De-cluttering is one of the most therapeutic things that can be done for a home and its occupants. To do it properly is, well, it’s bloody hard work! It creates more mess before it becomes clean and clear, it means a lot of trips to the tip or a ginormous skip bin and it can tug on the heart strings while you spend umpteen hours procrastinating through old things you forgot you never needed. Like the ugly blue vase your great-aunts best friends sister gave you at your 21st… What’s her name again….
I can honestly call de-cluttering ‘therapeutic’ as I have recently began the task of de-cluttering our home. Our home that is filled with 7 peoples stuff. Stuff that has sat in the same spot for the past 6 years since we moved here and many more things that I couldn’t bear to throw away before we even bought the place! A lot of these things date back to 1998 – the year Ricky Martin topped the charts with a song title I don’t know how to say! These 1998-to-present “things” still sit in the storage room, in the same cupboard or under the bed in a box, doing the same thing they’ve always done – which is nothing but filling space of what could otherwise be free and clear air!
What inspired me to get my french maid outfit on? I began reading a book called “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” and by ‘began reading a book’ I mean I got about 6 pages in (blame a busy schedule and reading a book about cleaning being a fairly low-set priority) BUT it did none-the-less inspire me from the very few pages I did read skimmed. It inspired me to find a place for everything. To work out whether I loved it or needed it and if it was neither of those two things than to be brave and get rid of it! Since I’ve started de-cluttering (and yes it sounds totally cliche) I feel so much clearer and lighter. There feels like there is more space and air to breathe than there was before – which in a mathematical sense x+(y)+mc3= MORE SPACE! You know all that genius stuff! (And yes I am pretty sure that equation is not even mathematical but hey I’m a stylist not a numbers guru!)
So you want to join the mathematical party? Well, here’s my top 8 tips (or as I have bulleted it – my A-H) on de-cluttering your home. BUT be aware I’m not discussing the 5 minute decluttering tips you’ll find swimming on the internet I’m talking real, hardcore, get in and get the job done once and for all de-cluttering! Not for the faint hearted! And you will need to find some time!
A. Choose a day, a few hours, and a room – it’s best if you choose a room in your own house though – your neighbour might not appreciate you going through his stuff 😉 Arm yourself with rubbish bags or cardboard boxes and because “People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing” (Dale Carnegie) crank up your favourite music and get in the zone!
B. Organise your boxes into two – a donate box and a bin box. If you are planning on trying your hand at selling your things then have a box for that too. **Here’s my big tip for selling though: take photos of the items as you go and upload them straight away to your local Buy & Sell! If they don’t sell within 48 hours they become part of the donate box otherwise they’ll end up back in your cupboards – trust me I know!** Everything else that you keep MUST be something you NEED or LOVE! These bold, capital words are very important!
C. Empty all items onto the floor – this proves you’ve committed yourself to the task ahead and backing out is no longer an option! Sort the items into related piles as you go. For example if you are de-cluttering your kitchen cupboards group your items into: a plastics pile, ceramics pile, utensils, cups, plates piles etc. Then match your tupperware to their lids and well … good luck with that!
D. Complete each part of the room de-clutter completely and always save space for more items from other rooms – you never know where you’ll find a stray Tupperware container – especially if you have teenagers! But remain strong with your love/need and donate/throw piles. Stay strong! Freedom is near!!
E. Create a functional and practical system – one that works for you – and only once you have paired everything back should you purchase storage containers, shelving systems, space saving hooks etc. An example of a functional system is: hang your clothes in item specific groups – shirts together, dresses together, jackets together etc. I’m not into colour co-ordinating my wardrobe but if you want to go that extra mile than I’ll support you all the way!
F: Get your throw out and donate items out of the house ASAP! Don’t turn around! Don’t look back! Do not second guess yourself, do not let you partner/kids/great-aunts-best-friends-sister convince you to keep things you know you’ll never need!
G: Pour yourself a large glass of bubbly and celebrate! One room down, quite possibly a few more to go but you are heading in the right direction – towards clutter freedom!
H: Select a new room and repeat next week ^^^
Goodluck, enjoy the process and watch your x+(y)+mc3= MORE SPACE open up before your eyes!
Stop dreaming it, start living it!
Cristy xx
thedreamstylist 