As with most things, there are a few misconceptions about decluttering.
I’d like to discuss the main one; that this process is about sweeping round the room, pouncing on superfluous items and bunging them in a bin bag triumphantly.
Decluttering IS about reducing clutter. But it is also about increasing the beauty and function around you. The saddest thing ever is a possession that was once enjoyed, but is now out of sight at the back of a cupboard. Or gathering dust. Or without it’s own home and identity within your house.
I always treat clients’ possessions with the utmost respect and feel passionately about REUSING items.
The world needs to extend the life of it’s current possessions much more than it needs to manufacture new ones.
So, what to do if you feels you want to keep an item because you like it (and sometimes it is simply a feeling) but this item is not living up to it’s potential?
Then it’s time to get creative!
• Glass jars make excellent storage containers for small items and it’s a huge bonus that you can see what’s inside at a glance
• Shoe boxes are sturdy containers for grouping together items in large cupboards such as condiments or art supplies and this turns a mostly pointless, bulky item into something useful.
• Lid-less Tupperware make great drawer dividers for small items
• Tins which originally contained mints or beauty gift sets double up as storage for hair clips or pins or practically any group of small items, in order to keep them in one place such as these kids’ crafts
• Before you donate an old mirror consider whether it can be up-cycled by painting it with chalkboard paint or attaching cork material to make a notice board
• Remember that an old piece of furniture may be sanded down and painted any colour of the rainbow due to the vast array of choice out there
I DO urge caution when people want keep packaging. It’s important to think about what you can use it for NOW rather than keep for another time. The key is identifying a use immediately and if nothing springs to mind, letting it go. Unfortunately, we often stop our thought process after we acknowledge that something “might” be useful. Take this further. Ask yourself whether it definitely has another use within your home. If you can identify a true use for something, it’s not clutter. But don’t delay the decision making.
As a rule of thumb, I recommend that you keep the lid off a box if you access it regularly. This is especially true if the box is within a cupboard anyway. Why make life more difficult for yourself by having to remove the lid each time? If the box is on display, it may look neater with the lid on. Also, if you can’t see the contents at a glance, you could add a label.
So as you’ll find, the possibilities are endless in terms of reusing. As long as you ask yourself the bottom line question:
Do I truly have another use for this NOW?
If no, discard.
If yes, use away.
Your possessions will thank you for it.
Thanks so much for reading!
A Tidy Mind.