Decluttering is something we need to be doing on a regular basis in order to stop it from building up and causing overwhelm, says Sort Your Life Out host and organisational expert Natalie Jane. Here are five simple tasks that you can tackle this weekend that won’t take a lot of time, but will make a BIG difference in your home.
(And check out Natalie’s other great organisational tips here!)
1 – Tackle that junk drawer
Everyone needs a junk draw – and they definitely have their uses! But, junk drawers are often overstuffed and overlooked and it’s a great start when it comes to decluttering. Take everything out, put like items together, then make your decisions. When reorganising only keep the items that get used regularly. Use containers where possible to divide items back into the drawer and label so that items go back in their place.
2 – Sort your first aid
Get all of your first aid items together and check expired items (take them to your local pharmacy who will dispose of them correctly for you.) Also move on any items you no longer use. Store them by type and use plastic containers or baskets to store them and label your categories. When you really need your first aid kit, you’ll be thankful for the organisation!
3 – The dreaded plastic containers…..
All of us have too many of these and they are often in a hard-to-get to place. Get them all out, find their corresponding parts then work out how many you actually use and need. Reorganise into a drawer, if possible, for easy access and use baskets to separate bottoms and tops.
4 – Clothing you didn’t wear last season
Now that we are in winter and if you haven’t reviewed your summer clothing, it’s a great time to dive in. Work by category and be honest with yourself. Keep the items that you love, you wore, that fit you now and that you feel great in. All the rest – donate or sell!
5 – Get rid of expired goods
In your pantry, your fridge and your freezer. The difference you will feel when you open the doors will be amazing. Try to decant, recycle and compost where you can – there are also places that take your expired goods so do a Google search in your local area.
To finish, creating a regular donation basket in your home where everyone can see it, is a very simple way to move items on as soon as they are no longer needed. When it is full, simply pop it in your car and take it to a charity of your choice.
