A cluttered home is a cluttered mind. One day, you look around your space and realize nothing is where it is supposed to be and you don’t know how things got quite so messy. Whether you are looking to clean up your life, or tidy up in preparation for a big move, here is a fantastic declutter your home checklist.
Outside The Home
The best way to effectively declutter your home is to be methodical. By beginning with the exterior of the home you temper expectations of what’s to come inside. This is the perfect time to ensure that your doorknobs are clean and work well and that your front door is not squeaky. If you have a front yard, make sure to trim any bushes that you have as well as deadhead any spent blossoms.
Kitchen
A commonly heard mantra is “you are what you eat”. What many often forget is that it is equally important to be aware of the environment that your food is cooked in. Get into your cabinets and organize your cleaning products. If you have scratched up pots and pans toss them out as the non-stick coating can be toxic and may seep into your food when cooking. Have you also any chipped dishes or mugs? The same issue applies here; and you need to toss those, too. Take stock of your storage containers. If you have got more lids than containers or vice versa, toss out the extras so that you have an even number of each. In your dry pantry and your fridge, investigate every single item. You will be surprised how many are expired and need to be thrown out.
Living Room
The next stop on our declutter your home checklist is the living room. Do you still watch movies on DVD or video? Go through your entire collection and get rid of the movies you know you will no longer watch. Better yet, sell or donate them and get a streaming service! The same rule applies to CDs that you have lying around the house. Those who love to read books tend to beautifully display them in your home, but most people only read books once. If you are unsure if you will read the book again, it is better to give it a new home outside of yours. The same rule applies for magazines.
Bedroom
When decluttering the bedroom, the main culprit for clutter is the closet. Pull out every single item of clothing you own. Take a really good look at them. If any of these items have holes, are frayed or faded, toss them out. This also applies to shoes. Another thing to consider is ill-fitting clothing. Do not hold on to clothes hoping that one day you will fit in them again: bodies are constantly evolving. Even if you do lose weight, the styles may have changed and you might want an updated wardrobe anyway. For any make up you own, you need to be vigilant about decluttering. Anything that has been open for an extended period needs to be thrown out. Old makeup can be harmful, especially if it is eye makeup.
The list goes on and on. If I can offer one last piece of advice to you, it is to declutter your home using the trash bag rule. Get a traditional, large black garbage bag and make it your goal to fill at least one to the brim. If you are incapable of doing that, you are not truly decluttering your home. What would you add to this declutter your home checklist? Let me know in the comments!
