Having to decide what to keep, what to store, and what to toss when decluttering can be challenging and even overwhelming, especially when parting with sentimental clutter. That’s probably the main reason no one looks forward to this task. However, decluttering your living space is definitely worth it, as keeping a neat and tidy home will improve your overall well-being.
We fully understand how difficult decluttering can be, especially if you haven’t done it in a while. That’s why we’ve gathered tips and advice that will help you sort your belongings in a simple and stress-free way.
Why should you declutter?
No matter how clean your home is, it’s completely normal to accumulate various belongings over time. So, if you don’t declutter regularly, you can end up living surrounded by mess. Besides your home looking neglected, cluttered space can cause stress and negatively impact your productivity.
Here is why you should declutter:
- A cluttered home can cause irritableness and increase your stress levels. By decluttering your home, you’ll feel more relaxed and much calmer. Give it a try and declutter one room in your home or even just your closet. Guaranteed you’ll instantly feel better.
- Everyone struggles with storage space in their home. No matter its capacity, we always seem to need more. The reason for it is that everyone is prone to accumulating clutter over time. So, by getting rid of unnecessary things, you’ll be able to maximize your storage space and make room for things you actually need and use.
- Decluttering your home can help you improve your sleep. Seeing clutter and mess right before you go to bed can have a very negative impact on the quality of your sleep.
- When you declutter your home, chances are you’ll find many hidden treasures. If you don’t need all of those things, why not make a yard sale and boost your family’s holiday fund?
- Keeping your home neat will make other major tasks that much easier to handle. For example, let’s say you’re moving. If you keep your home organized and clutter-free, packing and unpacking will be much simpler. We even asked the experienced team of movers and packers from Next Stop Movers, who confirmed this fact, and even suggested the added benefit of saving money.
What to keep, what to store, and what to toss when decluttering?
Decluttering is pretty straightforward. You simply need to go through your belongings and sort them into different piles depending on whether you plan on keeping, tossing, or storing them. However, choosing items for each pile is where the process gets challenging. Further in this article, we’ve prepared tips and guidelines to help you decide what to keep, what to store, and what to toss when decluttering.
What to toss when decluttering?
If the item can’t be used anymore, there is no point in keeping it to sit in the corner and only collect dust. Therefore, anything that is broken, old and worn, stained or expired should go on your toss pile. The rule of thumb is that anything you haven’t used for over a year should be tossed or recycled.
People also have a tendency to keep things simply because they feel obligated to. For instance, if someone gave you a present you don’t like or have no use for, there is nothing wrong in regifting it or even selling it.
What to keep when decluttering?
There are many items you know that you need to keep, regardless of the reason. For instance, items you use daily or on a regular basis. Also, there will probably be some items that have sentimental value to you and that you don’t want to get rid of. This is where you need to be careful and make sure not to get carried away. Otherwise, you’ll end up hanging on to too many things.
Don’t forget that there are items that you have to save regardless of whether you want to or not. For example, you have to keep important documents safe and make sure to always know where to find them. However, have in mind that they are among things that shouldn’t be kept in a storage unit. With your valuables, they are items you should safely keep somewhere else.
What to store when decluttering?
In case you find items you know you’ll use at some point but either lack space for or don’t plan on using for a while, the best way to go is to rent a storage unit. For instance, let’s say you enjoy going camping a couple of times a year. As camping equipment takes up a lot of space and you don’t need it so often, a better solution is to move it to your self-storage.
Besides your home, you should also regularly declutter and organize your self-storage. If you keep on adding things and not taking anything out, you’ll simply be relocating clutter from one place to another.
Is there something you could donate and sell?
Going through all of your belongings, you must have found things that are in good condition, but you simply don’t need or plan on using them anymore. Don’t throw them in the trash but donate to a charity or make a yard sale and earn some extra money.
Also, before throwing everything from your toss pile into the trash, make sure to double-check. As you were going through so many items, you could have easily mixed up piles and tossed something that could instead be donated.
The bottom line
We won’t lie – decluttering most likely won’t be the most fun event you’ve ever participated in. But by carefully planning and knowing what to keep, what to store, and what to toss when decluttering, it can get that much easier. And once you witness the results and see your home is tidy, we guarantee you’ll feel motivated to maintain it that way.
