KICK-START YOUR DECLUTTERING: 50 EASY THINGS TO DECLUTTER RIGHT NOW
Decluttering your home isn’t complicated but it can be a little daunting to start with. If you’re keen to clear your clutter and need some help getting started, in this article I’m sharing some practical and quick declutter projects. Here are 50 easy things to declutter right now to kick-start your decluttering.
CLEARING YOUR CLUTTER
When I first decided to try decluttering my home, in truth I didn’t really have a plan and I didn’t know what I was doing. I threw a few things out, here and there, and snatched time in my busy day to go through my closet, kitchen, cupboards and around my home.
Slowly and surely I decluttered my home, but admittedly, it wasn’t easy. I got frustrated that my kids and partner weren’t helping or that I ran out of time, I got stuck with some items knowing what to keep and what to get rid of, toys and old photos particularly.
Over the years, I learned that decluttering CAN be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Armed with a few tips and strategies, you can clear your clutter and keep it away.
In this article I’m sharing one way to kick-start your decluttering with these 50 simple, quick and easy things to declutter right now.
Ready to make a start?! If so, let’s just have a quick reminder about the benefits of decluttering. It always helps to keep in mind why you’re doing something. It can keep us motivated when we lose steam and spur us on to have the end goal in sight!
THE BENEFITS OF DECLUTTERING
Studies have shown that the amount of clutter around you is directly proportional to stress levels, especially for women. The more clutter, the more stress.
So, decluttering your home can really make a big difference to your life.
- Your home will be easier to look after as it’s quicker to tidy and clean when there’s generally less stuff.
- You’ll have more time to do other things in life because you’ll be spending less time managing your home.
- You might even feel more relaxed or calm in a less cluttered environment so you’re able to focus and concentrate on other things instead of stressing about the state of your home and what needs doing to it.
In short, there are many benefits to decluttering your home, thinking differently about what you keep and perhaps finding ways to shop more mindfully or have less stuff generally.
WHY CAN DECLUTTERING BE HARD?
If decluttering your home involves just getting rid of anything that you don’t use, don’t like or don’t need, then really it should be quite easy.
Just ask yourself simple questions to help you decide what to declutter and get started! Easy? Well, not always!
Despite some wonderful benefits, sometimes we find it difficult to declutter.
Here are some of the reasons we give:
- Not enough time
- Don’t know where to start
- Always got the kids with us
- Too much stuff
- Lack of motivation
- Don’t know what to do with the unwanted stuff
Do any of these sound familiar? If so, don’t worry! You’re definitely not alone. You might like to read this article on 10 reasons why decluttering is hard and how to overcome them.
STARTING TO DECLUTTER
If you find it difficult to declutter or are just getting started and need a little kick-start to boost you, why not try this list of 50 easy things to declutter right now to kick-start your decluttering.
My aim is to help you get used to the feeling of clearing your unwanted items, making some simple decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of, and importantly, giving you some quick wins so you can see and feel the benefits of less clutter.
Decluttering progress is all about building up your confidence on making decluttering decisions. It’s about changing the way you think about your stuff, identifying what clutter means to you, and keeping in mind the benefits of decluttering your home and life.
KICK-START YOUR DECLUTTERING
Actually getting started decluttering your home is often the most difficult part.
What helped me when I was decluttering my own home, was to choose some easy items to get rid of that didn’t require much deliberation.
They were items that held little sentimental value, were often duplicates of other items I had already, or were quick and easy to sort through without much time or soul-searching!
To help you kick-start your decluttering, I’ve listed a few little projects which will take you no more than a few minutes each (of course, you can spend longer if you get carried away!).
Starting is often the hardest bit (of anything) but I hope these little projects will encourage and motivate you to continue. Decluttering skills are much like a muscle, the more you use them, the stronger they become.
50 EASY THINGS TO DECLUTTER RIGHT NOW!
Try these small decluttering projects to help you declutter your home. Follow this list of 50 easy things to declutter right now one by one, or pick and choose what takes your fancy at the time.
