7 Tips for Decluttering and Organizing Your Home

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home? Do you ever wish you could just get it all organized and decluttered?

Well, you're not alone. Whether it's stacks of newspapers and magazines, clothes that you never wear, or kids' toys that are taking over the house, it can be tough to keep things organized amid all the clutter. But fret not – a little decluttering and organization can go a long way!

Check out our seven tips for decluttering and organizing your home. You'll be on your way to clutter-free living and an organized house in no time!

1. Make an organizing plan.

Before you start a decluttering and organizing project, take a little time to make a plan. It doesn't need to be elaborate or documented in detail. However, you should try to have a general sense of the current state of your space, what you want to change and how you're going to get there.

Set realistic goals for what you want to accomplish in each room and estimate how long you think it will take you to tackle each space.

Break it into pieces.

If the project is large and you're feeling overwhelmed, break it down into small manageable steps. For example, if you have a large bedroom full of belongings, maybe the first step is to tackle the closet space, then the dresser, then under the bed.

Enlist help.

If going into this project, you know you don't want to declutter because it's hard on you, consider asking a friend or family member for help. Be sure to choose someone that can show up in a supportive and non-judgemental way so you can feel good doing the work.

Put it on the calendar.

Once you have your plan outlined and people on board, put time on your calendar. Having scheduled time is a commitment to yourself and your goals.

2. Focus on one space at a time.

Trying to declutter and organize your entire home all at once is overwhelming. Pace yourself by focusing on decluttering and organizing one room at a time. When you develop your plan, break it down into manageable parts.

Start small.

We recommend choosing a small space to start and then moving on to larger, more complex projects. For example, try decluttering and organizing a small space such as the bathroom or a small closet space.

If that feels overwhelming, try tackling one drawer or shelf to start. Even the smallest amount of progress each day will amount to big results in the end.

Experience the benefits of a small space organized.

By organizing an entire room end-to-end, you'll get to experience the physical and emotional benefits of an organized space. Experiencing these benefits will give you the confidence and motivation to keep organizing other areas of your home.

3. Let go of anything you don't need or use anymore.

Living in an organized, decluttered space has many health benefits. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Professional Organizers, decluttering and organizing can reduce stress levels by up to 40%. Additionally, it can help improve sleep quality and mental clarity.

More often than not, people believe they need more storage space in their homes. After purging, you might be surprised to learn it's not a space issue, but rather an issue of having too much stuff.

Before you can even think about getting organized, you need to purge the clutter.

Be honest with yourself.

Time to get honest with yourself! To get the organized home you've been dreaming of, you'll need to take an honest review of your belongings and ask yourself if it serves a purpose, has an important use, or makes you happy. If you can't answer yes to any of these questions, it might be time to let it go.

Having less stuff will give you the extra space needed to make the items you do want more easily accessible. Be thoughtful about what items deserve space in your life.

Donate belongings to a cause.

Once you've decided what you want to get rid of, consider donating any items that are still in good condition to charity. There are many local non-profits in Pierce County that are dedicated to getting unwanted items into the hands of people in need.

For a list of organizations we recommend, see the donation guide available on our Resources page.

4. Buy storage containers and solutions after you edit.

Buying storage solutions may be the most satisfying part of home organization, we get it! If you follow any tips from this article, please follow this one.

Refrain from buying storage bins before you purge your belongings.

Now you might be asking "Why?". The editing process gives you a detailed map of what you need to store and the storage space available to store it. Using this information to decide what storage solutions you need will ensure your systems are cohesive and sustainable.

Prepare before you shop.

Before you step foot in the store, take measurements of the space available to store your belongings and list what you need to store. This will ensure you get exactly what you need and reduce the chances of needing to do returns or accumulating more clutter.

5. Give everything a home.

Now that the decluttering is behind you and you've chosen storage solutions, it's time to give your belongings a designated home.

Maximize storage space.

Be sure to maximize all available space in the room, this includes floor space and vertical space which is especially helpful in small spaces.

Contain items together.

Use storage bins and baskets to store similar items together and ensure easy access. Consider how frequently you use certain items and ensure you store them accordingly. Giving easy access to frequently used items and stowing away less frequently used items will make navigating your home day-to-day a breeze.

Label containers.

Be sure to label containers to help you find things when you need them and return them after use. This is key to keeping your home organized.

6. Employ a home organization routine

You did it! You have completed your home organization project, bravo! Now let's talk about the importance of maintaining it.

Put in the effort to maintain the systems.

Our organizing systems are only as good as the effort we put into using them. You've gone through all the effort to declutter and invest in storage containers, labels, shelves, etc. We want to ensure all that hard work wasn't all for none.

Learn to embrace the journey.

It's important to understand that home organization is a journey, not a destination. Being organized requires developing organizing habits and actively working to stay organized. Accepting this and embracing it will ensure you can stay organized for months and years to come.

Shift your perspective.

One of the organizing industry greats, Barbara Hemphill, said "Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions". Every time you put something down where it doesn't belong in hopes to get it to later is simply deferring the decision to another day. Over time those deferred decisions accumulate and lead us to overwhelm.

Don't put it down, put it away.

One way to combat this habit is to adopt the mantra "don't put it down, put it away." The extra minutes it will take for you to put something away in that moment will be far less painful than picking up another massive decluttering and organizing project in months to come as a result of accumulated clutter.

The Ten-Minute Tidy

Establishing a home organization routine will help you develop habits to keep your home looking neat and tidy on daily basis. One of our favorite daily routines is called the "Ten-Minute Tidy".

This routine is the act of taking 10 minutes at the end of each day to tidy your home. Return toys, books, and shoes to their homes. Take time to tidy the kitchen, load the dishwasher and clear the countertops. Fold and put away a load of laundry or clothes on your bed.

It's incredible what 10 minutes a day can do! Even more incredible when you get your partner and kids involved.

7. Declutter regularly.

After taking the time to get organized, we strongly encourage being mindful of what you're bringing home. However, it's inevitable, over time we will accumulate more things. And the key to staying organized is to have a plan for how to keep clutter under control.

Keep a donation box readily available.

Regular decluttering is essential to keeping your home organized. To help facilitate this, keep a donation box in an accessible area of your house.

The donation box will serve as a visual reminder and accountability piece for you and your family members to donate or get rid of items that are no longer needed or wanted. Having the box readily available will make it easier to be consistent with your home organization routine and keep clutter to a minimum.

Donate often and intentionally.

As you fill up the boxes, make it a regular habit to drop by your favorite place to donate goods. If timed right, you may even be able to donate seasonally appropriate items to those in need when they need them the most.

For example, consider reviewing and donating your coat collection at the end of summer and donating in early fall. This will free up space in your house and get winter items to people in need before it gets cold.

You got this!

We've given you our top tips for decluttering and organizing your home in hopes that you can find success and confidence in the process. Now it's your time to fly!

Living free of clutter in an organized home is worth all the effort.

We want you to enjoy the physical and emotional benefits of living in an organized space. Decluttering and organizing your home in an intentional manner will support you in navigating your home with ease.

Choosing the right storage solutions for your space is critical.

This step will ensure you're making the most of your storage space. Storage containers used with labels will help you in putting items back where they belong.

Organizing habits make the systems stick.

Lastly, it's important to cultivate habits like a daily tidy routine to help you keep your house organized. Making even the smallest effort every day will prevent you from accumulating clutter in the future.

Take that first step today and get organized - you won’t regret it.

With a little bit of effort, you can be on your way to enjoying the benefits of and organized house for years to come.

We're rooting for you!