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Tips to Declutter Your Home in the New Year

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The new year is here. No doubt many of you have a list of resolutions you’d like to accomplish in 2015, and there’s a good chance that one item on your list is decluttering your home.

Maybe you looked around a while ago and thought, “I have too much stuff,” or maybe gifts from the holidays are adding to an already-crowded home. Whatever the reason for the decluttering, here are a few steps to get you started.

Some tips to help you declutter your home in the new year.

Put Everything in its Place

Every item in your house should have a place where it goes when it’s not in use. This will make it easier to find what you need when you need it, and it will also help you more easily identify—and then get rid of—things you may not need at all.

Sell, Give Away, Throw Away

As you sort through everything (and put it all back in its place), you may be wondering what to do with items you choose not to keep. Start three piles: The “sell” pile will be for items you can sell at your next yard sale or at a local consignment store; the “give away” pile is everything you can give to family, friends, or Goodwill; and the “throw away” pile is the one that goes to the curb on your next trash day.

Look for Multiples

Whether large (think vacuum cleaner) or small (think apple slicer), there are many household items you only need one of. If you have two or more, it’s too much—throw it out or donate it. Is the linen closet in your bathroom full of scented soaps and lotions you haven’t—and probably won’t—use? It’s time to get rid of them and find a better way to use that space.

When Was the Last Time You Used It?

Even if you have a top-of-the-line bread machine, if it’s only been used once or twice (or maybe not even at all), then there’s really no reason for it to take up space on the kitchen counter. Time to find a new home for it. As you go through your closet, get rid of anything you haven’t worn in the past six months, or that no longer fits. If you can’t, or haven’t, worn it lately, there’s a good chance you won’t wear it again.

Some tips to help you declutter your home in the new year.

Put It Online

If you have an overflowing box of recipes in the kitchen or an overflowing file drawer of paperwork in the office, consider scanning these items and storing them online to save physical space in your home. You can still access them when you need them, and your home will be a little neater and cleaner—just be sure to back up your computer’s hard drive regularly!

Pace Yourself

It would be difficult to declutter your entire house in one day. Take your time with it, but create a schedule to ensure you stay on track with these tasks. Tell yourself you’ll spend 30 minutes a day decluttering your home, or that you’ll go through one specific area of your house (it could be an entire room or just a small closet or drawer) each day. By making a schedule and sticking to it, you’ll be able to work more efficiently, without getting burned out. The bonus to doing it this way? By completing a small task each day, your accomplishments will build your momentum, helping you achieve the more difficult tasks (like clearing out that overflowing closet).

Happy New Year, and happy decluttering!

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Liz Lichtenberger
More about Liz Lichtenberger

Liz Lichtenberger is an assistant editor at NRHA. When she’s not writing about what’s going on in the hardware industry, she enjoys doing DIY projects around the condo where she and her husband live, trying to decide what paint color to try next, swimming, and cheering on her two favorite college teams: the Kentucky Wildcats and the Xavier Musketeers.

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