February is the perfect month to start spring cleaning and reduce your personal clutter! Not only that, but February is "Declutter For A Cause" month. Think of this month as an opportunity to add more meaning to your decluttering efforts by donating unused items to charitable organizations.
Doing a good deed while clearing out space in your home... it's a win-win! Here are some tips to get you started:
Start Small
When it comes to deep cleaning and decluttering, it can be hard to know where to start. Instead of getting overwhelmed, break it down into bite-sized chunks. Start with just a small area or a type of item (like kids' clothes that don't fit anymore) and work your way up. It will feel much more manageable than trying to tackle it all at once. And you might find that once you start, you won’t want to stop!
A few simple places to start are:
- Junk Drawers
- Closets
- The pantry
- Under beds
- Kitchen counters
- Medicine cabinets
Make a Plan
Laying out a plan for decluttering can bring you one step closer to the ultimate goal of living a simpler, happier, Marie Kondo-kind-of-life! Give yourself some creative structure and set aside as much or as little time as you need. Maybe you'll plan to declutter for 10 minutes every day, or maybe you'll set aside an entire weekend. Whatever works for you, just make sure it’s realistic.
Try using tangible reminders like checklists, post-it notes, or even a timeline to stay on track. You could even gamify decluttering and give yourself an incentive for completing your tasks, like some dark chocolate or a glass of bubbly!
Sort Items Into Categories
As you go through your belongings, sorting them into separate piles can be extremely helpful and make it easier to decide what to keep and what to let go of. There are 4 main categories to sort into:
- Keep: Items that you use often and bring joy.
- Donate: Items that are still in good condition and can be used by someone else.
- Trash: Broken items or things with no other use than the landfill.
- Storage: Things you want to keep, but don’t need to have out all the time.
When you categorize things this way you’ll have a much easier time making the final decision on what stays and what goes.
Purge With Purpose
Giving yourself permission to part with things can actually be really liberating and act as a starting point for calming chaos in your space. But it's also nice to think that someone else could benefit from something you no longer need or use.
Make your decluttering efforts more meaningful by finding a specific purpose — choose a local charity or organization ahead of time to donate your items to:
- Maybe you have a heart for the homeless and can donate your gently used jackets and shoes...
- Or maybe you have a pile of books and kid's toys that could be given to a children’s hospital...
- Or maybe the local high school theater department could put your extra fabrics and craft supplies to use...
- Or maybe a nearby pregnancy center could use your maternity clothes...
The possibilities are endless! Decluttering can be an incredibly rewarding task, especially when it’s done with purposes like these. Plus, the fresh start that comes with a clean and open space gives you room to create something new!
And if you’re looking to make the ultimate fresh start this month, consider a move to Sturbridge Homes’ new townhouse community, The Towns at Parke West.
These beautiful new homes are designed for modern living, with plenty of features and amenities to suit any lifestyle. Explore quick move-in homes here, and start living in a brand new home that isn’t weighed down by clutter!