If your home has started to feel a bit too full, these decluttering tips for a fresh start may help you begin clearing the space again.
As life goes on, our belongings have a way of adding up. It’s no one’s fault. Mail piles on the counter, old toys get stacked in the garage, and clothes meant to be donated sit in the corners a little longer than expected. The busier life becomes, the faster clutter tends to accumulate, though even slower seasons can create opportunities for excess to build up.
How Decluttering Feels Like a Fresh Start
When days are busy, as the children grow, and as the years pass by, clutter accumulates quickly. If your home has become too cluttered, you haven’t done anything wrong. A busy life well-lived can lead to a buildup of many excess items.
When your space is beginning to feel too full, and you yearn for a bit of a fresh start, it is time for a bit of decluttering.
Why We Postpone Decluttering So Often
Once the clutter of a home is under control, it is much easier to maintain. However, if clutter has built up and feels like too much to tackle, we tend to let it continue to accumulate, even with the best intentions.
- Sometimes, our available time doesn’t seem to allow enough for decluttering.
- Sometimes we feel unsure of how to best begin because the task seems so large.
- Other times, we simply may not know what to do to get things back in order.
- Lastly, parting with the clutter may feel too hard emotionally.
Sometimes we struggle with only one of these things, but at other times, more than one thing may be holding us back from decluttering.
The tips and tricks shared in this post will help to ease your mind, give you direction, and simplify what may feel too heavy to tackle.
Benefits of Decluttering
Decluttering may feel difficult at times, but it holds so many benefits that it makes it worthwhile. Clearing the clutter from your space allows for:
- more mental clarity
- reduced stress
- more time because you are managing fewer things
- a calm, peaceful environment
- a better sense of control
25 Decluttering Tips for a Fresh Start
All of these tips and tricks aren’t meant to be used together. I am sharing a large number of tips that can help many different people and many different mindsets.
That way, no matter what is holding you back from decluttering, in this post, you will find the perfect tips for your personality and your situation so that you can successfully reset your home.
1. Apply the 10 Minute Decluttering Rule
Set a timer for just 10 minutes and focus on one small area so ti doesn’t feel overwhelming.
Oftentimes, cleaning feeling like too much is the biggest thing that stops us from beginning the task. You might even feel so motivated that you decide to continue beyond the timer.
You can choose to do 10 minutes, take a break, and continue, or begin with simply 10 minutes a day.
2. Start with Tabletops and Counters
Clearing flat surfaces is immediately refreshing. They accumulate clutter the fastest, and it is refreshing when they are cleared. It’s a simple place to begin when you’re unsure where to start. A clear surface often motivates you to keep going.
Set a goal to clear off the clutter from all your counters and tables. The visual difference this makes is large and will motivate you to continue.
3. Begin with Trash
When the clutter feels like too much, start by removing anything that is clearly trash or is broken. There is no decision-making required, and you would be surprised at how much can be cleared away by simply removing the trash.
Beginning in this matter also eliminates emotional overwhelm, if that is holding you back from decluttering.
4. Try the One Bag Method
Fill one bag with items to donate or discard each day or each week. This keeps the process manageable and consistent. Instead of trying to do everything at once, you make progress slowly and steadily.
Small steps like this lead to lasting change, as long as you don’t bring items back in at the same rate as you are removing them.
5. Do Only One Room a Day
If you focus on one room at a time, your starting and finishing point is very clear. Completing a full space can feel incredibly motivating. You can begin with one corner of the room and slowly move across it. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and a clear ending for the day. Though you won’t feel all the progress immediately, over a short time, your home will feel much lighter.
6. If That Feels Like Too Much, Try One Drawer/Shelf/Cupboard a Day
When decluttering a full room feels overwhelming, go even smaller. Sorting a single drawer or shelf is a quick, manageable, and still meaningful way to declutter, especially when these storage spaces hold a lot of excess. As you continue slowly in this manner, you will build momentum. Decluttering doesn’t have to be done all at once to be effective.
7. Limit Duplicate Items
It’s easy to accumulate multiples of the same item without even realising it. Much like removing all the trash is a fast way to clear a notable amount of clutter, removing duplicate items is another way to make a large difference quickly.
Keep only what you truly use and need. What is great about removing duplicates is that they can often be donated, which reduces the emotional strain of letting go of things.
8. Make a Box for Maybes
If you’re unsure about whether or not to keep certain items, place them in a “maybe” box. This removes the pressure of making an immediate decision. As you use items from the box, put them back where they belong in your house. If after 1 week (or even 1 month but no longer), you haven’t used the items, donate what is left.
9. If You Haven’t Worn It In a Year, Donate It
Clothing can accumulate easily. If it hasn’t been used in a year, it most likely no longer serves you. Letting it go allows someone else to benefit from it. It also makes your wardrobe simpler and easier to manage.
