Five Easy-Win Spaces to Declutter
This month, I suggest a few easy-win spaces that have a satisfying and visible impact if you’re interested in decluttering your home but aren’t sure where to start.
1. The Bedside Table
It’s the first thing you see in the morning and the last thing you see at night. If it’s a mess, it’s speaking to you, like a silent to-do list. “This belongs somewhere else.” “This needs to be read.” “Who needs 4 water glasses at one time?” Start by clearing everything off and out. Throw away the obvious trash. Rehome books to a bookshelf if you’re not reading them. Then, dust the top and put the essentials back. I have a lamp, my water bottle, and my alarm clock on top. In the drawer, I keep a little box to coral a couple of pens, hair ties, and lip balm. The rest of the space is for my Bible or books, which I would read in bed. Keep it simple, and enjoy the benefits of a peaceful bedroom with clear surfaces.
2. The Laundry Room
This room can easily become a catchall. Especially if it’s in an entry area of your home, like mine. It’s the place where I set everything when we come in the door. It can hold cleaning products, towels, tools, and all kinds of bits and bobs. Begin by cleaning out one cabinet or shelf at a time, letting go of things that are empty or not being used. Be ruthless. If you haven’t touched it in the last year, let it go! Simplify the dusting rags and cleaning/laundry supplies to your absolute favorites and what could be used in 1-2 cleaning sessions. Tidy the shelves and make it easy to find what you need. This room should be functional, and if you can’t do the laundry there, then it’s not functioning. My goal is to keep the tops of the machines as straightforward as possible so I can deal with lingering items as soon as I can.
3. Your Purse/Diaper Bag
It takes just a moment to dump that baby out and quickly put back only what you need. Toss the trash, old lip gloss, and used-up gift cards. Done weekly, your bag will serve its purpose without being difficult to dig through.
4. Pantry
Few places in the home are more guilt-inducing than a pantry full of unused or expired food items. You could have a massive KonMari go at it, but the purpose of this article is easy wins. This is more about tossing and tidying than anything else right now. You don’t need a bunch of fancy baskets or containers (although once you’ve decluttered, it can be helpful to have a few organization systems…. but I believe we must always declutter before throwing organization at our mess); you need to take the inventory down to a manageable amount, and give your shelves a little room to breathe if you have extra items once in a while. Try these tips:
- Donate food that you know your family won’t eat. Ditch the guilt over money spent and reclaim your pantry. You’ll do better in the future.
- Toss expired items.
- Remove excess packaging.
- Be realistic about bulk or backup backup items. I prefer not to keep more than one backup at a time, but that’s just me and what I can manage.
- Utilize floor space for things like paper towels or Costco-sized boxes of broth or canned goods.
- Consider decluttering a more enormous pantry enough to house your large appliances in order to reclaim some counter space.
5. Bathroom
I’ll keep the scope to the master bath in this article. But you can adapt it to any bathroom in your home. Be realistic about what you’re using, and ditch the rest. I promise you won’t miss what you’re not using. Have a small bin or basket with some backup products like toothpaste, razors, or a new tube of foundation. Cull the extra towels, toss the never-used doo-dads that come with hair tools or shaving kits, and let go of the body products you’re not using. If you know you have things you’d like to use, then add them to your “extra bin” and make a pact with yourself to use up what you have before buying more. As Dawn from the Minimal Mom says, “the magic is in the motion, not the potion.” Be consistent in using whatever skin or hair care you have on hand rather than always looking for a miracle product. Lastly, keep your counter as straightforward as possible. It is so lovely to be able to wipe your counters down quickly after you get ready for the day. Whatever you can tuck into a drawer or medicine cabinet, do. If you like things out, I suggest grouping items on a pretty tray so you can coral them and easily clean them.
So there you have it. Five spaces that are easy to tackle and pack a big punch—both aesthetically and functionally! Don’t forget to snap a before and after picture. It can be really motivating to see the difference after just a few minutes of time spent keeping your home and spaces.