Where and How Do I Begin to Declutter My Home?

This simple question has a simple answer. Just start!

That’s right. Just start to declutter. Do one small thing. Easy and simple. Do one thing that leads to another. Don’t procrastinate. Just begin the process. Don’t judge yourself and the amount you do. Putting one foot in front of the other will move you along and get you on the decluttering bandwagon.  

Do you run a marathon the day you buy your first pair of running shoes? No. Who declutters their entire house at once? No one. Just declutter. Houses that are neat and tidy didn’t start out that way. First, someone made a decluttering plan and then just kept at it. Pretty soon, or sometimes not so quickly, the plan started to fall into place, items went to donation, and the house became organized. But you’ve got to start somewhere.

Just start. You’ll see that you gather momentum as you work, and soon, your house is in better shape. This is a huge motivator to continue the process.

Where should I start decluttering in my home?

Some people say to start in the bathroom. Why? Because when you’re completely overwhelmed by how much you own and you need a win right away, the bathroom is relatively easy. It’s typically the smallest room in the house and will empower you to continue.

One reason this is a good idea is because the bathroom typically does not contain sentimental items. That keeps you moving. The contents of the bathroom are easy to sort. You won’t struggle as you will with other rooms, and the decision-making process is simple.

Secondly, in the bathroom, there is most likely a lot to throw away. This type of discarding is typically guilt-free, which is also why the bathroom is a good place to start. Makeup has expiration dates. Get rid of products that have expired. Medicine expires. Keep a list of things that need to be replaced (I do this every six months) and properly toss the expired products. Another win. And you’ll never need to take items like these to Goodwill. They, most often, can go directly into the trash. If they are medicine, look for collection stations. Ours is at Walgreens.

Last thing, you can declutter your bathroom, most likely, in less than an hour. A transformation such as this is motivating to move to the next room and gives you confidence.

How to declutter your bathroom. 

As explained in previous blogs, get a towel or some such item onto which you can dump all the contents of your drawers. And things from underneath your sink. When you “make the pile” or dump everything out, you see the magnitude of things you own. When you see what you own, you can see what you can discard. I only use one color of nail polish. Everything else would be clutter for me. You, on the other hand, may own twenty blushes, and you’ve held on to them for years. Time to let go of anything that isn’t current, you love more than anything, or are “fresh.” Duplicates and triplicates indicate where you may be over purchasing. Keep the best and toss the rest.

Throw away expired medicine and make up. These can make you sick, grow bacteria after a certain amount of time, and are a breeding ground. Since you don’t want anything like expired make up on your face, it should be relatively easy to let go. Just think safety, hygiene, and good health. From this point forward, write the date on make up as soon as you buy it or as soon as you open it.

Finally, ask yourself the questions to decide whether to keep or toss:

Do I use this regularly? If yes, keep it.

Do I use this occasionally? Doubtful, if you don’t use it often enough.

Do I use this seasonally? If so, store with other seasonal items.

Do I use this annually? If so, what is the expiration date?

Will I ever use this again? If the answer is no, toss or donate.

If you will need something on a seasonal basis, store it, don’t toss it. That is, unless it expires. If it does expire, white down the item’s name on a piece of paper and the date by which you will start using it again. Then, purchase it when that date rolls around. It keeps you from storing things that you’ll never use in the meantime. You may rotate seasonal items, and the storage space can work for both.

If you answered no to the questions above, then it’s time to give things away. I take a lot of things to Habitat for Humanity’s Resale Store. They take half used bottles of things (call first). Non-toiletries, such as blow dryers, straighteners, and cotton balls can easily be donated to thrift stores.

Don’t hang onto these things, give them away as soon as you’re finished decluttering your bathroom. Things tend to hang around if we let them. If it’s between throwing something away (or donating it) and having things hang around and find their way back into your cabinets, let it go immediately. Once finished with this process, commit to yourself that you will use things up before buying new.

Declutter your cleaning products.

Whose bathroom area underneath the sink looks like a cleaning aisle? I’ve seen quite a few. Often, there are so many unnecessary products with toxic chemicals, not to mention that are unsafe if kids get into them. There are only a few products you truly need Also, having fewer products makes cleaning more efficient. Get rid of those that are duplicates. Find cleaning supplies that can do double duty. And make sure to put them somewhere that is safe. Kids can find their way into anything.

Clear your countertops.

When you clear your countertops, bathrooms look bigger, brighter, and roomier. Try your best to store the majority of what you have. It will make getting dressed in the morning that much easier and enjoyable.

Declutter linens and organize what you keep.

Evaluate the number of towels, washcloths (I’ve seen piles) and bathroom linens you need and try to stick to that number. There is a happy medium between zillions of towels and none. Try to figure out what works best for your family and keep on track. The same is true with sheets and blankets. If you don’t have room for excess, and you truly need to keep them, find deep storage to free up space in your bathroom. 

Bath toys need to be cleaned regularly.

Too many bath toys make the bathtub difficult to clean. If you have small children, evaluate the toys regularly. Some bath toys fill with mold if left in the tub for too long. They get little holes in them, or they already have little holes designed into them. These areas can fill with mold and make your child sick. Be thoughtful about how many you keep. Have a storage place for them so that they can dry thoroughly between baths. Another idea is to periodically run the bath toys through the dishwasher to clean and sanitize them.

Evaluate and organize your bathroom area. 

As emphasized time and time again, don’t run out to get bathroom organization until you first figure out what type or size of storage you need. Once you know this, go through your house to see if you have anything that will work for storage. If not, head to your favorite container store to get storage for underneath your sink, inside your linen closet or any other place in your bathroom where storage will help. Group your items. For example, make a first aid kit or storage area so you don’t panic in an emergency. Know where your medicines are (out of reach of kids) and check for expiration dates on a schedule. A good schedule may be once in the winter and once in the summer or fall and spring. Then, replace as necessary.