Being a mom is a full-time job, regardless of what anyone says. And trying to juggle it all can be overwhelming, especially when it comes to decluttering your home. We all want our homes to be free from clutter and organized so that we feel relaxed and stress-free when at home with our kids - but how do we manage this seemingly mammoth task? Don’t worry – here are twelve decluttering hacks for busy moms to help you quickly get your house back in shape!
One Item In, One Item Out
This rule is an effective method for maintaining a clutter-free house. It ensures that you simultaneously remove an older item for every new item you bring into your living space, whether it's a fashionable piece of clothing or a useful kitchen gadget.
The idea of balance and moderation serves as the foundation for this practice. By implementing it, you can stop the accumulation of pointless items that can swiftly overtake your home. It not only keeps your area orderly, but it also motivates you to select the things you buy with care and intention.
This behavior may encourage more thoughtful and careful consumption, resulting in a calmer and clutter-free living space.
Create A Donation Station
Maintaining an organized and clutter-free living environment requires setting up a specific spot in your home for items you want to donate. This designated "donation spot" can be as simple as a box tucked away in a corner of your home or a specific drawer allocated for this purpose.
The key is to make it convenient to collect items you no longer need or use. Regularly empty this spot by donating the items to a local charity or organization. This method allows you to reuse your old possessions to aid someone in need while keeping your home clear of clutter.
It's a win-win strategy that encourages ownership of your goods and a sense of civic duty.
Set A Timer
Employing a timer for just 15 minutes daily can be a game-changer when decluttering and maintaining an organized living space. The beauty of this method lies in its simplicity and effectiveness. You prevent the process from becoming overwhelming by dedicating a short, focused burst of time to decluttering tasks.
You can focus on particular areas or chores during these daily sessions, such as organizing a closet shelf, cleaning a kitchen drawer, or reviewing documents. These continuous, modest efforts add up to tremendous advancement over time.
Additionally, realizing that you only need to clean for a limited time makes the process less overwhelming and boosts your enthusiasm to maintain organization.
Use the Box and Banish Method
The Box and Banish Method effectively handles items you're unsure about. When faced with possessions, you're unsure you want to keep, place them in a box and set them aside for a week. This will remove the pressure of making a final decision and provide a waiting period, allowing you to consider whether you have any attachments to the item.
After a week, take one more look at what's in there, and if you can live without those items, it's time to get rid of or donate them.
The Four Box Method
The Four-Box Method is a systematic approach (no, it’s not just The Box and Banish Method with extra steps) to decluttering that streamlines decision-making.
Prepare four clearly labeled boxes for this method: 'Trash,' 'Give Away/Sell,' 'Storage,' and 'Put Away.' As you go through your belongings, promptly categorize each item into one of these boxes.
This proactive method guarantees that you decide right away where each item fits. It avoids the natural propensity to put off making decisions, which can result in more clutter. By consciously categorizing your possessions, you can hasten the decluttering procedure and create order in your living areas.
Keep Flat Surfaces Clear
It's imperative to avoid the urge to store junk on flat surfaces like worktops, tables, and dressers. To maintain an organized living space, enforce a strict rule that these spots must remain clutter-free.
This method not only improves the beauty of your house overall but also cuts down on cleaning time and the frustration of looking for lost objects. You can contribute to a sense of calm and order in your daily life by continuously keeping these places tidy and organized.
Start With High-Impact Areas
Prioritizing high-impact areas in your home when decluttering is a good idea. These spaces, like the kitchen and living room, significantly impact your home atmosphere.
For instance, a neat and orderly kitchen can act as a focal point that motivates you to attack other areas of your house with increased vigor. You get instant visual rewards when you start decluttering in these crucial areas, which may inspire you to keep going across your entire home.
Starting with high-impact areas establishes a positive tone for decluttering and ensures that the most noticeable improvements happen first.
Don't Buy Storage Containers First
It's common but often counterproductive to be tempted by attractive storage bins and containers before decluttering. It's more practical to wait until you've finished decluttering. This way, you can better understand your actual storage needs.
Purchasing containers may result in the storage of extraneous objects, increasing clutter and costing money. After you've simplified your possessions, you can decide on the types and numbers of containers required to store what matters most effectively.
Be Consistent
It takes consistency to keep a home clear of clutter. Dedicate a few minutes daily to decluttering tasks, no matter how small they seem. This consistent effort is more effective compared to sporadic, marathon decluttering sessions. You can tidy up while watching TV, sort through your mail during breakfast, or tackle a specific area during your daily routine.
Over time, these small efforts accumulate, leading to significant results. Consistent decluttering prevents clutter buildup and simplifies the process by breaking it into manageable tasks. You can keep your living areas orderly and clear of extra items by decluttering regularly.
Involve Your Kids
Family members can work together (believe it or not) to declutter. Include your kids in the process and teach them (that they will forget in a day) by going through items and deciding what to keep, donate, or toss.
This strategy not only lessens your decluttering workload but also instills healthy, organized skills in your kids at a young age. Encourage children to take ownership of their possessions by instilling a sense of accountability and the value of decluttering.
Use A Storage Solution
Juujbox has a tailored storage solution for busy moms that you can consider if coverage is provided in your area. Otherwise, consider renting a self-storage unit if your home is too small to store things you rarely use. Self-storage provides a practical way to purge clutter without giving up sentimental belongings.
This option makes decluttering easier while maintaining sentimental or occasionally valuable possessions, making it simpler to maintain a clutter-free home. Although if not planned properly, it can also backfire as you transition the clutter from one location to another so make sure you prepare for storing things in a storage unit.
Remember Why You’re Decluttering
During challenging moments in the decluttering process, it's essential to reconnect with your initial motivation. Remind yourself why you (and your loved ones, hopefully) started this journey. Whether your goal is to create a serene and stress-free environment, reduce anxiety caused by clutter, or simply free up time for activities you love, keeping your 'why' in mind provides the necessary motivation to persevere. It keeps you focused on your objectives and is a potent reminder of the advantages of having a clutter-free house.
Combining several practical techniques (because sometimes one isn't enough) is necessary to achieve and keep a clutter-free house. These pointers can improve your living space's look and feel, whether you adopt the Four-Box Method, involve your kids in the process, or think about self-storage options like box-storage services.