10. Consider a Capsule or Minimalist Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe focuses on fewer items that can all be mixed and matched together to form many outfits. This keeps your closet tidy and makes getting dressed simpler. If your wardrobe is a place that leads to overwhelm, this may be a valuable idea moving forward.
If this is not your style and you love fashion, consider a more minimalist wardrobe instead and donate things when you no longer like them instead of storing them.
11. Toss Expired Food and Donate What You Don’t Like
Go through your pantry and fridge and remove anything expired. Also, if there are items you know your family won’t eat, consider donating them. This will open up space and allow what remains to be more organized, and less cluttered moving forward.
12. Minimize Your Decor
Too many decorations can make a space feel cluttered instead of calm. It also requires a lot more cleaning and dusting, the more decor you have. Instead of a heavily decorated space full of knick-knacks, choose a few meaningful or beautiful pieces to display. Simplicity often brings a greater sense of calm.
13. Hide Wires
Our lives lend to many wires these days. However, having visible cords can really make even a clean space feel messy. Tucking them away or organizing them neatly helps a space feel less cluttered. It’s a small change that makes a noticeable difference. Your space will instantly feel more put-together when less wires are showing.
14. Add Storage Baskets
Baskets and bins provide a simple way to gather and contain everyday items. This is especially helpful in busy family spaces. When there is a place for everything, cleanup is much easier and more likely to happen regularly.
15. Toss Old Toiletries
Bathrooms can easily collect unused or expired products. You may feel guilt throwing away items that didn’t work for you. However, storing them doesn’t benefit you either.
Some products don’t work for our skin, hair, etc., and that is ok. Go through and remove anything you no longer use. Keeping only your essentials simplifies your routine and creates a cleaner, more peaceful bathroom.
16. Digitize More Papers
Paper clutter can builds quickly. Storing paperwork has always been essential, but now, thanks to computers, you don’t need to keep all the physical copies any more. Scanning and saving important documents digitally, reduces physical piles of paper. A little effort here can make a big difference.
17. Add in Storage Bins If Needed
Storage bins can be helpful when used intentionally. They give items a designated place and reduce visual clutter. Choose simple, functional options that fit your space.
The goal is to support the organization, not hide excess. Consider adding storage in the pantry, under cabinets, and in the garage instead of simply placing everything on shelves.
18. Remove Storage Bins That Lead to Excess
On the opposite end of the spectrum, sometimes storage bins encourage us to keep more than we need. If bins are overflowing or forgotten, it may be time to reassess. Letting go of what’s inside can be more helpful than storing it. Less truly is easier to manage.
19. Add Vertical Storage
Using vertical space can help maximize storage without adding clutter. Shelves or wall organizers free up floor and counter space. This is especially helpful in smaller areas. It allows your home to feel more open and functional.
Add vertical shelving, wall hangers, and more to utilize space more effectively.
20. Use Drawer Organizers
Drawer organizers keep small items from becoming hard to find and drawers from becoming messy. They create clear sections for everything you use daily. This makes maintaining order much easier. A tidy drawer saves time and frustration.
These next tips will help you maintain order and reduce clutter going forward now that you have your home under control. It is so much simpler to keep clutter from building than it is to declutter an entire space.
21. Do a Daily 5 Minute Decluttering Session
A quick daily reset can prevent clutter from building up again. Just five minutes can make a noticeable difference. This small habit keeps your home feeling more manageable, and consistency here matters more than perfection.
22. Follow a Weekly Reset Day
Choose one day each week to tidy and reset your home and stay consistent. This keeps things from getting out of hand, and it gives you a rhythm which helps you stick to it. Over time, your home will stay more consistently peaceful.
23. Avoid Impulse Purchases
Being mindful about what you bring into your home is key. Impulse purchases are oftentimes what becomes future clutter. Taking a moment to pause before buying can make a big difference. It helps you stay intentional with what you allow to take up space in your home.
24. Always Keep a Donation Basket Out
Having a designated place for items to donate at all times makes letting go easier. It becomes a part of your routine and eventually letting go won’t feel so tough. As you come across things you no longer need, you can add them right away.
25. Apply the One In One Out Rule
For every new item you bring in, let one go. This helps maintain balance in your home. It prevents clutter from slowly returning. Over time, it becomes a natural and simple habit.
Wrapping Up Decluttering Tips for a Fresh Start
No matter what caused the clutter to build up in your home, applying the tips from this post that resonate with your season in life can help you to create a more peaceful and less cluttered space.
We all have clutter accumulate from time to time, knowing effective ways to get the excess under control is a powerful tool to maintaining a lighter feeling home that is easier to manage going forward.
More Helpful Decluttering Articles
- 25 Decluttering Quotes for Inspiration
- How to Decide What to Keep When Decluttering
- The Ultimate Decluttering Guide for Beginners
