Time is precious and more than ever, we live in a world that lays multiple claims to it. Whether you’re a single professional on the fast track to success or a frazzled mum or dad trying to juggle family and work commitments, you can improve the quality of your life by clearing your home of clutter.
Make your home an oasis of well-ordered calm – a retreat from the world and its pressures. An organised home frees you up for the really important things – spending time with the family, or your partner, exercising, doing a craft or creative project, relaxing and enjoying your leisure. So roll up your sleeves and get ready to put ’em in their place!
The golden rule
One in = one out. If you add an item to your home, remove something (old, broken, unused or unnecessary) at the same time. That way you’ll prevent an accumulation of the stuff that, over time, becomes clutter.
Why declutter?
Chaos can be creative, but on the home front, it mostly amounts to a stressful existence. Clutter overwhelms; eliminating it from your household (and life!) is liberating and freeing. You’ll be surprised to see how sorting out one area of your life – in this case, your home – can positively affect other areas of your life too, including work and your relationships with others. It’s all about feeling organised and in control.
Top 10 organising tips
- Regularly check your pharmaceutical and beauty products and throw out any that are past their use-by date.
- Be creative. Use pretty containers to store items. These are available from a wide range of homeware shops and serve a dual purpose – to keep small things neatly contained while being decorative. (Tip: attractive tea canisters make great storage containers when the tea has run out.)
- Keep like items together.
- When you buy a new item, throw out an old item. (See “Golden Rule” above – this is particularly effective for keeping wardrobes under control.)
- Every few months, check your stash of kitchen storage containers. Match lids with bottoms; throw out any mismatched or damaged items.
- To reduce mail clutter, post a sign on your letterbox saying “No Junk Mail”. You can also register with the Australian Direct Marketing Association’s Do Not Mail Service. It’s a free service offered to consumers where ADMA member companies and organisations will respect your request to receive less addressed direct mail.
- Establish “tidy” routines. If you open it, close it. When you finish with an item, put it away – in the correct place – immediately. (Unreconstructed males take note: when you finish with the bath towel, hang it up!)
- Use square- or rectangle-shaped containers instead of round ones. They stack more easily, reducing wasted space.
- Invest in a couple of hanging shoe organisers – the ones with clear plastic pockets allow you to see the contents easily. The multiple pockets provide wonderful storage for any number of items such as bathroom supplies, accessories, small toys, beauty products – even stationery items.
- Store jewellery in plastic fishing tackle boxes.
Where (and how) to start
Getting to grips with the clutter in your home can be a daunting task. So take it one step at a time. First of all, commit! Set a day and time and don’t allow yourself to be sidetracked.
Break a big project down into smaller tasks. If the entire house needs sorting, choose a single room and start there. Which room? If the last time you saw your children was behind a mountain of Lego, under a stack of picture books, curled up on a pile of dress-up clothes, the answer is obvious. Once in there, start with the toys – or a single drawer – then progress to the wardrobe (clothes) etc.
What you need
Before tackling the task, you need the right tools. Here’s a list of organising essentials:
- garbage bags
- labels, a marker pen, post-it notes
- cleaning supplies (clothes for dusting/wiping, glass/surface cleaner, vacuum cleaner)
- four large boxes labelled:
- things for charity
- things to sell
- borrowed items (that need to be returned to their owners)
- things that belong in other rooms
- storage containers (see below)
- music: upbeat music will help keep your energy – and motivation – high!
You also need the right attitude. Be ruthless. Your mantra for this task is: “If in doubt, throw it out”. If you haven’t used it/worn it/enjoyed it for more than two years, ditch it. Many items will still have life in them, so don’t throw them in the garbage bin, give them to charity.
Storage containers
“A place for everything and everything in its place”. Having access to appropriate storage allows you to live in well-ordered bliss. Homeware and specialist storage stores offer a huge array of storage solutions. Tried and tested storage favourites include:
- over-the-door packets that hold multiple items such as shoes
- tiered hangers that store a few shirts or pairs of trousers on the one hook
- vacuum storage bags – great for storing items of clothing, napery or linen in a compressed state. The airtight storage bags also offer protection against humidity, bugs and odours.
- under-bed storage containers on wheels – use a container on wheels as a pull-out drawer to store occasional items and extra linen.
- airtight plastic containers for food items; decorative containers for non-perishables
Get professional help
If you really cannot face the task of decluttering your home, consider enlisting the services of a professional organiser. (You can even defray some of the costs by selling unwanted items!).
Reward yourself
Now that you’ve achieved an oasis of organised calm in the chaos that was your former life, relax and reward yourself for a job well done. A glass of wine, your favourite take-away dinner, an expensive box of chocolates…treat yourself. You’ve earned it!
A nice finishing touch: buy an inexpensive oil burner and add some drops of lavender oil. The soothing scent will enhance your sense of serenity as you enjoy your newly organised home.
