37 decluttering tips from a professional organiser

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Decluttering a whole house can feel like a mammoth task, but if you break it down, room by room, it feels much more manageable.

To help you know where to start, we've put together a simple guide to each room in the house, offering clear decluttering advice and a check list you can tick off.

We also spoke to professional organiser Vicky Silverthorn who offers her top decluttering tips to help you to get to grips with the chaos, and create a clear and calm living space.

best decluttering tips
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First steps

Before you begin finding all your things neat new places to be stored, Vicky recommends getting a charity bag and having an initial clear out.

"Walk around each room of your home with your new eyes on. I bet you can easily fill a bag. Make it your mission to fill at least one bag during a sweep of your home," she says.

The decluttering expert also explains that it's important not to move onto tasks in a new room until you've finished the one you started.

"Be systematic. Work from room to room, one room at a time," says Vicky. "That’s the key."

The ski slope decluttering method by Anita Yokota, can help you sort through rooms systematically.

Make sure you’ve allowed enough time to declutter too. If you’re dealing with a larger project, it might be worth breaking it down into smaller sessions across several days. If you intend to declutter in one go, make sure you’re taking breaks so you stay refreshed. Otherwise, we tend to rush things and not declutter as well as we could.

7 decluttering jobs for your kitchen

  1. Go through your cupboards and throw out any food past its expiry date. Order the foods that remain by date, so those that expire soonest are at the front so they get used first. When you unpack food from the supermarket, keep this system in mind by placing new items at the back.

  2. Safely dispose of outdated medicines.

  3. Get rid of unused gadgets. Most charity shops are delighted to take electrical items but do check first.

  4. Cut out favourite recipes and store in plastic pockets.

  5. Banish plastic bags – reusable bags will save you money and space, and are much greener.

  6. Stock-take your freezer – and discard anything that’s been in there for more than three months.

  7. Consolidate! Group lightbulbs, batteries and bin bags together so you know where to find them and when to buy more.

best decluttering tips
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5 decluttering tips for your living area

  1. If you have children, teach them to put toys away at the end of the day. Consider repurposing existing furniture, such as a sideboard cupboard, to store them. Otherwise, have a look at stylish storage baskets with lids, which can hide messy toys away.

  2. Research multi-use furniture, such as an ottoman which doubles as a fold out mattress or a footstool which contains storage space.

  3. Keep surfaces as clear as possible so cleaning is quick, straight-forward and more likely to get done.

  4. Avoid keeping to-do or action piles in your living space, such as piles of receipts or work laptops. Keep the living room as a space for relaxation.

  5. A tray is a great way to give miscellaneous items like remote controls and glasses a neat home.

best decluttering tips
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7 decluttering tips for the bedroom

  1. Put out-of-season clothing into storage boxes or bags.

  2. If it doesn’t fit or you haven’t worn it in a year, give it away!

  3. Organise jewellery in a compartmentalised box or on a jewellery tree.

  4. Invest in some attractive baskets for storage.

  5. Divide and conquer with drawer compartments.

  6. Underbed storage is great for stashing out-of-season clothes. "I keep my holiday clothes in a separate drawer, ready to pack when needed," says Vicky.

  7. Use skinny hangers to gain extra space in your bedroom wardrobe and hallway coat cupboard.

3 decluttering tips for the bathroom

  1. Safely dispose of outdated medicines.

  2. Consider if you need those extra body creams and beauty supplies. Unwanted gifts can end up in this pile. If you’re not going to use them, find a new home for them.

  3. Check if products, such as creams and makeup, are still ok to use; many have a use by date printed on the label. This illustration looks like a small open pot with a number within to guide on the number of months it will last after opening. Alternatively, best before dates can be printed next to a small hourglass symbol. The performance of the product can dwindle past this point, so stick to it and chuck anything away that’s past its best.

best decluttering tips
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2 decluttering tips for your entryway

  1. Do not let shoes build up here, as tempting as it is. Have a dedicated space for the shoes you regularly wear and store the rest. Use a shoe rack to help organise your shoes and to keep every pair visible.

  2. Similarly, don’t let coats pile up on hooks near your front door. You can’t see or access those beneath and this can quickly turn into a mess. Have one coat hook per coat and rotate these as necessary.

2 decluttering tips for your paperwork

  1. Make Post-it Notes a thing of the past by going digital. Whether it’s a web link, a screen shot, a photo or simply a note to self, use Evernote to store it all in one place. Download the app for free from your app store on to your phone, tablet or computer and create an account.

  2. Leave files behind and access documents wherever you are with Google Docs – a free word processing app. As documents are stored in Google Drive – a free online storage area – you can access them from any device that has the Google Docs app downloaded on to it. All you need is a Gmail account to get started.

7 decluttering jobs for right now

  1. Write down your goals: why do you want to get organised? What do you want to accomplish?

  2. Decide where your clutter is going to go. Charity shop? Recycling? Tip?

  3. Ask a friend to help – it’s easier to be objective about someone else’s things.

  4. Don’t buy organising supplies – this is just another word for more clutter.

  5. Take 'before' pictures of each room and work out what needs to be cleared.

  6. Switch to paperless post where possible and opt to receive bank statements electronically.

  7. Tell yourself, if you don’t love, wear or use it, it’s out.

"Piles of stuff are the enemy!," says Vicky. "Try not to let them get started but if they do develop, grit your teeth and sort them out – 10 minutes and it will be done."

best decluttering tips
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4 ways to keep up the good work

  1. Schedule a time each day for a routine tidy to your home to clear surfaces and floors.

  2. Be wary of the sales – clutter often comes with a reduced price tag.

  3. Keep a donation basket handy for unwanted items.

  4. Use the weekend to get organised for the week ahead: clear out and stock the fridge, wash bedlinen and plan meals so you’re not buying food daily.

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