Home Improvement Tips: Clear Out the Clutter

The start of a new year is a good time to do a little inventory of your household items. This will allow you to see which items you use on a regular basis, which items could be stored until needed, which can be given away and what is trash. Clearing out your home of unused items can be cathartic and allow you to feel less burdened by all of your items.

The easiest way to begin clearing out your home, is to make a list of all of the different rooms/areas on which you’d like to focus. The most daunting part of decluttering the rooms of your home is deciding where and how to begin. But it doesn’t have to be.

Start out by taking just five minutes each day to clear a small section of your home. Maybe start with that bookcase full of books you’ve read but don’t want to keep or the storage container cabinet with mismatched lids and containers. Taking just five minutes each day will allow you to unclutter small areas without a lot of stress.

If items you will be getting rid of are still in good condition, consider donating them to GreenDrop Charitable Donations, which serves the Purple Heart, St. Vincent de Paul Society and the National Federation of the Blind, or the Salvation Army. You can also donate to Goodwill or other organizations that accept used items in good condition. Be sure to check to see which items are acceptable before getting your donation ready. GreenDrop offers pick up services as well as help packing your items if you have a large donation. Bonus of donating your items? Your donations are tax deductible.

Here are some other tips to help you declutter your home:

Designate a Spot for Papers: Have an inbox to place mail, flyers, receipts, etc. Using one spot to place all papers will help keep everything together and avoid having papers all over your house. Use folders and labels to create a filing system to help you find papers easily.

Give Away One Item a Day: Find new homes for items you no longer use. Focus on giving away one item each day to someone you know that could use it.

Take the 12-12-12 Challenge: Locate 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate and 12 items to place in their proper place. This can be a fun and simple way to organize 36 items in your home. Want to have even more fun? Make it a competition between you and your spouse or kids. See who can complete the challenge the quickest.

The Four-Box Method: Get a hold of four empty boxes or containers. Label them: Trash, Donate, Keep and Relocate. Place each item in a room in one of the boxes. Consider each item before placing it in one of the boxes.

Do you really need three of the same item? Do you really need to keep that trinket that’s broken? You may be surprised at how many items actually end up in your Keep or Relocate box.