Decluttering Your Home

Once you have your home sorted into better order, your life will probably follow on the same route.

Well, that’s the theory and certainly worth a try.

Too much happening in your life?

Too disorganised?

Or, perish the thought, just too lazy?

Money because you will doubtless come across items that have been ‘lost’ and you thought would have to be replaced, and time because all your items will be in the right place and easily accessible.

Out of sight, out of mind dates from way back in the 1500’s, so there was probably no decluttering that far back!

WHERE TO START?

Probably the kitchen as this is the hub of the home and where most of the action takes place.

Just because food is marked ‘Use by xxxx’ does not mean it must be immediately tossed into the bin.
Check every item as you refill the ‘fridge.
Check the date - is it still feasible?
Does it ‘pong’?
Is it fermenting?

Bad signs:
Coleslaw or any salad product in a plastic container will have small bubbles erupting around the outside edge if fermentation is starting.
Grey-green whiskers growing on any food is a definite no-no.
Really ancient use-by dates need to be binned.

Place all the vegetables in the salad drawer or a sealed plastic container.
Put late date items to the rear of the fridge with short date items to the front. If you do have more than one pack of the same item make a point of using it as soon as possible.

If you can, leave a sufficient space so that air can circulate around items. Bottles should be stacked neatly in the door shelves. In future, wipe up all spills in the fridge and keep an eye on the dates. If you have a deep freeze section work and clean in the same way.

If you have a chest freezer take everything out, pile on the floor and cover with a blanket or something similar. Quickly defrost the freezer by placing a thick layer of old newspapers in the base. On top of this place a large plastic washing-up bowl or similar and fill with boiling water. Close the lid down and leave for around 15 minutes. You will then be able to scrape off softened ice with a plastic scraper (don’t use a metal scraper in case you damage the lining of the freezer) All the ice will fall onto the newspapers and make it easily removable.

Wipe out in the same way as the refrigerator. Replace the frozen food, discarding any doubtful items. Then make a point of eating up the items that have been in storage for more than a couple of months.

Work your way around the rest of the kitchen with a similar system. Empty out the cupboards one by one, wipe out with a damp cloth, wipe dry. Then restack with only the items you need to keep. Bin the rest.

The Oven. Although not strictly decluttering your home, why not give the oven a treat and clean it?

Last of all clean the floor as there is bound to be some mess on the floor. The tips given in Save Money As We Talk Dirty will be a help here.

Children's bedrooms. Here the decision depends on the age of the child. But – take a tip, don’t ask the child concerned whether a specific item or toy should be binned. They will invariably say ‘No’. Just wait until they are not around, and then bin any item that is either dirty, broken or has been ignored for some considerable time.

If you have school age children, leave any decluttering to them unless you want to start a mini war. Liberate items that are left around, possibly on the floor or under the bed, for a considerable time, but be tactful here. The last paragraph on the page mentioned above Save Money As We Talk Dirty may give you some help.

Bedrooms

Wardrobes, should be happy hunting grounds for donations to either the waste bin or charity shop. Before sending items off to charity shops, make sure you check for any forgotten items in the pockets. The 'in between items' may be pressed into service as dusters or polishers. Tip. 9

When decluttering childrens wardrobes and drawers sort out the items that no longer fit, but still have life left in them. If you have a younger child that can make use of these, put them to one side and then make note of what you really need to buy as replacements. Avoid duplication here.

Bathroom

Search the cupboards and clean in the same way as kitchen cupboards.

Are there any out-of-date medications here? Those that come from the doctor should be taken back to the surgery to be correctly disposed of there. Off-the-shelf items from the chemist that are no longer needed or are well out of date can be binned.

Garden Shed

This is usually a fertile ground as part of your decluttering exercise for your home. It is amazing how unusual items are dumped in the shed ‘pending a decision’. Get rid it now – bin it. But, don’t be in too much of a hurry to bin paint tins if the colour is currently in use in your home. If any item still has some useful life in it, sell it on eBay and raise some cash.

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To lessen the difficulties of decluttering in sheds and the garage in the future consider making tool racks. They are fine for getting gardening tools out of the way and so useful for locating screwdrivers etc.

It is possible to buy packs of five metal holders for large garden tools. These screwed into the wall of the garage makes forks, spades and brooms easily accessible.

Also a sheet of hardboard screwed on to the wall of the shed, with extra screws appropriately placed to hang the tools, makes an easy and cheap tool holder for smaller tools.

This method also encourages replacing the tools after use - it saves the annoyance of finding a space where a tool should be.

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