Declutter House in 30 Days part 2
Welcome Back
for Part 2 of How to Declutter Your House in 30 days!
Today we’re
going to finish up the bedroom, then head over to your kitchen. And we’ll finish this week’s segment with
some simple things you can do to get your bathroom, living room and laundry
room in order.
So Get
ready!..Here we go!
Before we get started with this weeks segment on Decluttering in 30 days, Please take a sec and hear me out on a few things that is on everyones mind right now...
Normal life as we know it is rapidly changing right now due to the global threat of the corona Virus and it’s unknowns. Fear is driven by the thoughts of not having control over future planning. That being said, I think it’s very important to focus on the things we DO know.
Firstly, the Feds’ decision to drop rates does not have anything directly to do with consumer mortgage rates.
Secondly, even if our country falls into recession, the housing market will not be effected. At least not to the degrees we saw in 2009. Why? Because back then, money was lended on very loose qualifying criteria and we had an abundance of inventory. The very opposite is true today.
And lastly, please try to make decisions based on Fact, not Fear. Yes, it is necessary to adapt to going about our daily lives in different ways, but that does not mean you are losing control over certain aspects.
The focus right now is for everyone to contribute to flattening the rapid spreading of this invisible virus. Folks, it starts in our Own Homes!
Thank you for hanging in there with me while I added my 2 cents. You are not going to see Corona Virus related videos on my channel, You get enough of that every place else! However, I’ve planned other videos to help you be proactive during this time.
I planned this 3 Part “Declutter Your Home in 30 Days” series 2 months ago, not having any idea that this global pandemic was about to hit. It turns out that it’s perfect timing.
So take this time to take a small step towards something you Do have control over and let’s continue to the Part 2 of “ Decluttering Your House in 30 days”
Last week, we eased into the decluttering process, and left off in the bedroom. We’re not quite finished there yet..We still have the bedroom closet.
For some of you, this step may be a little challenging. If you’re like me, I tend to want to hang on to things in my closet.. Hoping that one day it’ll fit again, or come back in style or have some sort of sentimental attachment to it.
But you’ve made the promise to yourself it’s time to declutter, so let’s do this as painlessly as possible. Depending on the size of your closet, this can be spread out over 2 days..But No longer!
Before you get started, you’ll need 2 Boxes and a large trash bag. Mark One of your boxes “Donate” and the Other box “Consign”.
Go through every single item in your closet, including shoes, and accessories.
If it does not fit anymore and in decent condition…Put it in the Donate Box.
If the item is worn out or damaged…Put it in the trash bag.
As for items that may hold sentimental value…Don’t beat yourself up. You will not be a bad person for getting rid of your best friend’s bride maid dress. Put it in the Consign Box. That also goes for the items that may have been a little pricey at time you bought it..But only wore it a couple of times…5 years ago.. Put these items in the Consign Box.
For valuable family heirlooms, consider having them professionally boxed or stored for safe keeping.
Remember, The sentiment is in your heart, not in the piece of fabric that’s taking up real estate in your closet.
Now that you have free space, finish your closet by putting all like things together.
Then the very last step… immediately put your trash bag in the garbage, and put your 2 Boxes marked Donate and Consign in the car. As tempting as it may be to say “ok, I’ll take the stuff sometime later”..Don’t! Put it in your car..In the front seat if necessary.
The Next 4 days is the Kitchen:
Day 11,12 and 13 will be a breeze..You’ll be finished in less than 15 minutes.
Day 11: The Tuberware Cabinet..You know we all have one and it’s a HOT Mess! Todays task is super simple. Toss out all containers that does not have a matching lid, and all lids that do not have matching containers. Stack the rest inside one another by size,leaving the largest container for all the lids. You’re Done!
Day 12: Small Appliances.. If you haven’t used it in a year. Donate it. If it doesn’t work, toss it. Also Donate all cookbooks rarely used..Everything is on Line now!
