Purge & Declutter Your Home
When and How to Purge and Declutter Your Home in 2021
For many people, letting go can be difficult. But I’m guessing nobody is having a hard time letting go to 2020. While we LOVE our stuff, purging and decluttering your home in 2021 has never felt better. Looking to get a fresh start? Us too. It’s the perfect time to start leaving behind the old 2020 and saying hello to your fresh, new, better self in 2021.
In the words of Elsa, it’s time to “Let it go!”
To start fresh, try asking yourself these questions:
- Do you feel drained looking for one thing or another?
- Do you spend more time searching for stuff than addressing the task at hand?
- Does your home make you feel more anxious or more settled?
- Do you know where everything is and does every item have its place?
How you responded to the above will help indicate what level of decluttering you need to do. So, what is clutter anyhow? Clutter is anything that you keep that isn’t adding value to your home or your life. When it comes to clutter, less IS more.
To begin the process, you need to be mentally prepared to let things go. Yes, how often can we use this phrase? Often enough for it to stick! I like to declutter by room. Find the room that in your opinion is the biggest offender of junk collection. Once you have identified the room to attack, organize items in two ways: first by type (electronics, paper, other) and then by need (keep, donate, dispose).
Once you have everything grouped, you will want to create a sorting system. Find three larger-sized Fabric Cubes and mark them “KEEP,” “DONATE,” and “DISPOSE.” They are great because they serve a dual purpose. First, you can use them to sort items, then once sorted, you can re-use them to store items, either in cubbies or on shelves.
When disposing of items, it is important to know how to properly dispose of them. For instance, you may want to find out how to dispose of electronics, batteries, paint, or hazardous material. Most alkaline batteries manufactured since 1996 are made of relatively non-hazardous materials and can be tossed directly into the trash, but I recommend that you check with your local waste company to be sure of the proper protocol in your community. If some of your items are still in good condition, try to donate them to a local shelter or make extra cash by selling on your local social media marketplace. PPU only so you can remain socially distant!
After purging all those items that no longer bring you joy or add value to your life, you’re ready to take the next step…putting back the items you deemed important enough to keep.
Below are the top three area offenders in need of small-item organization. These things tend to pile up and create a cluttered environment, those little things that lay around in drawers or on dresser tops. I’ve included my top picks of storage ideas for harnessing the small stuff and finding them a place to call their own.
1 The Entryway – Use mail and key racks
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2 Dressers – Use bins and drawer organizers
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3 Desk and Countertops – Use desktop drawers and tiered dividers
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You are going to love what these few items can do for your mental health. Each one has its own unique purpose and will provide you with the peace of mind knowing that you will be able to find what you are looking for. There are no more excuses. You can finally do it!
Check out our full New Year blog series for more inspiration.
Laura Sirk is a Marketing Manager at mDesign
and loves all things organization and cats. I’m one cat away from being a cat lady. MEOW!
How do you stay organized? We’d love to hear your story!
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