5 Things To Keep in Mind When Decluttering Tough Spots In Your Home

Mind. Beauty. Simplicity is one of my favorite blogs to follow and they have graciously written an article for my readers about something I am not that good at. Decluttering. Spring cleaning time is here and raise your hand if you're feeling overwhelmed! 🙋‍♀️ Check out their website for more cleaning tips!

                                              Guest post by Mind Beauty Simplicity 

When downsizing your home, like a lot of things in life, there can be easy moments as well as harder ones. Clearing out a closet or a drawer can seem like a breeze. But when it comes to other areas, like storage rooms, garages or even sentimental belongings,  it can seem like a never ending battle. Today, I wanted to share with you 5 Things to Keep in Mind When Decluttering Those Tough Spots in your Home. Something I’ve discovered in this journey to minimalism, is there is a commonality to decluttering & with these concepts in mind, even the most cluttered areas can become more cleansed. 

Before I begin, I’d just like to introduce myself to Jessica’s readers. My name is B & I am a minimalist lifestyle blogger on Mind Beauty Simplicity where I talk about intentional living & ways I’ve downsized my life. Recently, I have started a series entitled, Messy to Minimal where I go from room to room & share my tips & tricks in decluttering to hopefully provide you with inspiration to do the same with your own homes. If that is of interest to you, I’d love it if you stopped by my blog. 

5 Things To Keep in Mind When Decluttering Tough Areas in Your Home:

1. Decluttering Takes Time

If you know the saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, this same phrase heavily relates to the decluttering process. Regardless of what you are trying to get rid of or downsize, understand you rarely will finish this task in a day (especially in these very cluttered areas). Be sure to take breaks & not rush yourself. We want to do this right & not throw out anything we may regret. Slow down & ease into the process. Recently, I helped my boyfriend declutter his childhood keepsakes. This has been a monthly process. But by the end, we managed to go from six large storage bins to only one. Although it can take time, the task is well worth it in the end. Go in sections & split up the items in smaller piles & slowly you’ll work your way through it all. 

2. Ask Yourself The Tough Questions

Sometimes we have to be real with ourselves & ask why we hold onto certain items. When you show yourself a bit of tough love & truly reflect, you tend to realize the reasons you hold onto specific belongings may not be good enough. Let me give you an example. I’ve been downsizing my wardrobe pretty brutally this past year, but for some reason I still end up with a pile of questionable attire. These items include graphic t-shirts from events (sometimes free), holiday sweaters I only wore once or accessories I hold onto just in case. But the thing is all of these items have been just accumulating dust for years. I haven’t worn any of it lately. So I asked myself why  I hold onto these particular items. And my reason was because it reminded me of past me & I just couldn’t let it go. But this time around, I told myself to get a grip & to FINALLY donate these items. If I wasn’t going to wear them what was the point? This concept of asking ourselves those tough questions can be for anything you are trying to let go of & I promise you, this mindset is life changing. 

3. The Clutter Will Just Keep Accumulating

Storage areas & garages are feeding grounds for clutter. Honestly, I itch just thinking about the mess these areas can make. But we kind of need a few areas to store seasonal belongings & miscellaneous items. I’ve just learned these areas can accumulate especially as years go on. So, keep this in mind & keep a routine of going through these areas of your home. Whatever you decide to store are things you will have to lug around & move. One of the reasons I strongly advised to go through my boyfriend’s keepsakes was the thought of having to move six storage containers of keepsakes when we decide to move to a different house. There was no way I wanted to do this. 

4. Bins Are Both Helpful & UnHelpful

“Oh I’ll just put this in another bin & stack it with the rest.” No - don’t have this mindset. Bins & organizers can be useful at times but don’t let it get out of hand. Downsize your items first & then decide how you will store it all. I find keeping your items as visual as possible to be the better option. When items are stored in bins I tend to forget about them. If you need to store things in containers, opt for clear ones & label them properly. 

5. Refrain From the “I Might Need This” Mentality

Let me let you in on a secret, chances are most “I might need this” item will NEVER be used - ever! A lot of us think saving certain items may save us money in the long run but really it just adds to the clutter. I’d much rather repurchase a few things later than hold onto old & potential things I MIGHT use one day. This mindset is where hoarding begins. And honestly, sometimes I would spend money on new versions of what I saved anyway because styles change. Get use out of something you just let it go. It’s that simple.

I really hope these tips help you on your next decluttering venture. And thank you Jessica Lasa for giving me the opportunity to guest post on your blog. Again, if you are interested in the minimalist lifestyle & want to learn more, please check out my blog. 

Happy Decluttering!

• B 

Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog