Cleaning & Organizing

7 Ways to Declutter Your Space

posted on January 12, 2017 | by Chelsea Becker

I grew up with a dad who took minimalism to an extreme, which in my teens I despised and in my twenties I began to appreciate. There’s just something calming about keeping areas organized. While I don’t agree with all of my dad’s severe tactics (like going through closets every single Sunday), there are certain things I’ve willingly picked up from him. Here are 7 ways to keep your home decluttered:

1. Organize your linen closet

Take time to match accordingly. If you have a spare set of queen sheets, fold them nicely and place with matching pillow cases. Either label the shelf or put the entire set into a sealed bag. Keep heavier blankets folded next to each other to grab during winter, and place beach towels in one section for summer.

2. Use a makeup organizer

This is the most recent area I’ve decluttered and my morning routine thanks me for it daily. A drawer full of makeup and beauty items thrown in is not efficient. Depending on your bathroom or vanity, buy organizers to keep things separated. Brushes can live in a jar on your counter or in your medicine cabinet. This will likely make your routine go much faster, too, so it’s a win-win.

3. Create a home for your shoes

No matter how many shoes you own, they should be organized. There are so many types of shoe organizers (here, here, here) to use depending on your closet situation. Instead of tossing shoes to the bottom of your closet to get lost, dusty, and scuffed up, make sure each pair has their own place to live. This will make your closet feel better immediately, and you’ll likely rotate forgotten shoes more regularly.

4. Make your bed

This isn’t technically decluttering, but making your bed as soon as you rise is smart. (Yes, your mom was right!) It’s an instant way to clean up your bedroom and add calmness to the room.

5. Use a pill dispenser

Possibly the best $10 investment ever. Instead of numerous bottles clogging up your medicine cabinet, empty your pills and vitamins into a pill box. Even if you can’t empty every bottle, you’ll definitely be able to trash some. Make sure you purchase a pill dispenser that has a quality lid so that your pills stay fresh. I love this one and it’s super easy to travel with.

6. Clear your emails

Though it’s not a physical space, inboxes can be an extremely cluttered part of life. Spend 10 minutes going through emails at the end of each workday. Trash and unsubscribe where needed, star what you need to act on, and create folders for emails you’ll reference later. You can even use services like Unroll.Me to help you unsubscribe in bulk. When you start the next day, your inbox and mind will be less chaotic.

7. Designate catch-all areas

This is the best habit I picked up from my dad. My boyfriend is a chronic key-misplacer, so I bought him a basket to place everything from his pockets in as soon as he gets home. You could also use a bowl for smaller items. A designated place for commonly-used items (mail, keys, wallet, headphones) will make each day easier.

I usually schedule one day a month to declutter and reorganize my home. Choose a day and mark your calendar to stay accountable. It’s not the most exciting activity, but at least you get to stay in your PJs all day, right? Turn on a podcast or some music, and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with a decluttered space!