How to declutter when you only have one hour
Decluttering can be a daunting task, and for some people the thought of going through cupboards, wardrobes and storage boxes and attempting to get rid of the mountains of stuff that’s accumulated is just too much, meaning they put it off completely. While it can be time-consuming and sometimes a little overwhelming, there is an easier way and it involves easing yourself into decluttering and chipping away at your to-do list. We spoke to Nicola Lewis, organising expert and author of Mind Over Clutter, to get her top tips for decluttering if you only have an hour to spare.
How to declutter with an hour to spare
“I always say start off with small steps,” Nicola advised.
“Always plan what you’re going to do before,” Nicola said. Have your to-do list to hand, and make sure it’s not too ambitious.
“If you go into a bedroom and you know you’re only going to have an hour, don’t empty the whole wardrobe out. Instead, choose a section in the wardrobe that you think you’ll be able to complete in the amount of time you have. Another manageable task would be a chest of drawers,” she told us.
“Empty a couple of drawers out onto the bed and start going through the process of sorting out the items you want to keep, the items you want to donate and the ones that need to go in the bin. Work out what you love and what fits then organise those items you’re going to keep in colour order.
“When I organise clothes I always put them in category order (jumpers, skirts etc) then within that, colour order. It makes it so much easier for you to see what you have. It takes the stress out of finding clothes and allows you to wear everything that’s in your wardrobe because you can see it all,” Nicola said.
Nicola has a top tip for powering through your first quick decluttering session.
“If you find decluttering overwhelming, find your happy place while you’re doing it,” she said. “I always have music on, it motivates me, but some people might want to burn a candle or listen to the radio. Always try to create a fun setting.”
For those with slightly more time to dedicate than an hour, Nicola advises making a good plan and calling in backup if you can.
“If it’s a bigger task you should always think about asking someone to come and help you, but if you feel you can tackle it and do it on your own, try and make it fun and set measurable goals,” she said.
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How to keep your home clutter-free
Of course, decluttering is one thing, but maintaining it is something else entirely. Nicola believes the key to doing that is to do a proper review every three months.
“I recommend that people review their space every quarter to see what has crept in, because in every quarter there’s some kind of celebration from Christmas to Easter and summer holidays and Halloween. There’s always something that can creep back into the house and it’s important to keep on top of it with a quarterly review,” she said.
“It’s also about planning what you need before going shopping. With summer clothes, I store mine up in the loft and bring them down before summer to review. Once I’ve done that I can see I need a new swimsuit or would like to buy a couple of dresses. With shoes, when one pair comes in, another goes out. I only have a small space at home for my shoes so there’s no point be over-buying them,” she added.
See, who said decluttering had to be a hard slog?
BUY NOW Mind Over Clutter: Cleaning Your Way to a Calm and Happy Home by Nicola Lewis
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