“If there is something you haven’t benefited from in six months, you probably don’t need it at all. Let go,” says Life Coach Aditya Sen. Sen was speaking of the way we lead our life, but it can be applied to our homes as well! We have an innate need to hoard. To not let go. We all have a little clutter lying around our house; Things that we don’t use but things we are too lazy to get rid of. There are several benefits to owning lesser possessions. You would have less to clean and more space to move around! And most of us would want to declutter our homes but the overwhelming, anxious feeling of where to begin from often hold us back.
However, decluttering need not always be boring or painful. It becomes a lot easier if you go one room at a time.
Bathroom
With men entering the bandwagon with their own range of toiletries and cosmetics, bathrooms have become cluttered in most of the houses. Therefore, it makes sense to start the decluttering process from the bathroom. Toss out the empty shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste bottles and get rid of the expensive hair gel that expired last year. Also, it is a good idea to gift the grooming kit you won at the office party last year to someone who is actually going to use it.
Making separate sections for men, women and the kid in the bathroom will not only make it neater, organised and clutter-free, it will also make it easier for you to find your stuff in the morning. If there is a dearth of furniture in the bathroom, you can buy bathroom corners and stands that can be placed above the mirror, under the sink, and on the walls.
Bedroom
You spend most of your ‘free time’ at home in your bedroom, and nothing beats the peaceful feeling of drifting off to sleep in a bedroom that is neat and clutter-free. Most of the clutter in the bedroom comprises of in-between and work-related stuff that has no particular storage space. So, they usually end up lying on the side desk or resting on the work table close to the bed.
If you too are someone with a desk full of work files, laptop, coffee-mugs, cigars, etc. in your bedroom, we would recommend you to reposition your desk and place it as far from the bed as possible. Also, make it a habit of restoring things to their original position( be it magazines you have finished reading or last day’s laundry) as soon as you are done using them.
Kitchen
Given that the kitchen has so many types of items stored in it, ranging from food items to utensils to spices to appliances, keeping it clutter-free can be a challenge. To make the task easier, you can begin the decluttering process by choosing a type of item or an area you want to declutter first.
For example, you can begin by decluttering the refrigerator first, followed by the upper cabinets, and then move to the drawers. You can make a separate zone for food items that are going to expire soon so that you can use them in your day-to-day cooking.
Living Room
Living rooms in most houses have lots of furniture yet minimum storage space. Therefore, it is one of the hardest areas to maintain. A bookcase and a TV table are what you get as storage space in living room, and they too don’t hide much. Therefore, to keep your living room decluttered, you have to clean it regularly. Instead of letting the magazines piled up, keep them back on the bookshelf as you finish reading it. Make a stand for keeping the remote control. You can also choose to buy some shelves and show-pieces that provide you with some storage space
Entryways, Stairs, and Balconies
Clutter-free entryways and balconies are most difficult to maintain. Most of us are guilty of tossing our shoes away as soon as we reach home. How about having a shoe-stand close to the entryway and every member neatly putting their shoes in the rack before getting in? How about putting your car/house keys in the key stand strategically placed adjacent to the entry door? Doable, right? Such simple habits go a long way in helping you de-clutter your house. You won’t need much decluttering in these areas is you don’t let the clutter to accumulate in the first place.
Happy Decluttering!
This article was originally published on www.thehindu.com dated July 8,2017
