By now, you must have gotten used to receiving all kinds of decluttering advice on a regular basis.
“Get rid of the unused and unneeded stuff.”
“Let go of stuff you haven’t used in the past one year.”
“Duplicates take up unnecessary space in your house. Declutter them right now.”
I often write here about the many physical and spiritual benefits of decluttering and how it can totally transform the way you look at your home. There are a ton of suggestions available on the internet about how to declutter your home when you are feeling overwhelmed and how to go about it when you don’t know where to start.
But how exactly do you declutter when you don’t have much stuff in the first place? Or when you just don’t want to throw everything away?
Sounds stupid, right? Because the word ‘decluttering’ itself means that you have to get rid of stuff. Then how is it possible to declutter without throwing things away!?
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Let me tell you that although decluttering requires you to let go, you can declutter your home without having to let go of your stuff. The trick is simple. You have to carefully understand the space available in your house and use it as effectively as possible. And since you don’t have the option of throwing things away, you might have to invest a bit in some dynamic storage solutions, multifunctional furniture and an organization system that works for you.
Here’s exactly how you need to declutter your home without throwing anything away or when you don’t have too much stuff to deal with:
1. Repurpose The Items To Make Something Useful
Repurposing old items instead of throwing them away is a great way to make them usable. If you have lidless containers in your kitchen cabinets, try using them to plant saplings in your garden. You can also reuse these containers as drawer organizers or to store knick-knacks and accessories.
Old items of clothing can be repurposed into cleaning rags for your car or garage. You can also make a quilt by stitching together your old T-shirts, jeans and ties. Many old clothes can be restitched into other items of clothing.
2. Get Vertical Storage Solutions
If you don’t have enough floor space to keep cabinets and closets, get creative by introducing vertical storage solutions. I use a lot of hanging shelves in my closets to organize my clothes. You can also use hangers for coats and jackets and put hooks on the inside of the closet door to hang lightly worn clothes like bath robe or handbags.
Use a lot of wall-mounted shelves in your kitchen to make the best use of the limited space. For your garage, get ceiling hooks to hang garden tools and other accessories.
3. Invest In Furniture With Built-In Storage
If your home is small and you are looking to add in some space-saving seating options, try investing in multifunctional furniture items. You can get a storage ottoman that is both a footrest and a storage solution. You can also go for a storage entryway bench that can be used to toss in magazines and newspapers that you don’t want to throw away.
4. Get Underbed Storage
Underbed storage is a great way to store items of clothing that aren’t used on a regular basis. I have many underbed storage bags for clothes that are seasonal and aren’t worn throughout the year. You can also get an underbed cart to keep items that are required to be accessed more often. For shoes and boots that are mostly worn in the chilling weather, you can use an underbed shoe organizer to pack them away during the off-season.
5. Add More Shelving In The Kitchen
Your kitchen can turn into a real mess if you don’t want to throw anything away which is why adding extra shelving is your only viable option. Get an over the door pantry organizer rack to organize food items that are needed on a regular basis. This cabinet door organizer can be a great storage solution for all your bakeware and dish washing supplies. I also have a few spice racks installed on my kitchen walls to prevent the spices and condiments from cluttering the countertops.
6. Donate Or Give It Away
Sometimes, you don’t want to throw things away because they are in working order and can be of use to someone else. In such cases, you can either donate these items to someone in need or give them away to a close friend or family member who can make them useful.
7. Digitize Every Possible Item
You are probably reluctant to throw the paperwork away because you are afraid that it might be of use later. Many documents like old tax forms and insurance papers can be preserved using digitization without letting them occupy space in your filing cabinet. Run these documents through a scanner and organize them in folders in your computer. Similarly, you can downsize the physical photos and albums by keeping their digital copies in your computer.
Digitization can be a great way to preserve items of sentimental value. All you have to do is take pictures of your keepsakes before decluttering them. This will allow you to look back at the memories and experience the emotions without having to keep the stuff.
8. Move Stuff Around The House
If you have an extra chair that you don’t want to throw away, try and find another home for it. Maybe it’s of no use in your living room but can be a great addition to your garden or patio or the balcony. Similarly, if there’s excess décor in your bedroom, try moving it to the walls of your living room or the entryway.
Decluttering doesn’t always mean discarding your stuff. Sometimes, a reorganization is all your home needs.
There are many ways to declutter your living space without throwing anything away apart from the tips listed above. You just have to consider all your options before deciding what works for you.