As professional organizers in Baton Rouge, we help individuals and families declutter and organize every area of their homes, helping them part with items they no longer want or need and free up space.
If you’re already decluttering your home on your own, we wanted to put together 10 decluttering tips to help you through the process. We hope you find these tips helpful!
10 Tips to Help You Declutter Your Home
1. Have Your Decluttering Supplies Ready
We recommend having trash bags, a few empty boxes, and a marker ready before you start.
Use separate boxes for donations, items that belong elsewhere in your home, and anything you’re still unsure about in a “maybe” box.
It’s also a good idea to label each box before you start so you don’t get confused about what goes where.
2. Focus Only on Decluttering
Don’t try to tackle multiple things at once. If you’re going to declutter, focus only on decluttering instead of also cooking dinner, helping your children with homework, doing laundry, or getting ready for the day.
Getting distracted can make it easier to accidentally toss or donate something you meant to keep. Staying focused will also help you finish faster and use the time you set aside more effectively.
3. Start Small
Start with one small area instead of trying to declutter an entire room or your whole home at once. Decluttering multiple areas at once can get overwhelming, so focus on one small area, build momentum, and go from there.
If you’re not sure where to start, choose something manageable like one kitchen drawer, a bathroom cabinet, one section of your closet, or a single shelf.
Finishing one smaller area can make it easier to keep going.
4. Declutter When You Have Time
Declutter when you actually have time to work through your belongings, not when you’re in a rush or have somewhere else you need to be. You may be surprised by how easy some decisions are and how difficult others can be.
This is especially true when going through sentimental belongings or items from a loved one who has passed away. Give yourself enough time to think through those decisions without feeling rushed. You also don’t want to move so quickly that you accidentally donate or throw away something you actually wanted to keep.
5. Put Decluttering on Your Calendar
Set aside time on your calendar to declutter so it actually happens and doesn’t keep getting pushed back another weekend or another week.
A lot of times, we tell ourselves we’re going to declutter, but then life happens, other things come up, and it keeps getting pushed back. Treat decluttering like anything else on your schedule and block off time on your calendar specifically for it.
Otherwise, it can be easy to keep putting it off while the clutter continues to build up and eventually becomes even harder to tackle.
6. Choose Who You Declutter With
Having someone help you declutter can be really helpful, but make sure it’s someone who will let you make your own decisions about your belongings.
Family and friends may have their own memories or attachments to certain items, which can sometimes make it harder to decide what you’re ready to keep or let go of. Sometimes, it’s easier to declutter on your own or with a professional organizer.
7. Create a Maybe Pile
Create a maybe pile or box for items you’re unsure about. You don’t have to immediately decide to keep or donate something, especially if you think you might regret getting rid of it later.
Once you’re done decluttering the space, go back through your maybe pile so it doesn’t end up sitting around your home. After working through everything else, you may have a clearer idea of whether you want to keep, toss, or donate those items.
8. Take Donations the Same Day
If you can, take your donations to a donation center the same day you declutter. Otherwise, bags and boxes can sit around your home or in your car for weeks, and you may even start pulling things back out.
When you set aside time to declutter, also leave yourself enough time afterward to drop off your donations.
9. Have Questions Ready for When You Get Stuck
Have a few questions ready to ask yourself when you’re having trouble deciding whether to keep something.
- When was the last time I used this?
- Would I rather have the item or the extra space?
- Is it easily replaceable?
- Do I already have something similar?
Having these questions ready can make it easier to work through items you’re unsure about.
10. Don’t Try to Declutter Your Whole Home in One Day
Give yourself enough time to work through your home without rushing. Decluttering can take time, especially when you get to sentimental or emotional items.
You don’t want to rush through those decisions and accidentally donate or get rid of something you actually wanted to keep.
What We See People Struggle With Most When Decluttering
When it comes to decluttering, one of the biggest struggles we see is simply getting started.
It can be hard to find the time to declutter and set it aside. Other things come up, we get distracted, or we keep putting it off for another day. The longer that happens, the more clutter can build up, which can make getting started feel even more overwhelming.
Another thing we see people struggle with is deciding what to do with certain items.
This is especially true for sentimental belongings, expensive items, things you think you might need someday, or belongings that came from family members.
You don’t have to make every difficult decision right away. Sometimes it helps to set an item aside, continue working through the space, and come back to it once you’ve made some progress.
Another thing we see people struggle with is getting rid of items they no longer want or need but don’t necessarily want to throw away.
Many people would rather donate those items so someone else can use them, but then the bags and boxes of donations can end up sitting around the house or in the car.
After our decluttering sessions, we can take your donations to local donation centers in Baton Rouge, so the items actually leave your home and can go to someone who can use them.
Need Help Decluttering Your Home?
We hope these tips help make it a little easier to declutter your home and work through your spaces.
If you’re getting stuck or the process feels overwhelming, our home organizers in Baton Rouge are here to help. Whether you’re decluttering before a move, preparing to downsize, going through years of belongings, or simply ready to clear out areas of your home, we can work through it with you.
P.S. If you’ve already decluttered and want some organizing tips, check out our post on 10 home organzing tips for Baton Rouge homes.
We provide decluttering services and home organizing services throughout Baton Rouge and the surrounding areas.
Contact us today to learn more or schedule a free phone consultation.