Day 13: Go through every item in your frig and pantry. Get rid of any condiments that’s been in there more than 4 months, toss spices that have seem better days !
Finishing The Kitchen:
Day 14: Now the counter top clutter: If you don’t use it daily..it’s off the counter! Use our 2 Box/One Bag System. One box marked Elsewhere, One marked Storage/Maybe and a large trash bag. If the items does not belong in the kitchen, put it in the elsewhere box. If you haven’t used it in over a year, put it in the Storage Box. Everything else gets tossed.
Avoid shifting or transferring these counter items to another cluttered area! Find the proper place for everything in the Elsewhere Box, and consider donating all or some of the items in your Storage Box. If you are absolutely keeping everything in your storage box, clearly label the box and put this box with your other boxed up items you plan to keep.
And as a reminder… The whole reason for decluttering is to simply and organize..Not to have an excuse to rent a storage unit!
The Next 3 days is Your Home Office:
For some, this may be a little more time consuming. But if you follow these super simple, super easy steps you’ll WANT to continue when you start seeing progress after the first days tasks!
Day 15: Start with all the stacks that you have on top of your desk. Do ALL your filing immediately. Then make a “to-do” stack, and toss the rest. If your concerned about tossing sensitive documents, put those in a plastic bin with a lid that can be stored.
Day 16 & 17 Now that you can the surface of your desk, it’s time to limit the remaining items to 5 or less. Do you really need a mini stapler or 3 letter openers? Clean out the drawers. Get rid of those half dried out markers, last years coupons. Group like items together and put them in separate containers or tray organizers.
Wow! Just think, after you get your Home Office finished you are More than Half Way Finished with the entire ‘Declutter in 30 days’ process.
I really believe by taking each day with a specific, fast and easy task, that we avoid getting overwhelmed and can see progress a lot faster this way. So let’s keep going…
Take the next 2 days for your Bathrooms:
Day 18 It’s time to do a serious purge here. Go through all drawers, under the cabinet and closet..Throw out everything you have not used in 6 months. Including bottles that has a small amount left, old bath bombs granny gave you 5 years ago. This especially goes for make up and medicine.
Day 19 Wipe down all surfaces and let’s access what you need to organize the remaining items. Get plastic organizer bins if necessary.
The next 2 days we’ll be in the Living Room:
Most Americans use their Family Room as the ‘catch all’ room.
Day 20: Pick up All Items that do not belong in the lIving room and place them where they belong. Going forward, you’ll need to Do this on a daily basis too.
Day 21: Is your living room crowded? Is there too many pillows, too many coffee table books, too many things on the wall and surfaces? Time to scale back and simplify! 5 items max on surfaces, one pillow for every 2 feet of sofa and everything off the floor!
Day 22: If space is limited and you have to store items in your living room..Use organizing bins. Preferably the hidden type.
The following 3 days is your Laundry Room:
You’ll need a clothes basket or hamper for each bathroom or bedroom and a Laundry Separator for your laundry room.
Clothes and towels on the floor is no longer an option!
Day 23: on designated wash days, from the individual hampers, put the items in the appropriate bin of whites,darks, and delicates or towels… Get the kids involved in doing this on a weekly basis.
Day 24: Clean Up your cleaning supplies by organizing like items you use every week. Group like items together, combine half used bottles of items together and get baskets or containers to store the rarely used items.
Day 25: Look behind your washer and dryer. Clean all accumulated lint and toss any stray socks or other item you might find behind there.
For your convenience, below is a link to all the daily Decluttering tasks I talked about today. Use it as your checklist. And if you’re unsure about any of the daily tasks, just leave me a comment. I promise to always respond before the end of the day.
Next week, you’ll in the home stretch to the finish line..Only 4 more daily tasks and you’ll be basking in your completely decluttered, organized home! Hang in there for the Big Reveal!
I’m Lisa Kelly, Lakeland Homes & Lifestyles with Premier Realty.
I’m here to help!....
Until then, I see you on the next one.
Declutterin30Days-Part 2-Checklist