The biggest reason why you keep putting off the task of decluttering is because how long it can sometimes take to accomplish. You spend an entire weekend clearing off the clutter in your bathrooms and kitchen and eventually lose the motivation to move to the bedrooms because you don’t want to waste another weekend decluttering.
But no matter how long it takes, we all aim for a clutter-free living space that is easy to clean and maintain. We want to return to a bedroom that allows us to get a sound sleep after a hectic day at work. Decluttering, as an activity, impacts our emotional and mental wellbeing and helps improve our overall productivity.
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It sounds unrealistic to spend days decluttering your house especially when you have a busy lifestyle or have no decluttering help available. You are probably looking for ways to speed things up while achieving the same level of efficiency.
That’s exactly where these quick decluttering strategies come into play. If a single day is all that you have, consider implementing these simple hacks to maximize your decluttering efforts without exhausting your body:
1. Prep Up
It’s very important to prep yourself up to give your home a nice purge, and you can’t really do that without some boxes and bins. So grab at least six boxes to toss the stuff in and label them as Keep, Sell, Donate, Trash, Recycle and Repurpose.
You also need to grab basic decluttering tools like storage boxes, a stepladder, sturdy trash bags and other essentials mentioned in this list. You need to remember at all times that you have only one day to declutter your home and you can’t afford to waste time by running around to find boxes and tools. So prep up in advance! If needed, call up a friend or family to help you out.
2. Start With The Entryway
There’s no point having clean and clutter-free bedrooms if the entryway of your home is dirty and unorganized. You need to declutter it before any other corner of your house because it’s the first space that grabs the attention of your guests. Here are a few things you can do to declutter your entryway:
- Grab a cleaning rug and an all-purpose spray and wipe the entryway mirror.
- Clear off the surface of your entryway bench. Any item lying on top of it can be put in the shelf.
- If there are shoes lying around on the floor, arrange them in the shoe rack or the shelf of your entryway bench.
- Organize the coats and jackets in your coat closet. It can also be used to hang items like handbags and scarves.
3. Living Room
Your living room is one of the primary areas of your house where your entire family gathers to spend time after a busy day. This is also the space where you entertain your guests which makes it important to stay decluttered at all times.
- Clear off the flat surfaces like center table, coffee table and dining table. Remove any item that doesn’t belong on these surfaces and return them to their rightful homes.
- Remove mismatched pillows and coaster sets.
- Take down excess décor and trash the broken photo frames.
- Grab a basket and do a general pick-up of items causing visual clutter on the sofa and floor. Pick chocolate wrappers, stuffed toys, puzzle pieces or anything that doesn’t belong in your living room.
- Dust and wipe the windows, shelves and doors and all the flat surfaces using a clean cloth and disinfectant spray. Vacuum behind the furniture and mop the floor.
4. Kitchen
Your kitchen is the space where you cook for your family which makes it important for you to keep it clean and clutter-free at all times.
- Use lemon juice/vinegar/baking soda to wipe the taps in your kitchen. Wash the dishes and clean the sink using hot water.
- Clear the countertops and aim for a clean line of sight. Put the appliances back into the closet. Get rid of any duplicate items like measuring cups and spoons, ladles, whiskers or mugs. Keep the scissors back into the junk drawer. Remove items of décor from your kitchen countertops to prevent distraction while cooking. Put the snack jars back into the cupboard and return the spices and condiments to the pantry.
- Get rid of broken, stained and lidless containers.
- Trash broken plates, glasses, mugs and bowls. Donate extra sets of utensils like plates, spoons, knives, pots and pans.
5. Bathrooms
Bathrooms need to stay clean for many reasons, most important of which is hygiene. Always keep a reed diffuser in your bathroom to keep it smelling great at all times.
- Throw away empty bottles of shampoo, shower gel and lotion.
- Keep a small trash bin in your bathroom to discard used razors, empty soap wrappers and other trash. Make sure that you change the lining of this trash bin every alternate day. If you already have a trash bin in your bathroom, empty it right away.
- Wipe down the bathroom taps using vinegar and clean the sink using hot water.
- Put the dirty towels in laundry and replace with fresh ones.
- Grab a wet cleaning rug and use it to clean the shower area, bathtubs and mirror.
6. Bedrooms
Your bedroom is supposed to be your relaxing sanctuary and it’s crucial to keep it free of any unwanted items. Here is what you can do declutter your bedroom in less than an hour:
- Pick random items of laundry and put them into the washing machine. You’ll find laundry items lying purposelessly on your bedroom chair, the bed and the floor.
- Return the dirty dishes and snack jars to the kitchen.
- Get rid of any unneeded paperwork lying on top of your work desk. Arrange the important ones in your filing cabinet or a folder.
- Clear off the flat surfaces – the nightstand, top of your dresser and the work desk.
- If you have some more time left, you can declutter your closet by getting rid of clothes that don’t fit you and are torn or worn out.
Now that you’ve spent an entire day decluttering your home, make sure that you keep it that way. It can be a taxing task to declutter your home in a day but the results are going to be worth it. You’ll be proud of what your home could achieve in such a short span of time which in turn would help you find the motivation to declutter on a larger scale.
I would love to make this a two-way conversation by hearing what you have to say. Share your thoughts in the comments below or drop me a message at hello@theaestheticabode.com. I would love to hear anything from you.