How to Tidy Your Home for a Transformed Life
It is unbelievably freeing to declutter, clean and organize your home. You don’t need to be a tidying guru to purge what you don’t need and make what you do use more accessible. Below you will find tips and tricks to tidy up your home that will transform your daily life.
The Big Plan
There are many ways you can tackle decluttering:
- Room by room (i.e., kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, laundry room) — This means finishing each room before you move to the next.
- Area by area — This takes the room-by-room method and starts smaller (i.e., closet, under the bed, cabinets, etc.), finishing one area before you move to another.
- By category — Marie Kondo prefers this method, hitting categories one at a time (i.e., all clothes, books, paper, miscellaneous, mementos, etc.).
There is no one right way. You may even choose to change the method as you go. For instance, if one room is overwhelming, you can start categories or decide to take it one area/space at a time, but then as you go to other rooms of the house you may choose to go room by room if they’re not as daunting. Whatever you choose, just make a plan at the beginning, and reward yourself after you finish each task.
The Great Sorting Mission
We are all guilty of collecting unused items. Some things we hold on to because we forget it’s there, other times we regret the purchase but hate to throw it out, and yet other items have memories attached to them. With whatever plan you choose to declutter, you will need to implement four categories as you go through your belongings:
- Keep
- Toss
- Donate
- Sell
Keep the items you love and use all the time. Toss the belongings that are of no value or use or are beyond repair. Then donate or sell gently used items. The benefits of selling gently-used items are twofold. According to Gumtree, contributing to the second-hand economy not only provides extra money, but it also contributes to reducing waste by keeping these items out of landfills. That’s a win-win!
The Magic of Organizing
An organized home can make you feel productive and in control, and it can save you time and money. No longer will you spend hours searching for something you know you have or purchase duplicates. Group your remaining belongings into like items and then use the vast array of organizing options.
Invest in quality furniture that not only stands the test of time but also utilizes vertical space and provides storage options — like dressers and shelves. This can help add design flare to any room and motivate you to keep those rooms tidy and organized. When it comes to inside cabinets and drawers, you can monopolize all the space by using dividers, risers, and bins. You will see a world of difference in how an organized home can make your day run so much smoother.
One of my favorite dressers at Organic Modernism is the Cincinnati 10. Just look at all of those drawers! It’s easy to make storage stylish with Organic Modernism’s credenzas too. A sideboard (such as the Cincinnati 4) in any hallway adds storage that blends into a sleek modern home.
The Closet System
Every home has unique closets and every person has unique needs. While a top shelf and one rod may work for some, it does not work for all. Many closet systems are easy to install yourself. If you have a lot of sweaters, shoes, purses, and hats, then a closet system with a significant amount of shelving is just what you need. Husbands and wives who share closets can benefit from multiple rods to hold shirts, dresses, and pants.
Decluttering inevitably leads to organizing and cleaning. Take the plunge, going strategically through your home. Sort through all your belongings, deciding what to keep, toss, donate or sell. Use the variety of options available, from dressers and shelving to dividers and bins, to organize all your belongings that you love and use. So who says you need a personal organizer? You got this!
About Jackie Waters and Hyper Tidy
Jackie is a mother to four boys on a farm in Oregon. Her passion for a healthy and happy home lead her to share ideas through Hyper-Tidy.com.
This publication originally published in Organic Modernism blog:
https://www.organicmodernism.com/blogs/news/how-to-tidy-your-home-for-a-transformed-life
