7 Tips To Declutter Your Home Without Making a Bigger Mess!

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How To Declutter Without Making A Bigger Mess

One of the questions I get asked most often, is how to declutter without making a bigger mess. Because let’s face it, if you start decluttering your house too fast, you could wind up with a bigger mess than you started with.

And since you are here trying to learn to declutter your home, I would have to guess that making a big mess is not your goal. So keep in mind, that the faster you go, the bigger the mess will become.

Instead, the best way to declutter your house is with a little planning, and a lot of patience. You can get started quickly with this decluttering checklist, but in the end, to do a thorough job, you really need to follow the tips below on how to clear the clutter.

So let’s start decluttering together…with these 7 simple steps to declutter your house.

Here are 12 FREE motivation tips just for you…so you can start cleaning TODAY!

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Decluttering Tips

Step 1: Choose The Right Place To Start Decluttering

Decide which area to declutter.

Make it a small area. Even if you want to declutter a whole room, pick just a corner or one small area that you know you can get done in 20 minutes or less.

I want this whole closet organized, but I only did half of it the day I decided to organize because of how much stuff was in it. I didn’t want anything to be left out in the open at the end of my organization period!

Especially since this closet is right near my front door.

Step 2: Set Up A System for Decluttering

Label a clean area outside of what you are decluttering with labels like:

• Garbage
• Donate
• Move
• Keep

You don’t need anything fancy. Just some notebook paper, a marker to write with, and some tape to stick each sign to your wall.

Step 3: Gather Supplies To Help You Declutter

Place a large plastic garbage bag or box where you will place items as you declutter them. Preferably in one of the categories listed above. One bag/box per pile so you have a specific spot to place all of the clutter you are cleaning out.

A great thing to use for this part of the process is a lawn and leaf bag because they are so big and can hold a lot of things.

Step 4: Sort Items You Are Decluttering

Go through every item one at a time! This allows you to place each item, with purpose, into the correct category bag/box. (Below: Some of my piles were bigger than I thought they would be!)

Step 5: Take The Decluttered Items Out

Once you have everything removed from the closet, you will have your mess divided into your categories. Then you can immediately take the next action.

Take the garbage bag to the garbage. Move the donate bag where ever you keep your donations until you take them to the donation center.

You should only have your “keep” and “move” piles left.

You have already dealt with half of the stuff you cleaned out! You’re already halfway done!

Step 6: Clean And Replace

Clean the space and replace your ‘keep pile’ items in an orderly fashion using bins, hangers, or whatever organizational items you like for the space.

In my space, I just hung up what was left and stacked up the games. There was really no need for anything else.

PRO TIP: If you don’t need extra organizational systems like bins and shelves, then don’t add them. They will just cost you more money. Many times, all you really need to do is get rid of things.

Step 7: Relocate What’s Left

Last but not least. You need to deal with that “move” pile.

Again. Do things with purpose. Don’t just shove the stuff from your move pile back in the area you just cleaned out. Go through the items and move them where they should be.

I actually found a dress I had never worn in the closet…WHAT?!?!? So I will relocate that to my closet so it can get some use! (Who knows how it wound up there!)

Now your space should be clean and decluttered. And you managed to declutter with purpose in under 30 minutes so you didn’t get overwhelmed.

You May Also Like: 11 Quick and Easy Ways To Declutter A House Fast

How To Declutter Your Home

Let’s stop being overwhelmed and start tackling all that CLUTTER!

Do you have a space in your home that really needs to be decluttered? But maybe you are not sure how to weed through the mess without making a bigger mess?

These tips can be used in any room of your home, from the kitchen, to the bathroom, to the basement. Just follow along step by step and you will find your space is a little more relaxing with less clutter.

The Secret To Decluttering

I am here to tell you that it really is possible to declutter without making a bigger mess.

The secret is to have a good plan of attack.

And here are the 7 steps you need:

• Choose the right place to start
• Set up a system (or have a plan of action)
• Gather supplies
• Sort clutter
• Move the piles
• Clean and Replace
• Relocate

I have listed the topics of this post below. If you want to read it all, just keep scrolling. Or, click the link in the Table Of Contents to take you directly to a step you would like to learn more about.

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Tips To Declutter Your Home:

Tips To Clear Clutter

There are so many organizational sites out there telling you to just take everything out of a space.  “Pull it all out so you can see what you have!”  is what they all say. 

Well, I am here to tell you that it…DOES NOT WORK!

Let’s just think about this for a minute.  We just stated the purpose of organizing (less stress, chaos, and time drains)!

So how does pulling everything out of the concealed junk closet help you?  It is hidden there. Nobody has to see it…including you!

Now, if you have removed EVERYTHING! All your junk is out in the open.

• For everyone to see.
• To cause you way more stress every time you look at it!
• For you and the rest of your family to trip over!

And the biggest problem…(insert scary sounding music here) what if you don’t finish?! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

What if you actually don’t have enough time to put that big old mess away!

Not only is there now clutter all over your house, but you may not have time to get back to it for another few days!!!!

TALK ABOUT STRESSFUL!

I can tell you from experience, that when you do get back to it, you will be drained and frustrated from having that clutter everywhere for so long.

So let’s dive a little further into the “Purge” process. That way you will know exactly how to clear clutter by purging with purpose.

Know What You Want:

I know you have good intentions. Getting organized and trying to declutter is awesome and taking the steps to do it is great!

But purging everything all at once will make you crazy and give you serious burnout before you make it through the whole project.

When you purge, you must purge with purpose!   Which I talk about in my 5 Steps to Organize Any Area Of Your Home post, but will go into more detail about the process here.

The point of getting organized is to make your life less stressful, less chaotic, and give you more time in your life. 

So if you decided to just pull everything out of that closet that you have been stocking with all kinds of random STUFF for the last 12 years, then that is soooo not going to help you.

So where should you start? You should start by having a purpose for whatever you purge from a cluttered space.

How To Clear Clutter Fast

You can declutter your home quickly if you have a good list. That is why I created a checklist for you with 129 items you can declutter from your home. With this list, you can declutter a room in less than 30 minutes.

Grab this list of 129 things you can declutter right now!

What’s Next For Your Decluttering Strategy?

Clear the Chaos is the obvious next step. This step by step, room by room guide, will guide you out of clutter and into the space you have always wanted!

Or… just sit down and watch an episode of ‘Friends’ before the kids get home! That’s what I’m doing!

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How To Declutter Every Room In Your House

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