The 4 Phases of De-cluttering Your Home

September 18, 2015

cleaning the clutterHave you recently moved into a new Ideal Home? Did you bring the clutter with you? If so we have some tips for you. If you haven’t made your move to a new home in Oklahoma City yet, then here is a little guide to eliminating the clutter. We know it’s not always easy to part with things, and sometimes it’s just hard to identify whether or not something is really worth keeping or is just plain clutter. There are a variety of thoughts that circulate through our heads and the struggle is real. “But I might use that some day…” “I might fit into those…some day.” If you hear yourself using phrases like this, it may be time to ditch these items. Assess What Needs to Go – When you are de-cluttering using a critical eye and being true to yourself about the last time you used or wore something is the first step to setting something free. Is it out dated? Broken? Missing parts? Ask yourself these questions and then like the song from Frozen, “Let it go.” Create A Removal System – It’s easy when something is trash or a recyclable because someone comes to you each week to help you remove these items from your home. But if they are that stack of CFL bulbs, old computer parts, or phones – then it’s time to come up with a plan of action. Designate one box for these items, and once a month take a trip to Best Buy for the computers and phones and Lowes or Home Depot for The CFLs. Who Ya' Gonna' Call? - Too much clothing piling up or odds and ends items that “someone” could use, but not you? Find out which donation centers in your area pick up and give them a call and schedule a pickup. Sometimes those big garbage bags full of clothes and shoes only make it as far as the garage. Give them that nudge out the door with the phone call to Amvets or other charities that pick-up. Make a Schedule – If you feel like you can never get yourself to purge, it may be easier to set a couple days a year where you do this. You don’t hear the term spring cleaning for nothing. It’s fairly normal to change out wardrobes at those times of year, and it’s a great time to take stock of all that you have and all that you’d like to get rid of. Taking the time to pare down your belongings is always a good thing. Some people have new item in, new item out rules they make with themselves. For every new thing they buy, they must purge an old thing. That or you can always buy a bigger home!