Declutter Your Home Checklist: A Step-by-Step Guide to Clearing Your Space

Ease of Cleaning

With less clutter and stuff to navigate around your home, cleaning becomes a more straightforward and less time-consuming task. You don't need to spend hours organising items in the corners of your home because they've already been thoughtfully arranged. This not only saves you valuable time but also ensures that your living space remains consistently tidy.

Improved Safety

Cluttered spaces can pose safety hazards, such as tripping, falling, or in worst cases, fire. If your environment is filled with hoarded items, paper clutter, or disorganised materials, you may obstruct ventilation systems and create an environment conducive to the rapid spread of fire. This can be particularly problematic in confined spaces and areas near electrical outlets.

Positive First Impressions

If you have visitors coming into your home, a well-organised and clutter-free space can create a positive impression to them. Not only can a tidy space foster a comfortable and enjoyable experience for your guests but it allows them to feel more at ease. Furthermore, a clutter-free environment eliminates potential distractions, allowing meaningful interactions and making your guests feel more valued and welcomed.

Efficient Time Management

When everything in its designated place, you don't waste time looking for things. This helps you manage your time better and feel less annoyed. Plus, when your space is organised, your daily routine becomes smoother, allowing you to focus on priorities and activities that matter most to you.

Encourages Healthy Habits

Keeping your space clean and clutter-free contributes to mental clarity, a positive mindset, and an overall sense of well-being. Beyond these benefits, it cultivates and sustains healthy habits. When your surroundings are organised, it becomes easier to establish healthy routines such as regular exercise, mindful eating, and adequate sleep. This not only promotes positive behaviors but also encourages a lifestyle that prioritises physical and mental health.

What are some decluttering tips to keep your home organised?

Here are some decluttering tips to help you maintain a clutter-free and organised home:

Set Realistic Goals

Start decluttering by setting small, achievable goals to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Break down the tasks by room or specific areas to make the process more manageable. Follow a decluttering checklist to cover every corner of your home. After decluttering, download a checklist for house cleaning services for a comprehensive and systematic approach to maintaining a clean and organised space.

Declutter Daily

Set aside a quick 5-minute decluttering session each day to address small tasks, such as clearing countertops, putting away items, or tidying up a specific area. This not only prevents the accumulation of clutter but also cultivates a habit of maintaining order in your home effortlessly. After decluttering, make it a point to deep clean your space. Consider hiring a highly reviewed cleaning company to assist you with these cleaning requirements.

One In, One Out Rule

Adopt the "one in, one out" rule to prevent accumulation. For every new item brought into your home, consider removing an old or unused item. Whether you are purchasing clothing or an appliance, donate or discard a similar item that you no longer wear or use. This rule encourages mindful consumption and ensures that your living spaces remain clutter-free.

Designate Storage Areas

You don't want your items to end up scattered and hard to find. So to make sure everything is easily accessible, designate specific storage areas for each item. This minimises the chances of clutter accumulating in various corners of your home, making it easier to retrieve and return items efficiently. Whether it's creating labeled bins for accessories, allocating shelves for books, or designating drawers for office supplies, each item should have its own spot.

Use Labels

If you have too many stuff in your home, it can be quite confusing to find what you are looking for. Labels can be a practical solution to this. By clearly labeling storage containers, shelves, or drawers, you can make sure that everything has its designated place and is readily accessible when needed. Labels help maintain order over time by serving as a visual reminder of where items belong. This encourages consistent habits of returning items to their designated places in order to prevent the accumulation of clutter.

Evaluate Your Personal Items

We've all been guilty of keeping items simply because we spent money or memories on them. However, if you no longer enjoy how they make you feel or if they aren't serving their purpose anymore, there's no obligation to hold onto them. While it's essential to cherish memories, consider whether these items align with your current lifestyle and if they still contribute positively to your living space.

Checklist for Decluttering Your Home

For your convenience, we've compiled a detailed, free printable declutter checklist that you can either use for your own decluttering efforts or share with your cleaning service.

Living Room

• Start decluttering and sort items into categories: Keep, Donate, Discard.
• Organise and arrange furniture for optimal space.
• Use storage containers to consolidated useful and unwanted items.
• Keep a small trash or recycling bin in the corner of the room
• Stack books and magazines that you only read.

Bedroom and Closet

• Start decluttering at the bottom your bed and work your way up.
• Organise drawers and use dividers to keep your items neat and accessible.
• Rearrange furniture if necessary to create more space.
• Fold and organise extra blankets or linens.
• Remove items and gadgets that don't belong or are not regularly used.
• Change and replace any damaged or dirty window treatments.
• Donate or discard all the clothes and items you no longer wear or need.

Bathroom

• Begin decluttering by throwing shampoo, conditioner, and body wash bottles.
• Clear off your countertop and only keep essential daily-use items.
• Discard expired make up, beauty products and cleaning products.
• Keep cleaning supplies in a location that is easily reachable.
• Organise medicine cabinet and discard expired prescriptions.
• Replace worn out towels and bath mats with new ones.
• For thorough cleaning of your bathroom, download the ultimate bathroom cleaning checklist.

Feel free to download and print this comprehensive decluttering checklist to guide you through the process.

Takeaway

Keeping your home clutter-free requires mindfulness and consistency. In order to achieve this, using a decluttering checklist is a helpful strategy. By consistently following your declutter checklist, you can keep things organised in a systematic way and prevent clutter from accumulating over time. Not only can this contribute to an orderly home, but it also makes it easier to find the items you use regularly.

After decluttering, you can proceed to cleaning your living space. For trusted full-service cleaners for homes, Elleisha's Property Services is the way to go. We offer a wide range of professional cleaning services for residential clients throughout the Wollongong and Newcastle areas. Call us to get a free quote today.