean around everything is difficult and it takes longer and more effort. It’s hard to keep track of what you own, which can lead to costly double purchases and guilt when you realise you’ve spent money on something you didn’t really need. And it's not much fun having people over if you don't feel good about the space you live in.
But decluttering your home can feel like an overwhelming job, especially if you’re already busy juggling work, family and life!
Instead of worrying about clearing out your entire home, let’s start simple with 3 things you can let go of more easily when you take the right approach to it. These quick wins will help get the ball rolling and inspire you to think of other smaller declutter projects to work on over time.
Your junk drawer.
I know this sounds crazy. If there’s no junk drawer, where will you put the junk?
Either you’ll find a place for it to belong, or you’ll let it go.
Most of what’s in your junk drawer is stuff you’ve forgotten about, hardly use, or just haven’t put away properly.
Free up that drawer for something more important and you’ll love how useful it is!
Half of your kids' toys.
Every home I’ve ever organised (my home included) has more toys than the kids need. Toys crammed into bedrooms or playrooms, stuffed into toy boxes, baskets, and cupboards, that the kids have completely forgotten existed.
When you stand at the doorway and look into the room, do you see toys, or do you see clutter? If it’s the latter, it’s time to take some toys away.
I recommend doing this without the kids. You know which toys your kids love the most, and which ones they play with. But if you try to declutter with the kids, every single toy you pick up will be their favourite and be impossible for them to let go of it.
If a big declutter session feels overwhelming or you can’t find kid-free time to do it, take baby steps instead. Wait till the kids are busy (playing in another room or watching a favourite show or movie), grab one big bag, pop a couple of toys in it, then put the bag away. Repeat every day until the bag is full, then put it into the back of your car ready to donate when you drive past a donation bin or op shop.
If you’re still stressed about accidentally giving away a much-loved toy, put the bag in your garage with a label on the outside that has the date 3 months from now written on it. If the kids don’t ask for anything from the bag during that time, you’re ok to donate it.
Clothes you don’t enjoy wearing.
There are lots of good reasons people keep clothes they don’t wear and love:
- They don’t fit now but might later
- They’re connected to happy memories
- They’re extras kept just in case (what if I need black pants and my favourites aren’t dry that day)
- They're for rare special occasions
If you’d like to declutter your wardrobe but one of these reasons is holding you back, try thinking of it this way:
- By the time the clothes do fit again, they might be outdated. Treat yourself to clothes that fit well and look great now, you don’t have to wait to look and feel amazing!
- Keep one or two sentimental pieces if you like, but if there are more than that, you could journal your happy memories and take a photo of the clothing items to keep in the journal.
- If you have less clothing, you have less washing and can keep up with it more easily.
- You can rent beautiful pieces for special occasions for a fraction of the cost of buying, have more space in your wardrobe, and a different outfit for every special occasion.
I hope you found these tips helpful! If you're ready for next steps, join my free Neat & Tidy challenge, where we focus on one small space each month to help you organise your home the easy way.
x Marissa
