After the lockdowns in 2020 forced many people to stay indoors, the clutter overtaking many American households became impossible to ignore. Decluttering your space can aid your mental clarity and give you the room to bring more enriching possessions into your life. If you’re prepping for an intense spring clean, here are seven clutter culprits to keep an eye out for.
Junkmail
A grocery ad here or there might seem harmless, but junk mail can quickly stack up on your counters and in your mailbox. Recycling and unsubscribing from solicitous senders can help manage the influx, but it’s also nice to stop junk mail before it ever reaches your home.
Using a digital mailbox, you can remotely view and manage your mail before you even leave your house in the morning. If you receive a notification of junk mail in your box, you can ask the staff at your location to shred it, killing clutter before it can junk up your home filing system.
Books
Books can take up a lot of space in your house. You don’t need to get rid of all your books, but you might consider storing or donating books that you don’t reach for as often. Once you’ve finished reading a book, consider passing it along to a friend or donating the books that you no longer need on your bookshelf.
Old clothing
Clothing can be a big issue when it comes to clutter because garments take up a lot of space and quickly go out of style. If you’ve got little ones running around, the clothing clutter is even more prevalent as they grow out of old clothes at every turn. Sort through your old wardrobe and decide if you can donate anything to someone else. If you can’t, find a way to recycle clothes that are no longer wearable.
Miscellaneous items
Miscellaneous items are exactly that. If your home has a “junk drawer,” your miscellaneous items call it home. These items could include everything from extra buttons to excessive kitchen items.
Magazines and catalogs
Picking up magazines or catalogs from the store can be a lot of fun. But it is not a good idea if you want to prevent clutter.
Consider recycling magazines instead. You can also page through magazines casually as you shop or borrow them from a friend or library instead of buying them to take home.
Electronics and accessories
Electronics and accessories are other things that take up a lot of space, and you usually need to put a little extra thought into how you will store them. These items typically include cords, DVDs, wires, extra batteries, etc., so use proper storage containers to keep dust at bay.
Kids toys and games
Kids’ toys and games take up a lot of space, and you need to store them in such a way to keep them accessible without them interfering with any other things you might want to store.
If your kid’s room is taking over the house, consider getting rid of some items, donating them, or storing them in containers that you can put away when your children aren’t playing with them.
Parting shot
Many everyday household items can cause clutter in your living space if not stored properly. The best solution for getting rid of clutter is to immediately store these objects in an organized way, so they don’t become a problem again.
The sooner you start, the sooner you can enjoy your uncluttered space.