Your Home is a Place to Live
Home Cleaning and Decluttering
A study conducted by UCLA-affiliated social scientist concluded that American families are overwhelmed by clutter – that today’s families are prisoners of their own clutter. Here is a link to an article which was published in the UCAL magazine by Jack Feuer on the study titled “The Clutter Culture”.
In an article in the Boston Globe on clutter, Jessica Pohl of Weston, MA who has kids who have largely outgrown their toys, says she can’t give them away. “I’m saving them for my grandchildren.” This mindset leads to home clutter. home clutter has some serious consequences.
Home clutter has some serious consequences.
Why Does Clutter Matter
Why does it matter whether the things in our lives are untidy? Well, there are some distinct advantages of living in an environment without clutter.
A Decluttered and Organized Home Saves Time
It’s easier to find things and to get things done when you do not have to spend time looking for things. If you are disorganized you spend more time looking than doing.
Lowers Stress
When you have a job to do and can’t find an item that you need, your stress levels rise.
A Decluttered Home Helps to Build Relationships
Clutter can affect your ability to enjoy social situations in your own home. I know people that will not have a party or that will not invite people over for a cup of coffee because their home is disorganized and cluttered. I know I can feel this way too.
Saves Money
If you have ever gone out and purchased an item just because you can’t find the one you own then this is a waste of money. We want to be able to find what we need when we need it.
Decluttering Ensures Home Safety
When the house is tidy and there are no obstacles or dangerous items lying around this translates into safety. Think about a small child on the floor picking up something and putting it in his mouth. Think about nana tripping on something that need not be there in the first place.
A Decluttered Home Creates ‘Mental’ Space
Another advantage of a neat and tidy home is that it can free up our minds and gives us greater capacity to think. There is less to confuse us. This is always good.
Being Clutter Free Makes Cleaning Easier
It’s so much easier to keep your house clean if you don’t have to tidy it first. A quick wipe down of the kitchen counter can turn into a marathon task if you can’t see the counter because it is covered with random objects that don’t need to be there.
Clutter builds up for many reasons. Failing to get rid of things that are no longer used or in poor condition is a major one. Yet de-cluttering can be fraught with difficulty. The greater the financial investment and emotional connection to the object, the harder it is to let go. It’s understandable. So, what can you do?
Decluttering – Break It Down – Be Specific
1. Identify a Specific Space Within Your Home
What space will you declutter? Examples may include your car, garage, shed, kitchen, laundry, bathroom . . . Select a space that is cluttered. For example, your family room. That’s all there is to step number one.
2. Select an Object within that Space
Identify an object or item in the space which contains or holds the clutter you wish to remove. This can include cupboards, closets, tables, benches, fridges, freezers, the trunk of car, TV cabinet, bed, pantry, etcetera.
For example, the music area.
3. Choose a Section of that Object within that Space
Now, choose the section of that object by breaking it down into its smallest manageable parts. For example, in the the family room music area, you may select the top of the piano. Focus on this and only this and get the decluttering job done!
Be specific and work on each section independently of each other to make the decluttering task as simple as possible.
Pick something that you can complete in the time available to you. Whatever section you select finish the decluttering job.
4. Set a Time
When will you do the decluttering and for how long? Put it into your schedule. That which is scheduled gets done. If you set a time of 9:00 AM for 15 minutes then select a space that can be completed within 15 minutes.
5. Stick to Your Schedule
To really gets things going and to achieve the best decluttering results schedule multiple session and areas. Why not define 9:00 AM and a 15-minute time frame for each day next week. Do this for 5 days – stick to your schedule – and 5 problem areas will be clean, tidy and organized.
The momentum will build. As you declutter one area then you will be inspired to declutter more. You are well on your way to a neat and tidy home.
Also, you may be interested in the book which was based on the study cited at the beginning of this post. Here is a link to “Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century”. It is available Amazon in hardcover and digital.
To support you and your clean home after your decluttering achievements count on the home cleaning services of A Clean Vision. We can be a part of your home cleaning maintenance to help keep your home organized and clean. Give us a call at 802-295-6065.
