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text 2024-07-02 07:24
Decluttering Before Cleaning: A Step-by-Step Guide
Decluttering your home before cleaning is essential for maintaining an organised and tidy space. When your home is free of unnecessary items, the cleaning process becomes much more efficient and less overwhelming. This step-by-step guide will help you declutter your home effectively, making it easier to clean and maintain.

Step 1: Set Clear Goals

Define Your Objectives

Before you begin decluttering, define your objectives. Decide which areas of your home need the most attention and set specific goals for each space. Having clear goals will keep you focused and motivated throughout the process.

Create a Plan

Develop a plan outlining the order in which you will tackle each room. Breaking down the task into manageable steps prevents it from becoming overwhelming. Allocate specific time slots for each room to stay on track.

Step 2: Gather Supplies

Essential Tools

Gather the necessary supplies, including bins, boxes, trash bags, and labels. These tools will help you sort and organise your items effectively.

Cleaning Supplies
Keep basic cleaning supplies handy, such as dust cloths, multi-surface cleaners, and a vacuum. Cleaning as you declutter ensures that each area is left spotless.

Step 3: Sort Items

Categories Belongings

Begin by sorting your belongings into categories: keep, donate, recycle, and discard. This method helps you evaluate each item and decide its fate. Be honest with yourself about what you truly need and use.

One Room at a Time
Tackle one room first and then proceed to another one. This will help you avoid getting overwhelmed by the things you need to do. Start with smaller areas, like a closet or a bathroom, before moving on to larger spaces. Completing one room at a time gives you a sense of accomplishment and motivates you to continue.

Step 4: Organise Keepers

Find a Home for Everything

Ensure that every item you decide to keep has a designated place. Use storage solutions like bins, baskets, and shelves to keep items organised. Label containers to make it easy to find things in the future.

Maximise Space
Utilise vertical space and underutilised areas, such as the space under beds or high shelves. Efficient use of space helps keep your home tidy and organised.

Step 5: Dispose of Unwanted Items

Donate or Recycle
Donate items that are in good condition but no longer needed. Recycle materials that can be processed, such as paper, plastic, and glass. This not only helps declutter your home but also benefits the environment.

Proper Disposal
Dispose of items that cannot be donated or recycled responsibly. Follow local guidelines for disposing of hazardous materials, such as batteries or electronics.

Step 6: Clean As You Go

Dust and Wipe Down Surfaces
As you declutter, take the opportunity to dust and wipe down surfaces. Clean shelves, countertops, and furniture to remove dust and dirt. This ensures that the newly decluttered areas are also clean.

Vacuum and Sweep
Vacuum and sweep floors in each room after decluttering. Removing dirt and debris from the floors enhances the overall cleanliness of your home.

Step 7: Maintain the Organisation

Regular Decluttering

Make it a habit to declutter so things you don’t need won’t pile up again. Set aside time every few months to reassess your belongings and remove items that are no longer needed.

Daily Maintenance

Incorporate simple daily habits to maintain an organised home. Put things back in their designated places, avoid letting mail and papers pile up, and clean up spills and messes immediately.

Step 8: Involve the Whole Family

Assign Tasks

Involve family members in the decluttering process. Assign specific tasks to each person to share the workload. This not only makes the process faster but also teaches everyone the importance of maintaining an organised home.

Set an Example
Lead by example and demonstrate the benefits of a clutter-free home. Encourage family members to regularly declutter their own spaces and adopt good organisational habits.

Step 9: Reward Yourself

Celebrate Milestones
Celebrate milestones and achievements throughout the decluttering process. Reward yourself with small treats or take breaks to enjoy your newly organised spaces.

Reflect on Progress
Take time to reflect on your progress and appreciate the effort you’ve put into decluttering your home. Acknowledging your achievements motivates you to maintain a clutter-free environment.

Decluttering your home before cleaning is a crucial step in maintaining a tidy and organised living space. By setting clear goals, gathering supplies, sorting items, and involving the whole family, you can transform your home into a clutter-free haven. Regular maintenance and celebrating your progress will help you sustain a minimalist lifestyle and make cleaning much easier.

