How to declutter the house

Today it is 96 days till Christmas (or 97 for those that celebrate on the 25th) . It is time to start decluttering the house, to make the Christmas cleaning and tidying easier. Decluttering is a big job, so it is easier to do it room by room. Here are some tips for each room in the house.

Set up 3 boxes with the labels: Sell, give away and throw away. As you go through the house, add items to these boxes. This will make you more efficient, and once you are finished, you have piles ready to be disposed of.

The kids room

I ask the kids to go through their toys and get them to collect what they no longer play with. I ask them to find a place for everything, so they know where to put away their toys when they are tidying. I go through their clothes and decide what to do with the clothes that no longer fits. I also get an idea of what they need and add it to their wish lists for Christmas.

The kitchen

The best way to tidy your kitchen is to empty one space at a time. There is always items you don’t use, or that you have too many of. Look through your food. What is expired? What will you not use?
Then I decide how to organize the drawers and shelves. Each item needs a space. Keep the countertops as clean as possible and move items that clutter them into storage spaces.

The living room

This space needs to be decluttered regularly. Look through shelves, bookcases and drawers and make sure every item belongs. Get rid of old magazines, and put books away, and decide on a space to keep the remote controls. If there are toys in the living room, go through them and decide what you can give away.

The bathroom

If you are like me, the cabinets and drawers are full of half empty bottles and things I no longer use. From time to time, it's a good idea to collect your leftovers, and either finish them, or throw them away. Make-up also have expiry dates and you probably don’t use all of it. Throw away or store items you don’t use. 

The medicine cabinet

The best way to tackle this is to take everything out, sort the items and throw away outdated products.

The bedroom

Start with making your bed. Remove everything from you night stand and put away items that don’t belong. Go through drawers and make sure every surface is cleared.

Your closet

Ok…this is my weak spot. I think it is so hard to get rid of clothes. I have to go through each category of clothes and shoes so I know I am covered for each season and occasion. Get rid of items that you have not worn in 6 months or items you don’t feel good in.

Entrance

The hall is usually full of jackets and shoes. I put away summer clothes and items that are too small, and try to reduce the number of items by putting the rest into each persons closet.

Storage space

Clean out your storage space, to make room for your gifts, wrapping paper etc. I have a few shelves dedicated to Christmas stuff. I have a box for each family I am buying presents for, and I put the gifts in these boxes as I buy and wrap them.