Tips For Organizing And Decluttering

[This article was originally published in February 2021 and has been expanded and revised.]

So, January has come and gone and you still haven't gotten around to clearing your clutter and getting organized. So much for that New Year's resolution, right?

It's not too late! We've all been there, and starting today is still far better than not starting at all. So, with that in mind, we have put together some tips and resources for you to help with your home organizing and decluttering project.

Decluttering and Organizing - How Bad Can It Be?

If the pessimistic side of you is telling you things like, "It took you 15 years to make this mess, you'll never get it cleared out now.", the good news is that it's not true. You can declutter successfully!

The trick is to have a strategy and a plan to execute that strategy. And, while that might sound a bit over-complicated for something as simple as clearing out junk, it will make your job go smoother and your life easier.

The strategy is simply establishing in advance what you want to accomplish and by when. Your plan is your step-by step approach to making that happen.

This bit of sage advice from BeMoreWithLess.com is worth noting,

Clearly define the mission. There is a big difference between organizing and decluttering. Organizing means you’re just moving stuff from one place to another. Instead of working so hard to find the perfect spot for something, recognize that it might not have a place in your home or your heart at all anymore.

Remember, your strategy is not to simply play another game of "Home Clutter Tetris®" by moving everything around and rearranging all your stuff once again. Your strategy is to determine what needs to stay and what needs to go - for good. 

Then you can organize what's left!

Breaking Up is Hard to Do - Being Ruthless with Your Clutter

One of the biggest reasons people are unable to successfully declutter - or stay uncluttered - is that they cannot bring themselves to part with so much of their stuff. 

While no one expects you to resort to living a monastic lifestyle with no personal belongings, bare walls, and a thin mattress on the floor for sleeping, there are most likely many items that you can get rid of and will never miss. 

Think of all the things you have stored in closets, under beds, and in cupboards, drawers, boxes, and shelves. Not to mention anything stuffed in your attic, basement, and garage. Oh, and the storage shed out back or the one you've been paying rent on for years. 

Once you've settled for yourself that you're going to be reasonably ruthless with decluttering, then you can focus on what needs to stay. Granted, there are some things like holiday decorations and seasonal clothing items that must be stored for most of the year. You should keep these.

But the things you haven't seen, used, or even thought about for the last two years or more? These should probably be gotten rid of. If you've lived without them this long, you can probably live without them.

And this is where many decluttering efforts get derailed.

People set out with good intentions, but the attachment of things proves to be too much and they find themselves compromising on their decision to get rid of everything that isn't needed. 

Don't be that person!

And here's a tip to help during the process of decluttering:

When things don’t have a home or a place to keep them, they tend to be left out on surfaces and floors. Adding clutter to your home. When each item you own has a designated spot to keep it, it’s a lot easier to keep your home tidy because it’s easier to put things away where they belong. As you’re decluttering, make sure to find a spot or a home for each item you’re keeping.

While we may not think that we're actually "downsizing" when we declutter, we are, in fact, minimizing the amount of space our stuff takes up in our homes. 

With that in mind, we have a handy checklist and guide to help you implement your decluttering strategy:

When the clutter is finally gone, you need to think about your organizing strategy next. 

According to the folks at The Container Store, for example, take a look at what's left and ask some strategic questions such as,

Does it belong here? Does it make sense to keep it here? Is there another place where you've got more room to keep it, or another area where it would be more easily accessible for its purpose? 

Once the Clutter's Cleared and the Dust Settles

Now that you've gotten rid of everything you can, you can finish organizing what's left. 

Of course, you will likely have done a great deal of the organizing while you were clearing out and cleaning up. So, the follow-up step of organizing will be far easier - and you'll have a much clearer "view" of what you need to organize!

Here's some expert organizing tips from The Container Store:

The three rules to organization are visibility, accessibility and flexibility.

Visibility
 Choose containers that are either transparent or that you can easily label to help immediately identify the contents and save valuable time.

Accessibility
Make sure that the items you need most often are the easiest to access. Likewise, place the items you don't need to get to as often on a higher shelf or in another area.

Flexibility
Select a storage system that can adapt to your changing needs. That way, you can reconfigure and reuse solutions to solve a variety of storage and organization problems.

January may have already come and gone, but it's never too late (or too soon!) to declutter, organize, and simplify your living space and lifestyle. And, with so many of us working from home now and with kids engaged in distance learning, keeping your home organized and clutter-free is even more beneficial.

So, after you've successfully decluttered, it's time to organize everything that you're keeping.  And, with that in mind, here's another tip sheet to guide you along the way:

Mothers of small children (and even teens!) can find that staying organized is often more of a challenge than getting organized in the first place. 

We found these ideas from Rachel Norman's blog to be helpful in that regard:

Organized mamas tidy regularly
Have you heard of the One Touch rule? This rule says that if you can touch an object once, do so. Don’t touch it twice if you can touch it once. Pick it up once, put it away once, clean it once.

Organized stay-at-home moms tend towards minimalism
The more stuff you have the more difficult it is to manage. It’s difficult to put things away and out of sight when the drawers, closets, and storage containers are exploding with things. The fewer things you have, the easier it is to keep an organized and tidy home.

They use calendars and reminders
Whether you want to be paper or digital, organized moms know when they need to be places, and they make sure their family does too. Have a large calendar showing 3 months at a time on a bulletin or chalkboard to help keep you from being too busy or double booking.

Staying organized at home or at work requires some systems and tools. For example, one source recommends establishing a schedule, sticking to a daily routine, having a daily and weekly plan, and using checklists. Lots of checklists!

Fortunately, there are many apps if you're not an analog person. But there is still something to be said for pen and paper!

Decluttered and Organized? Now Get Rid of the Junk!

Congratulations! You've removed all the clutter and organized all the rest. 

Now you just need to dispose of all the junk you got rid of from your home!

No matter how much junk you've managed to get out of your home, or how many piles there are, the junk removal pros from Junk King can quickly come to your home to get rid of it all with their  efficient, safe, affordable, and eco-friendly junk hauling service. 

We make it easy for you to dispose of your excess junk or even those extra-large trash items.

And, if you need our services several times during a clean-up or decluttering project, or just one time, our hauling professionals will ensure that all the junk and debris is out of your way so that you can get on with your life.

We can be at your home in mere minutes, so call us today!

Our team is fully insured and well-trained, so you can trust them to get rid of all your unwanted items in a professional and courteous fashion.

And one of the best things about hiring Junk King is that we recycle most of the material we pick up. This is proof of our commitment to being an eco-friendly removal service. If you have questions about what we do, give us a call at 1-888-888-JUNK (5865).