By now, you probably know that the majority of the beautifully decorated and spotless homes you scroll through (and dream about) on Instagram are staged to achieve that perfect picture. There’s no way that a home looks that perfect all the time. However, it’s hard to deny the fact that one of the reasons why those homes look so desirable is because they are clean and clutter-free. Piles of clothes on the bed? Nope. Papers and mail thrown on the counter or kitchen table? No way! Toys covering most of the living room floor? Not a chance. We’ve discussed ways to help you organize your space and also tips on decluttering, but we’re here today with ways to help free yourself from clutter once and for all. It’s totally possible, and once you start decluttering, you might never want to stop! Just be sure you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to do everything at once. Tackle one room and project at a time for best results.
via our home tour with Taylor Kitto
Organize Paper and Mail
Why does it always seem like one day you have no piles of mail or papers stacked up and the next those piles are huge? This can be resolved by making it part of your daily routine to get the mail from the mailbox and go through immediately. Toss anything that is not important, pay any bills that are due and file away mail or papers that are worth keeping (out of sight, but easy to find, of course). Also, be sure to go paperless whenever possible. This will help cut down on the amount of mail and papers that enter your home.
Play Toss or Keep With Items in Your Closet
Every season, we suggest going through the clothes in your closet and dresser drawers and donating anything you did not wear at all. Then go through everything that made the first cut and narrow it down even further. It’s also a good idea to hang up as many items of clothing in the closet as possible so that you can actually see what you have. When clothes are folded in drawers, you’re more likely to forget you even have them, as your favorite clothes often get washed and put back on top.
via our home tour with Paige Geffen
Purge Often
That includes your stash of beauty and skincare products, shoes, bags, jackets. These are all things that will continue to build up as you purchase new items. Consider only purchasing items you plan to use as a replacement for something you already own. That way, you will prevent clutter from forming, and might even help you save money, as you are more likely to reconsider making that purchase if it means replacing an item that is still usable.
Have a Designated Spot for Everything
This will make cleaning up and decluttering so much easier because you simply put the item where it belongs. Purchase some organizers and get to work! This will be a daunting task to get through, but once you’ve created a spot or everything, you’ll be glad you did it.
via our home tour with Esther Lee
Change Your Habits
The good news about decluttering is that it is totally possible, and extremely satisfying. The bad news is that clutter will build up again if you don’t change the habits that created the clutter in the first place. The tips we discussed above will help you declutter, but changing the way you shop, clean, and think about material things is the key to keeping your home looking clean and organized.
