Today, we’re sharing a fool-proof list of easy, no-nonsense New Year’s resolutions for your home that will keep your place clean all year.
Declutter your most used space at the start of the year
You can’t develop smart decluttering habits without doing some actual decluttering. To kick off your clutter-free year, pick the most lived-in area of your home to tackle first.
It might be your kitchen, living room, or bedroom — whatever it is, get to work gathering every item in that space and asking yourself two important questions:
If the word “no” pops into your head, set the item aside to trash or donate.
Use what you have before buying more
Before you start filling your cabinets and drawers with multiples of the same item, make a point to finish everything you have first.
Use the last few pumps of lotion, the last drops of olive oil, the last inch of your pine-scented candle, the last five envelopes you own, the last bit of toothpaste — you get the idea.
With just this one habit change, you’ll waste less, consume less, and bring less clutter to your home.
Clear your surfaces
If your head is spinning just thinking about organizing your closet, start with something smaller. Specifically, start with the flat surfaces in your home. Coffee tables, nightstands, dressers, desks, and kitchen countertops are all breeding grounds for clutter.
Pick one surface first — the one that makes you stressed just looking at it — and clear everything off. Before you start adding items back to it, pick up each one and determine whether or not you want to keep it.
Put your clothes away every night
Before your crawl into bed, put your clothes away instead of tossing them on the nearest chair to “deal with in the morning” (let’s be real: you won’t deal with it in the morning).
And don’t just put your pants and shirt on a random shelf — take the extra 20 seconds to fold them.
The more frequently you do this, the quicker it will become second-nature.
Throw away your trash
This sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised to learn how much of your clutter is actually stuff meant for the trash bin. Don’t let things like shopping bags, gift boxes, flyers, and tags pile up — toss them out or recycle them immediately.
Give every new item a home
It’s easy to let new purchases wallow in your entryway, on your bathroom counter, or in front of your closet (especially if you have minor buyer’s remorse and can’t decide if you want to keep something), but this creates tons of totally unnecessary clutter.
As soon as you bring a new item into your space, give it a proper (and permanent) home. And no, the storage closet or junk drawer doesn’t count.
Use the “one in, one out” rule
For every new item you add to your space, get rid of something similar.
Got a new pair of running shoes? Donate your old ones.
Bought a new novel? Give an old paperback to the library.
Source: makespace.com/Paige Smith
The original article has been edited.
JOMOOinter