6 Simple Ways to Declutter Before the Holidays Come

Clutter drives me crazy almost any time, but it seems to get worse during the holidays. We’re working with the charity Boat Angel, which accepts boat and car donations, to present the 6 easiest ways to declutter before the holidays. We are also working with Freedom Mobiles to encourage people to recycle their old mobile devices when they get a new mobile device. You will find links to both below.

I hope our 6 ways to declutter before the holidays help reduce stress Deal with all your anxiety-causing, space-wasting “stuff” by helping you focus on what you can get rid of (the first secret of decluttering), while organizing what you want to keep. try.

1) Start with your clothes – stick to what you like and wear; donate the rest

Clothes are the biggest source of clutter in my house and probably yours too. We tend to hold on to clothes that we have outgrown or whose style is older than us. It’s no wonder that all those shoes, dresses, shirts, pants, sweaters, scarves, coats and jackets pile up in big piles in the back of our closets, or fall off hangers, or are stuffed into drawers. .

Here’s how I keep my clothing clutter under control.

At the beginning of each season, I make a big pile of clothes from last season that no longer fit, are no longer stylish, or that I no longer love.

For example, with the arrival of winter, I put sweatshirts, sweatpants, jeans, flannel shirts, blouses, skirts and dresses from the fall season that I never wore or barely wore into a pile. This frees up space in my closet and drawers for the winter clothes I want to wear.

Next, as I take out my winter clothes, I’m seriously looking at them and trying on a few things before they automatically go into the drawer or hang up.

From that pile, I also put aside the clothes that I don’t think I’ll be able to wear anymore.

It would probably take two hours to go through my closet and all my drawers.

I make the time pass by by playing some music and sipping it with a cup of tea in my hand while I sort the tea. When all is said and done, I have more space, my clothes are better organized, and I have a bag full of clothes to donate to Goodwill or the local thrift store.

Since Goodwill, Salvation Army and Purple Heart all do pick-up, I just call them to say the items are ready, then drop them off on my porch and voila, before I know it, they’re gone. Went.

2) Working room by room, one room at a time

This same sorting process works well for every room in the house. In the kitchen, take out items from the pantry that you no longer use. Donate old household items to a community kitchen or halfway house. Donate unopened food to the food pantry.

In the garage, gather extra tools and sports equipment, and consider if now is the time to donate your car, boat, trailer or motorcycle.

A quick internet search will provide you with a list of groups that are always looking for this type of stuff and will allow you to do the same donate untitled boat,

3) BOGO – Buy one, give one

Once I’ve made space in closets, shelves, and drawers, the trick is to keep them from overflowing. When I replace something with a new one I try to give away the old version. Instead of storing old items in a remote location, it helps to keep a “donation bag” handy to hold them.

4) Recycle electronics

One of the biggest sources of household clutter is old electronics. Smart phones, computers, lap tops, tablets, printers, fax machines, cables, chargers – who doesn’t have a drawer of electronic clutter that they would love to see emptied? Luckily, getting rid of electronics is as easy as clothes, as almost every big box store that sells them takes them back too. Staples, OfficeMax, and Best Buy all make this easy with drop-off boxes so you can just go in and drop off your old stuff. Just make sure to swipe the data drive and remove the SIM card before doing this. You can also find websites that compare the current market value of old phones first selling your old mobile,

here is our post 15 Things You Can Recycle to Make Christmas Clutter Easier

5) Cancel Catalog

Retail catalogs are a constant source of clutter in my home. They are also a scourge on the planet because they require a lot of paper! You can avoid this by refusing to give your address or phone number when you shop in person (of course, if you shop online, you’ll have to give your address). Another option is to call the 1-800 number listed in the catalog and ask the operator to remove your name from the company’s mailing lists. This will only take a few minutes. you can do it too Sign up with Catalog Choice, And they will help you cancel catalogs that you no longer want to receive.

6) Give everything a place

Once you’ve inspected your home and removed unnecessary and unused pieces, you can organize what’s left.

But don’t be haphazard about it. Keep shoes in the shoe rack hanging above the door. Tying string on a hanger or tie rack. Use shelves so you can see where you have what.

Visit a container store to get ideas about the best way to organize your stuff, and pick up some baskets, shelves or boxes if you need them. Clear boxes and bins are best for easy visibility of what’s inside, but you can also label them on the side or top to keep track of their contents.

Well, if you have kids at home, make sure you teach them to keep clutter to a minimum. Even when they’re still quite young, kids end up putting dirty clothes in hampers, hanging their backpacks in the mudroom, putting their toys in toy boxes, and using art supplies. When born, it can be taught to keep in a container. Them. Setting aside 15 minutes before bed for everyone to put away their things is a great way to get the whole family involved.

Don’t forget to ask children to recycle and donate toys, books and equipment they no longer use.

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