If your home is full of clutter, it’s hard to know where to start. These 8 simple and effective decluttering tips for hoarders will show you how to get started.
In America, 54% of adults are overwhelmed by the clutter in their lives. And even worse than that feeling is the overwhelm of not knowing what to do about it.
If you fall into this category, we’re here to help. Clearing out your home can be a very daunting idea, which is why so many people just put it off indefinitely. But we’ve compiled eight decluttering tips for hoarders.
Read on to find out how to start, stay motivated, and get your house in order!
- Start With One Small Area
The very best thing you can do when trying to get started decluttering is to pick a small area you can easily complete.
That could be a drawer, a shelf, or a spot on the counter. We suggest picking somewhere that is high traffic and gets added too regularly.
Somewhere that you’ll see often and will make an impact on your daily routines.
Completing a simple area like this will do wonders for your motivation to tackle the whole house.
Having an area you regularly struggle with cleaned out will make a big enough difference to keep you going on other areas.
- Create Incoming and Outgoing Systems
Setting yourself up for success is critical to getting rid of clutter. One way to do this is to create systems to deal with your daily routines while working through the spaces.
The first is to create a system for the things you are getting rid of. Clutter can easily (and often does!) just get moved around from place to place. Instead, designate a space to put everything you’re getting rid of.
Also designating a consistent drop-off time will limit the time that things sit in your house.
It’s also important to designate systems for regularly incoming things to keep them from becoming clutter.
Creating a place for mail, receipts, and bags will start getting your home on the right track.
- Never Leave Empty-handed
A quick trick that you can use multiple times throughout your day is to never leave a room empty-handed.
When you leave the kitchen and go into the living room, take that book that’s on the counter with you back to the shelf. If you do this every time you move around, little by little things will get back to where they belong.
- Pick a Weekend
Now that you’ve got some momentum going getting rid of clutter, it’s time to step up to the next level. Pick a weekend or a few days that you can dedicate to going through your things.
When you have a larger chunk of time, it’s easier to tackle the big areas. Clear everything out of the space and go through each item. Only putting back the things you love, need, or use regularly.
It’s important to keep a realistic expectation for what you can accomplish in the time frame though. Making sure you can keep the momentum going is key to success.
- Rent a Storage Unit
Sometimes setting up a temporary storage solution can help to move the decluttering work forward quickly.
You can use a storage system in a few different ways. One would be to empty a room into the storage unit and then go through things from there. Only bringing back the things that you truly want to keep.
The other would be to use it as a place to store things you’re on the fence about getting rid of.
Often times the thought of getting rid of something makes us nervous. But keeping it there gives you the option to see if you’d want it again.
But it’s very important to set and keep strict limits on the use of the storage unit to keep it from turning into another cluttered space.
- Bring in Someone to Help
Decluttering is hard work both physically and emotionally. Sometimes it’s just a lot easier to do with the help of a trusted friend.
When you have someone to help you they can get out all of the obvious things, like trash or broken items, to get rid of. That gives you the freedom to focus on other harder items.
It also gives you a sounding board to work through the process with. You may find you’re actually ready to get rid of things when you can’t explain why you’d want to keep it to your helper.
Working as a team to declutter is much easier.
- Do a Little Every Day
While the idea of getting a whole house cleaned out and organized in a weekend would be amazing. It’s probably just not going to be realistic.
So set yourself up for success and do a little bit every day. Set a timer for ten or fifteen minutes and see what you can get done in that time. Keep focused on one area until it’s completely finished.
It doesn’t sound like a lot of time, but you’d be surprised how much these small sections will add up over time.
- Celebrate Victories
The key to successfully getting rid of clutter is to stay motivated. That sounds easy right now because you’re so ready for a clean, clear space. But decluttering is hard work and takes time.
Many people start a project and then fizzle out and quit.
But that’s not going to be you! If you celebrate the victories you have, even the small ones, it will keep you going and getting things done.
Take before and after pictures to see all of your hard work. Any progress is good progress and should be celebrated!
Easy Decluttering Tips for Hoarders
Following our decluttering tips for hoarders will help you to get rid of the excess stuff and be better able to function in your space.
But, maybe more importantly, it will improve your mental health as well. Clutter has a way of bringing a person down and causing a lot of harm. Clearing it out and emptying spaces can remove the stress and negative feelings quickly.
If you’re interested in other ways to improve your space, check out our other articles!
