It’s time to clear the clutter and find joy in your home. We’ve sourced some tips, tricks and inspiration to help you get your home sorted.
Where to start?
UrbanYou co-founder, and cleaning expert, Elke Keeley’s guide for decluttering and finding joy in the home has three steps:
Step 1: Cleanse your space of nostalgia
“Even the best of us are guilty of holding on to miscellaneous items due to associations with old memories. Refusing to let go of ideas rather than looking at the purpose that objects serve in your home is the fastest way to fall down a messy rabbit hole of nostalgia,” Elke says.
“Reconsider the practicality of objects you have been connected to for a long time – and if they are simply space fillers, this is a sign of clutter to sort into a discarding pile. This process of picking apart belongings will give you room to collect the things you really love and make tidying that much quicker.”
Step 2: Purge your wardrobes
Cupboards, and wardrobes in particular, are among the top hiding spots for household clutter.
In order to further sort through your belongings, empty your wardrobes of all clothing items. Add ill-fitting and out-of-style tops, bottoms, shoes and accessories to a garbage bag or box, while folding the remaining items and organising them back into your wardrobe by category. Your room will feel lighter and you will feel relieved knowing that the best of your non-joy giving clothes can start a new life at your local thrift store.
Step 3: Create room for fun and multitasking
Now you’ve narrowed your possessions down to those that serve an ongoing purpose, how do you maintain your hard-earned household refresh?
Time between big clean-ups can be extended when you build organisation into your routines as fun micro-tasks. By fitting 10 minutes of tidying into your daily schedule, household clutter can be kept at a bay with much less effort than regular deep cleans.
From rinsing the dishes while brewing coffee to wiping down your shower screen as the water runs, multitasking is the most efficient way to clean as-you-go without sacrificing further time. Add a podcast or music in the background, and you’re on your way to conquering clutter with minimal extra effort.
Clever storage
Once you’ve cleared out the items you no longer require, it will enable you to assess your needs and buy storage items which suit the space you have.
Clever storage is the key to helping minimise clutter. Christine Gough, IKEA Australia Interior Design Leader, suggests investing in pieces that are multi-functional and storage-friendly to maximise the space in your home.
For example, a stack of stools that can also be used as a makeshift side table is the perfect multi-purpose furniture piece. It can also be turned into extra seating for when your friends or family visit.
Make use of underutilised areas including wall space – through shelving and hooks – and under your bed – vacuum bags and clear storage containers can be a great solution for those hard to reach spaces.
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