Photo credit: Pixabay

Written by: Tess DiNapoli

We have come to an understanding that we need to do a better job at reducing our carbon footprint and taking care of the planet. One of the areas where we can start making changes is opting for organic clothes. Although it is not what first comes to mind when we think about ecological threats, the fashion industry makes up to 10% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. It dries up our already limited water resources, and pollutes our air, soil, rivers, and streams. According to the UNECE, 85% of all textiles go to the dump every year!

Trying to be good citizens of the world, we compiled six reasons why organic clothes should be a part of your shopping experience.

1. Protect Yourself

Organic clothes refer to clothes made with organic fabrics, such as organic cotton, silk, wool, and more. It simply means that no chemicals or pesticides were used to grow these materials. Using organic clothes protects your skin, the largest organ of your body, from absorbing the chemicals usually found in conventional clothes. This is especially important if you have sensitive skin. Moreover, non-organic textiles can weaken your immune system, and sometimes even cause irritation.

2. Sustainable Brands Are Available

It might have been challenging to go “organic” a few decades ago, but the collective awareness regarding the textile industry’s ecological harm has increased drastically in the last decade. This awareness has forced multiple brands to improve their sustainability practices. You have a palette of choices now, more than what you could have ever imagined. Brands such as Fundamental Coast that use water bottles & pulverized oyster shells to produce high-quality and modern textiles. No one said you can’t look stunning while doing your part to save the planet.

3. Organic Lifecycle

Did you know that 87% of non-organic fabrics used for clothing are either incinerated or dumped in a landfill? No wonder we are living in these critical times.  Companies, as well as consumers, go through styles and designs at a fanatic rate. On the other hand, organic clothes can biodegrade naturally back into our earth. Thus, you can be reassured that by making this switch, you would be actively contributing to the prevention of further pollution.

4. Protect Other Inhabitants of The Motherland

Our planet’s fauna and flora are jeopardized because of pollution. As mentioned previously, the farming of conventional clothing materials pollutes our soil. Precious natural habitats of our plants and trees can become endangered. Moreover, marine life also suffers from our bad habits as reckless consumers.

Non-organic or synthetic fabrics are simply petroleum-based materials that consist of micro-fabrics and microplastics. When we wash our clothes or they get “dumped” into a water stream, all those materials find their way to the bottom of the ocean. By purchasing natural organic clothes, you can help keep these microplastics away from the trash and out of our environment.

5. Safety and Job Opportunities

The more we buy organic clothes, the more brands will be inclined to produce them. Simple supply and demand reigns supreme, so we need to do our part to choose to do the right thing. This small “switch” to organic materials can help introduce safer working conditions for farmers and their families around the globe, especially in developing countries. They will no longer have to deal with plastics and chemicals in day-to-day life.

6. It Saves Energy, Money and Resources

Unlike its organic counterpart, conventional clothing requires significant amounts of financial and energetic resources. Usually, the production of synthetic fabrics requires fossil fuels, tons of water, harsh chemicals, and other harmful elements. This results in more carbon dioxide emissions, a high consumption of water, and the pollution of air, soil, and water. Opting to commit to organic clothes can improve our planet’s “health”.

It might be difficult to make a complete transition overnight, but you can start small and work your way into purchasing and wearing clothes that are made to last. If you don’t know where to start on your new clothing journey, seek out counsel from professional stylists or programs that can cater to your fashion sense, lifestyle, and body type. We owe it to future generations to take care of our blue planet and become responsible fashionistas that sport a responsible wardrobe.

Additionally, this transition from synthetic to organic will certainly provide new job opportunities for farmers as the demand for organic fabrics grows. Your small actions can help save the life of hardworking textile makers and farmers.

Be the Change

Everyone is now responsible for taking the actions and steps needed to ensure our planet’s safety. Everyone must contribute to humanity’s effort to protect our world from further harm.  Every single person can make a change to switch to organic clothing. Regardless of how small and insignificant it might seem, it will certainly have a positive impact on our future and coming generations.

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Tess DiNapoli is an artist, writer, and copy strategist who works with companies like Fundamental Coast. She has a passion for yoga and often writes about health, wellness and travel, but also enjoys covering the fashion industry and getting insight on the latest trends.

