I have always been a person who likes organization and order. I HATE clutter and things not being in their place. Every morning I spend 15 minutes picking up the house because I like things being in order to start my day. I don’t have to do a lot but just things I didn’t want to do the night before like putting dishes in the dishwater or putting stuff in the trash that I left on the living room table. I probably go through and declutter the whole house at least once a year.
Minimalist Lifestyle
Every day before I leave my desk, I also make sure everything is put away or ready for the next day. If my desk or work space is cluttered my brain can not focus on anything other than the mess. I don’t know why because having a cluttered workspace gives me so much anxiety. My brain can not move past the clutter. it’s all I think about it! I know, it’s weird but that’s just me.
This year I had a goal of getting rid of 1100 things. I started it September 2022 and it ends December 2023. I have purchased a lot of things recently because it was a “good deal” or purchased in bulk. I’m working on having only what I need in the house. Reusable items are a bonus, too. What I am counting in the 1100 are things that I throw away, donate, or give away. If it is no longer in my house, it counts towards that 1100.
Downsizing is important to me because I want to be able to live in my car or RV. I’m slowly working towards having what I need to make that a reality. I think it’s really important to have your goal or reason on why you want to downsize. I have learned that if I don’t have a reason I will get rid of everything or the opposite and hold on to everything.
CLOTHES
Go through all of your clothes. I have done this several times where I take everything out of my closet and I try everything on. if it doesn’t fit or I haven’t worn it in a while, it’s gone.
There are so many ways that you can declutter your clothes. Creating a capsule wardrobe where you only have a certain number of clothes. Another way to declutter your clothes would be rearranging the hangers to see what. You wear and what you don’t.
- mismatched socks
- old bras
- old under garments – should be replaced every 6 months
- clothes that no longer fit
- promo shirts you don’t wear
- pajamas you no longer wear
- extra jogging pants
- old shoes
- mismatched jewelry
- clothes with holes
- hats
- broken necklaces
- wallets
- purses
BATHROOM
Just like clothes take everything out of the bathroom and restock everything. Seeing what you have and what you need is the best way to declutter your bathroom. For me, while I am getting rid of things I take time to deep clean as well.
- old shampoo you no longer use
- old conditioner
- body wash that you don’t like anymore – I do this all the time. some smells I like then I don’t
- loofas
- dry brush
- hair masks
- razors
- toothbrushes
- extra hand lotion
- expired products
- old make up brushes
- old or expired makeup
- old face wash
- brushes
- hair clips you haven’t used
- hair elastics with no stretch
- headbands
- expired or tried up nail polish
- dull nail files
- old towels
- dirty make up remover towels
- expired medicine
- product you no longer wear or use
BEDROOM
I don’t keep a lot in my bedroom personally so it was probably the easiest room to declutter. I want my bedroom to be a place of relaxation. My nightstand doesn’t have any drawers, but if yours does clean and organize it.
- blankets you no longer use or like
- old sheets
- mismatched pillowcases
- old pillows
- mattress – if necessary
- extra comforter sets
- extra lamps not needed or unused
KITCHEN
If you have been around here for a while, you know the kitchen is not a place I hang out often. I don’t like to cook or even do dishes. So decluttering the kitchen is not my forte.
- Donate food you know you won’t eat
- throw away expired food
- extra salt and pepper shakers
- snacks you don’t like or been there a while
- appliances you don’t use
- extra dishes you don’t need
- containers without lids
- empty wine or beer bottles or cans
- extra plates
- broken plates
- odd number of cups or plates
- chipped mugs or cups or plates
- anything you have multiple of
- cookbooks you no longer use
- unsharp knives
- old silverware
- dead batteries
- spices you never use
- old coupons
- junk mail
- invitation of dates that have pasted
- old calendars
- condiment packages
- plastic utensils
- tea, coffee or flavored water that you do longer use, like or half used
- take out menus
- random jars or containers
- used cookies
LIVING ROOM
My living room is probably where most of the clutter or junk is because our tv stand has drawers so it’s easy to put things there because out of sight out of mind. I probably go through and declutter this area maybe once or twice a year.
- dried flowers
- old greeting cards
- dvds you no longer watch
- cords you don’t need
- old or broken cords
- broken electronics
- cds
- old computers or electronics
- paper manuals
- books – I take mine to free little libraries nearby
- extra notebooks
- video games you don’t play
- broken or unused remotes
MISC
Everything here are items that might be placed anywhere above or somewhere else in the house. Most of these things for me are in my basement, but in other places they have been in a spare bedroom, etc.
- unused craft supplies
- broken decorations
- old catalogs
- used puzzles
- games you don’t play anymore
- concert or ticket stubs
- party favors
- nicknacks you don’t like anymore
- old bills
- gifts you don’t like or use
- boxes
- travel brochures
- old furniture
- extra furniture
- old rusty tools
- extra workout equipment pieces
- candles that can’t be lit
Organization
After you declutter and start put things away, I would recommend getting organization storage to make things easier to locate. My favorite store is the container store because they have a variety of sizes and things for the whole house.
