We all know how cluttered our house can get especially when we are “always” busy. Not everyone has time to clean up when we are tired from working or having fun. Sometimes when we do have plenty of time, we still disregard our messy things. Having a house help is not always financially possible too. If you sometimes feel hopeless, read on!

 

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

Before you read the tips, watch this TED Talk about clutter. This can help give us a wider perspective on it.

(Video credit: TEDx Talks via YouTube)

 

If you watched the video, you should have a better idea why you have a lot of clutter at home. Now you can read these easy do-it-yourself home decluttering tips. I'm sure it will come in handy anytime.

 

 

1. Create and make organizers out of various home materials.

You don’t always need to buy things to declutter your home. Organizers can be made from almost anything in your house too. Find time to look for good organizing items at home, depending on what you need. Take stock of what you have all over the place.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

If you have bottles, boxes or other containers lying around, why not put them to good use? Bottles can be used as a flower vase. Any box, however big or small, can be a container for your little trinkets, art materials and random things.

Thick plastic containers or tin cans can be used as a small home and indoor garden of sorts. It's not just decluttering now, you can even repurpose items! Look for ones you can use and put some holes at the bottom and near the bottom. Add soil and voila! Your very own small vegetable garden or some other indoor plant collection.

Got no space for anything? Make use of the space under your sofa or bed, or any other furniture you can think of. If cats can fit under those, I’m sure your other things will fit in there too. Find an unused rug or sew old clothes together like patchwork; the longer the better. Once done, put your things on top of half of it, cover with the other half and drag under the bed. Make it “invisible” by sewing more old clothes together and make a bed cover that reaches up to the floor.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

 

Got no cabinets? Why not make hammocks out of your old shirts? One hammock for all your shoes, another for all your bags, one more for all your other stuff. Sounds crazy? Do what works for you. :)

Got old magazines? Cut and paste them to make some folders and envelopes to organize your mail or other documents. Have fun categorizing by color if you can too!

Neat ideas right? These are just some of the things you can do. I’m sure you can discover more and better things to do if you really want to organize your home.

 

 

 

2. Got no time to declutter? Practice Kaizen Everyday.

Yes we are all busy, or sometimes we are just lazy. Here’s another useful tip for you. The Japanese use Kaizen, an improvement process where you break big tasks into smaller ones. Use it as a per minute rule to get rid of laziness and be able to achieve a specific goal.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

Everyday or anytime you can, set aside a minute to fix up your things. If it takes longer, perhaps give yourself a maximum of five minutes to organize anything at home. In this way you don’t feel pressured by the seemingly humongous task of tidying up everything in one go.

Use a minute after taking a bath, before you leave for work, once you get home or even after dinner. Declutter for a few minutes anytime you can and see how your house can look better a little at a time.

 

 

 

3. Organize Your Home By Item, Category or  Area

Organizing by item, category or area will give you focus on which ones to declutter first. It can be your closet, your shoes, your make up stash or anything you want. If you don’t want to focus on anything then how will you get a sense of accomplishment if none of your things get completely organized ever?

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

You can combine Kaizen with organizing by category too. If it’s hard to clean up, make it easier by taking a few minutes per item, category or area at a time. You can start with your room, your living room or even your kitchen. In your room you can start with your bed, your dresser or closet.

Go ahead and try it. I’m sure you will find decluttering easier.

 

 

 

4. Get rid of everything you don’t need or haven’t been using for more than six months.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

After taking stock of your belongings or organizing here and there, you are now ready to get rid of the things you don’t need or use anymore. It can be anything from old and outdated clothes, unused art materials, unread books, DVD or CD sets, etc. Gather them all together in boxes and garbage bags. Throw away what can’t be salvaged. Give away or sell those that are still good to use.

Yes, it’s easier said than done but getting rid of long unused things is the best advice of all. If you can throw many of those mostly unused or forgotten items away then do it now. If not, donate it all to a foundation or charity of your choice. You can also give them to your friends or family members or anyone who might appreciate your things.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

Otherwise hold a garage sale, post online ads and sell them off to get some extra $$$. Selling your items online may take you longer to be rid of them so be patient. Try keeping everything in a separate pile or area so the items don’t sneakily find their way back into your life again.

 

 

 

5. Ask for help to declutter your belongings. 

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

If all else fails, you always have the option to ask for assistance. There’s nothing wrong with admitting defeat in anything. We can’t be experts in everything. If you can hire a home makeover specialist or a cleaning service, then that’s great! You can go to work and come home to a very organized house. And then they can dispose of the stuff for you or you can just sell them off in case you personally want to get rid of the items they gathered up.

(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

If your budget is tight then set aside some time and plan a garage sale. Have a cousin or some friends over and organize it together. Maybe they can also help you with those things you don’t need anymore. Have some fun socializing while you earn some extra cash too.

 

 

 

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(Photo credit: Pixabay)

 

Ultimately if we really want to keep our homes neat, the key is to finally move and start organizing and decluttering. If we can’t hire a home makeover specialist or avail of cleaning services, we should do away with unnecessary things on our own. The most important thing is to take action. Just go ahead and do it.

We can create and use assorted organizers from anything we have at home. We can do it in one go or take it one step at a time per item or category. It may be hard to do for some but if we decide on having an organized house, every small effort counts. It might be easier to do it with friends or family members too so why not have a 3 day sleepover maybe? Lol. 

There's even a method where you organize your things based on if the item/s can still provide you joy or not. Find whatever works for you or combine everything to get your things all tidied up.

Want more tips? Here watch this!

(Video credit Jansen's DIY via YouTube)

 

Use the above tips as inspiration. Declutter and look forward to a neater home and refreshing outlook  in life soon!

What do you think about these tips? What decluttering practices do you do? Feel free to share in the comments. 

 

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