Publication: This article was published for InStyle 

Written by: Julia Guerra

Photo credit:  Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images

If you’re still hesitant to go braless, Stolch says bralettes and bandeaus are a great starting point because they’re comfortable, wireless, and padding-free. Plus, bralettes and bandeaus offer light support, “something we’re accustomed to feeling from years of wearing conventional bras,” she says, adding they also “provide a sense of security that we’re conditioned to expect as we operate in the world.”

Wear Your Workout Tops Outside the Gym

Busy prints distract the eye, so if you want to draw attention away from the fact that you aren’t wearing a bra, Stolch recommends opting for printed patterns around the bust area or extra embellishments, like ruffles or pockets.

Accessorize with Cardigans for Coverage

In addition to garments with smocked bodices, Valiente says denim dresses and jumpsuits or rompers are also awesome for not wearing a bra because the material is “dense yet stretchy; the perfect combination for bralessness of all sizes.”

If you want to minimize the risk of awkward situations, blazers are Conroy’s go-to for a cool look that works double-time to cover the nipple. “Even if you wear a sheer blouse or linen T-shirt, your braless journey will be your little secret,” she says.

Original Publication: Military Home Search

Clutter creates problems in many ways. It causes feelings of anxiety and stress by creating the sensation that a room is busy or messy. Clutter makes cleaning harder and more time-consuming. It creates spaces where insects and rodents can hide, and gives them material they can use to create their nest.

Cluttered homes are harder to sell because buyers have a harder time seeing the potential in rooms that are obscured by too many things. Finding what you need in a mess of clutter can be difficult, and sometimes impossible. Clutter hides dust, which can exacerbate allergies. In a worst-case scenario, clutter is even dangerous. It is flammable, feeds house fires, and when a house fire occurs, it can block exits. In homes with older occupants, clutter can also be a falling or tripping hazard.

This is all to say that clutter is a problem, sometimes a big problem, and decluttering on a regular basis is important. Removing clutter can improve your quality of life while also increasing the value of your property. These room-by-room tips will walk you through the process of removing clutter from your home.

Benefits of Decluttering

The most obvious benefit of decluttering is that it makes your home look better. However, there are many benefits of decluttering that are less obvious (though maybe more important).

Improves Concentration:

Clutter can be a constant reminder of things that must be done, and that can make it difficult to concentrate. Sometimes, clutter takes the form of stacks of bills to be paid; other times, clutter can be clothes that have never been organized, books that were meant to be shelved, or dishes that were never properly put away. Reducing clutter makes it easier for people who need to concentrate on their work, which can make them faster and more effective at whatever they’re doing.

Reduces Stress and Anxiety: 

For many people, a lack of order and stability can create anxiety. Decluttering creates a sense of order and stability. This is especially important for people who suffer from anxiety disorders and depression.

Stress and anxiety can have a negative impact on a person’s mood. One study found that mothers living in messy homes had higher levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. In this way, decluttering can instantly begin to lighten your mood and make you feel happy.

Improves Sleep:

Some sleep experts say that our brains watch for external dangers while we sleep, an instinct that has been with us since our caveman days. In a room with a lot of stimuli, finding sleep and staying asleep can be more challenging. It could be that our brains interpret clutter as danger, or a hiding place for danger. Either way, our sleep suffers when we’re in a bedroom with too much going on. For people suffering from insomnia, experts recommend putting away or removing clutter to signal to the brain that the room is a place of rest.

Find Lost Treasures: 

Decluttering is a process that involves going through old boxes, bags, the back of closets and so on. For many people, this becomes a way of finding lost treasures, missing pieces of jewelry, old photographs and things long forgotten.

Safety: The U.S. Fire Administration warns residents that clutter can prevent safe escape during a fire. Often, clutter becomes a fire hazard itself when it is kept close to heat sources. Clutter can get in the way of fire-fighting efforts, which can lead to loss of property and may even cost lives. Decluttering is healthy and promotes a safe environment in the home.

Decluttering Habits and Strategies

Staying on top of clutter by keeping it organized or throwing it out when it becomes too much often means adopting new habits. If you live with others, you’ll also need to ask your housemates or family members to adopt the same habits.

If you don’t work together with other members of your household, your own organizing and de-cluttering efforts will likely be overshadowed by the accumulation of other’s clutter.