FAQ

How often should I declutter my home?
It's advisable to declutter your home every few months. Regular decluttering prevents the accumulation of unnecessary items and helps maintain an organised living space.

What are some quick daily tasks to keep my home clean?
Quick daily tasks include making your bed, wiping down countertops, doing a quick sweep or vacuum of high-traffic areas, and putting away items that are out of place. These small tasks can make a big difference in maintaining a clean home.

How can I involve my family in the decluttering process?
Assign specific tasks to each family member and encourage everyone to participate. Make it a fun and collaborative activity by setting goals and rewarding progress. This not only shares the workload but also teaches good organisational habits.

© London Domestic Cleaners

 
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text 2020-03-28 14:22
My New TBR Cart, or the Big Home Decluttering Project

... Part 1.

 

It started last weekend when I resolved to finally catch up with a few overdue tasks, which -- go figure -- suddenly also restored at least a semblance of order to my office.  (A colleague with whom I'm working very closely, and who is just about the only person permitted to get away with this sort of comment, had recently -- before "social distancing", of course -- wondered aloud, "What happened here?  This used to be an office once ...")

 

Part of the decluttering of my office involved finally inventing shelf space for all of last (and this) year's, as-yet unshelved books, a large number of which had taken residence stacked up on my office floor -- which in turn, eventually, also went a fair way towards decluttering my living room, where yet-to-be-shelved books had started taking up more and more space in the same manner.  In furtherance of their shelving, a while back I had decided to finally tumble to creating a TBR cart: something I'd so far resisted, because there's no place in my home where it can have a permanent space, so whenever it's not actively being consulted, it will have to live wherever it is least in the way at any given time.  But as a temporary expedient, and to whittle things down to a selection of those books I really do want to get to sooner rather than later, it may end up serving very well ... and at least, we're off to an excellent start in that very direction.

 

As per usual, "decluttering" actually started with yet more clutter, when I piled up all my stacks of unshelved books on my living room floor to then sort them by "audiobook / print edition", "read / TBR", genre, etc., in preparation of actually shelving them.

 

(For the record, this is obviously NOT the way these books had been stored up to then.  In fact, this is a sight so horrible to my eyes that it's the fastest and best motivator to get me to find proper shelving for my as-yet unshelved books as quickly as possible.)

 

I decided that in an effort to further prioritize my selection, I would stack my new TBR cart with:

 

* A few "comfort watching" DVDs;

* Audiobooks yet to be listened to (regardless whether I've already read the books in question or not); and

* Print editions of TBR books that I do not also have as audobooks.  Mostly these are books newly acquired in 2019 / early 2020, but I ended up going back to my shelves and pulling a few books from there as well.

 

And hooray, this way I actually managed to find / create shelf space for all those books not going into the TBR cart, and to stack my cart with a selection of books I'm truly looking forward to reading soon!

 

 

Now onwards and upwards to the rest of my apartment ... (ah, the things that social distancing makes us do at last!)

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text 2020-03-28 12:27
Oh, look! Matching Spines!

 

One of the results of this week's Big Decluttering Project was that rearranging my Golden Age mystery shelves finally allowed me to put up my Margaret Millar omnibus volumes in the upright position and right next to each other.  And look what I found!  I love it when that happens ...

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review 2016-05-21 00:00
Spark Joy: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising: An Illustrated Master Class
Spark Joy: The Japanese Art of Declutter... Spark Joy: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organising: An Illustrated Master Class - Marie Kondō Actually I found this more interesting than the original book, she's a lot more tolerant of stuff than you think, her idea is that you should surround yourself with joy instead of stress and that clutter is a cause of stress for a lot of people. I would adapt it for myself with a "stop buying crap" and "stop tolerating crap" but sometimes you have to, still it's an ambition.

She works on how to fold things, how to store things and how to get yourself started and working at this, I think some of it is inspiring but some of it is cranky-making for me.
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