- Old newspapers and magazines
- DVDs that you’ve watched and won’t watch again
- Books you’ve never read or won’t read again
- Old mobile phones and accessories
- Excess mugs that you don’t use or are chipped or cracked
- Pillows that feel uncomfortable and you don’t use
- Instruction manuals for things you no longer own
- Excess plastic bags
- Duplicates of things
- Receipts you no longer need
- Greetings cards with no sentimental value
- Pens that don’t work anymore
- Junk mail
- Expired store cards, credit cards and gift vouchers
- Jewellery that you never wear
- Earrings that don’t have a pair
- Old glasses that you don’t use
- Odd socks and socks with holes
- Stained clothing or that’s damaged beyond repair
- Clothes that you don’t like or don’t fit
- Excess clothes hangers
- Junk in the bottom of your handbag
- Toiletries and old makeup that you never use/has seen better days
- Old towels or bedding that have holes, are worn out or you don’t need
- Unused cookbooks
- Food that’s past its use by date or you don’t like
- Travel sized containers of bath products
- Storage containers that you don’t use or don’t have lids
- Textbooks or reference books you don’t use but you can find the information on the internet
- Extra dishes, cutlery, glasses that you never use or are damaged
- Excess scarves, hats, bags and accessories you don’t wear
- Out-of-date medicines
- Puzzles and board games with pieces missing
- Ornaments which you don’t love to look at but which collect dust
- Toys that your kids have grown out of
- Shoes that don’t fit, feel uncomfortable or you never wear
- Water bottles that leak
- Desktop icons on your pc that you no longer use
- Fuzzy photos or duplicate photos that you don’t want to keep
- Apps on your phone that you don’t use
- Junk email in your inbox
- Unsubscribe from newsletters that are no longer of interest
- Broken tools or tools you don’t know how to use in your garage or shed
- The rubbish in your car
- Throws and cushions that don’t enhance your home or that you use
- Make-up that you don’t use or is past its best
- Duplicate kitchen utensils
- Nearly empty bath and beauty products
- Cleaning products you don’t use
- The front of your fridge (photos, paperwork, magnets etc)
WHY YOU DON’T NEED THESE ITEMS
The projects I’ve listed above are easy things to declutter to right now. I’ve tried to choose items that you can declutter quickly and easily and that don’t require much thinking about. You don’t want to be held up wondering whether to keep an item or not.
Here are some of the reasons why you might not need these items:
- They’ve expired or past their best – Food and medicines are a couple of examples. You might sometimes consider you have a bit of leeway and exercise your own judgement but generally it’s better to replace or throw items by the date on their packaging.
- You have excess – It’s easy to build up multiples of things but I bet you only use a small number. Think about all the mugs sitting in your kitchen cupboard. Keep up with the washing and you won’t need to keep reaching for a clean mug. Same for water bottles or tops in your closet.
- The item is broken – Things sometimes don’t work as well if they’re not fully functioning. A missing piece in the jigsaw, a crack in a serving plate.
- You never choose it – Going back to the mugs in your cupboard, I also bet you reach for your favourite mug or two when you go to make tea or coffee. Or your favourite scarf when it’s cold outside. If you always end up reaching for the same item, do you really need so many others?
- You can source the item more quickly and easily elsewhere – Think about instruction manuals or reference books. When I need information I usually grab my phone and search for it on the internet. It’s quicker and easier than pulling down a book, searching the index, finding the page and then only to find the information isn’t there that I was looking for.
- You prefer something else – Instead of looking at the ornaments on your shelf, you’re thinking about the time it takes to move and dust around them. Time is one thing that you can’t get back so everything in your home should be worth your time to look after it.
- It can easily be replaced – What if you delete an app from your phone and later regret it? All you have to do is add it back.
- You never use it – If you haven’t used an item in a year, how much value are you getting in keeping it? Could someone else benefit from it right now more than you? Seasonal or high value items might be an exception.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS
Leave a comment below and let me know where you are on your decluttering journey. What have been your quickest wins or your biggest struggles? How has decluttering your home made a difference to you?
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WANT TO KNOW MORE?!
If you enjoyed this post and would like to learn more about decluttering and how to get started, here are some decluttering resources which you might find helpful:
- How to declutter your home and life – a helpful guide on how to start decluttering with plenty of links to further reading and resources
- How to declutter fast – tips to help you get rid of clutter quickly
- 11 simple things to do before you declutter – tips to consider to help you plan and prepare, save time and declutter more effectively
- How to declutter when you don’t have time – a common reason why many of us struggle to declutter
- 20 daily habits for a clutter-free home – decluttering is one thing, but these tips will help you keep the clutter away
- Declutter Starter Kit – a free guide and workbook to help you understand the what, why and how of decluttering. Projects, tips and guidance to clear the clutter in your home and life.