The Do’s and Don’Ts of Decluttering Your Home

Why should you declutter your home?

“We need a bigger house!” Is this a phrase you say or have heard from someone in your home as you try to put away a recent purchase and can’t find the space?

We all like to live in a clean and tidy home, everything in its place and a place for everything. However, there comes a time when your shelves and cupboards are just too full and couldn’t possibly hold one more thing. 

Decluttering is great for many reasons. To start with, you can free up space and sort through what you have and decide if you really need to keep that broken toaster oven anymore or not. And it’s a good stress reliever, throwing out things that take up precious space.

This doesn’t mean that you throw everything out. You are allowed to keep things, but getting rid of broken, unused or just not wanted items frees space that you can ‘refill’ later. 

So how do you get started?

When it comes to decluttering, it can seem daunting if you look at everything as a whole. 

Start by breaking it down and prioritizing which rooms to start with. When faced with cleaning one room compared to the whole house, it’s less intimidating and will feel easier to handle. 

Next, try to organize what you are going to sort through first. If you are tackling the spare bedroom which has become the overflow storage from your closet, maybe start by sorting the clothing first. 

Make a list of what’s the priority for each room and pin it to the door, you can even take before and after pictures so you can see what you have achieved by the end.

Ensure you have the supplies you need, black garbage bags for instance, or storage bins to organize what you are keeping and store neatly. 

Things to Avoid to Prevent You from Stopping 

We have all been there: you get halfway through a task and stop. Maybe you ran out of cleaning products, wanted to check FaceBook, or suddenly remembered you left the stove on. The reasons are endless. 

Try not to overthink what you are doing, either. This leads to that overwhelming sense that you are doing too much, or not enough, you’ve run out of time, you don’t know how to dispose of the items – the list goes on.  

If you know there are things you will need to get this task done, make sure you have bought enough supplies prior to starting. If you leave acquiring storage bins, garbage bags, and cleaning products to the last minute you will feel rushed and be put off starting. 

Making sure you have everything you need prior to starting the task will make it easier to keep going. 

It’s important to give yourself enough time to do the decluttering. Try not to do it on the same day as a family get-together, or the night before an important meeting. Proper time management will not only help you get the job done efficiently, but also make it less stressful. 

When should you declutter?

It’s always best to start big tasks like this early in the morning. That way you have less time to talk yourself out of it or get distracted by other chores. 

In the summertime, the day is cooler first thing in the morning, this makes it easier to work without sweat dripping into your eyes. 

Weekends are typically the day for big chores, but if you have time during the week this can work to your advantage. 

Donation centres, reuse centres and landfills are quieter so it’s easier to take in larger loads and be done quicker. 

For larger projects, or if you are unsure of how to dispose of the items you are throwing out, Scarborough Disposal LTD has been servicing Toronto with Bin Rental for many years, and is your go-to for all your bin rental needs. 

Decluttering 1, 2, 3…

By avoiding the common mistakes people make and focusing on the job at hand, you can get the decluttering done fast and efficiently.

Do:

• Prioritize. Plan out where you are going to start. By picking certain rooms and putting them in order of importance, you can make the job feel less overwhelming and more manageable. 
• Decide where things will go.  Are you going to donate them, take them to a reuse centre, sell them or send them to the landfill? Knowing what you want to do will help as you now have a purpose for cleaning.
• Organize. Make sure you have storage bins for the things you will keep, as this will help you organize where things will go and store them neatly for you. Buy things ahead of time so you can sort and store them as you go.
• Plan. Make sure to clear your schedule for the day, set up a playlist of your favourite ‘get going’ songs, double-check your cleaning supplies, and have a good breakfast so you will feel energized and ready to take on the room. 

Don’t:

• Stop. Once you have made a start, try not to get distracted, and therefore find yourself stopping. It can be really hard to start up again.
• Overthink.  There are lots of reasons people declutter. Keep focused on why you are doing this, not on the how. The How is one step at a time. 
• Wait.  Don’t wait to go and get the supplies you need. Don’t wait for a rainy day or for your child to move out. Decluttering can be done at any time. By waiting, you are just putting off the task and it will never get done.

So if you feel that you are ready to get started, and may need a bin rental to help take the stress out of where and how to dispose of some of the clutter, contact Scarborough Disposal Ltd here or call us at 416-265-7979 and let’s get you started.