Look at it this way: decluttering isn’t just an activity, it’s a lifestyle. Only by maintaining an organized lifestyle can you keep clutter at bay. Some tips:

• Establish a regular time to declutter, preferably once every week or two weeks.
• Get rid of anything not used in the last year.
• Throw away, recycle, or give away anything you don’t need (but focus on giving away and recycling).

Change Your Perspective:

One of the reasons clutter is so difficult to deal with is because most people stop noticing it after a little while. After something has become disorganized and has stayed that way for a long time, most people become immune to the problem. Many even forget what that part of their home looked like before it became disorganized. Disorganization becomes a part of the natural environment.

To recognize the full extent of the problem, most people need an outsider’s perspective. Have a parent, sibling, trusted friend or neighbor look at every room of your home and offer advice. Examine every shelf, closet and storage space. When examining the clutter, ask questions of the person who is helping you. For example:

• How would you organize this?
• What would you throw away?
• What’s the best organization system for this space?

These questions will help you get ideas for your decluttering efforts moving forward.

Ask the Right Questions:

Even if you’re looking through your house on your own, it’s still important to ask yourself questions as you evaluate your clutter and decide on a plan moving forward.

DO I TRULY NEED IT?

Most people hang onto things they don’t need. There are many reasons they do this. People associate memories very closely with objects, and sometimes they keep objects because throwing those objects away would be almost like throwing away a memory. However, it’s important to realize that these objects are not memories. Memories remain even after objects are gone.

In addition, many people hang on to objects out of concern they will someday need those objects again. When decluttering, it’s useful to assume that if an object has not been used in a full calendar year, it is not needed anymore.

WOULD I TRADE INNER PEACE FOR THIS?

This is a very powerful question. Clutter takes away peace. Keeping clutter is tantamount to trading peace away. While decluttering, many people find it helpful to think about the relationship between clutter and peace by asking themselves this question.

Creating a Routine: 

Decluttering routines should not be burdensome. Establish a daily decluttering habit and engage in deep-decluttering periodically throughout the year.

DAILY DECLUTTERING

Identify parts of the house that are easily cluttered (children’s toy areas, for example), and quickly clean those specific areas every day. Go through your mail every day. Keep what’s needed and recycle what isn’t.

QUARTERLY DECLUTTERING

Take time once every three months to deep clean a new part of the house. Parts that often need to be addressed during quarterly decluttering efforts include:

• Garage
• Attic
• Basement
• Closets
• Storage areas
• Spare rooms

Set a schedule at the beginning of the year to ensure that the worst parts of your house will be decluttered as needed. According to MiKADO, “If quarterly decluttering is not enough, increase these efforts to monthly, until the entire house has been cleaned and organized”.

Making To Do Lists:

Once you’ve evaluated your home’s clutter, make a to-do list. Divide your home into sections, and make a list of tasks to perform in each section.

Next, decide how much time it will take you to complete each section, and when each one will be finished. Spread the to-do lists out over a full calendar year. At the end of the calendar year, each part of your home should be fully decluttered.

Deal with Mail in One Setting:

Old mail can build up quickly. Make dealing with the mail a daily habit. Throw out or recycle what you don’t need as soon as it arrives. For those things you do need, establish a place to put the mail where it won’t become lost or forgotten. Buy a mail organizer and place the mail inside. The organizer you purchase should have different slots for different types of mail, including bills, coupons, flyers, and so on.

Clean out your mail slot at the end of the week. Teach your spouse and anyone else how to use the mail organizer. Label each slot for each different type of mail. If multiple people are using your organizer, train each of them to put mail away in the organizer. This is the only way to prevent it from becoming disorganized and less useful.

Memorize Fast:

Memorize this useful acronym to help you stay organized and avoid clutter.

• F: Fix a time. Establish a regular time each day and a quarterly schedule for eliminating clutter.
• A: Anything not used in 12 months. Get rid of anything that hasn’t been used in a year or more.
• S: Someone else’s stuff. Give back anything that you’ve borrowed from someone else.
• T: Trash. Throw away or recycle anything that you don’t need.

The FAST acronym is excellent advice for anyone hoping to declutter their home, but also just good practice for anyone who has already decluttered their home and wants to keep it that way.

• Mark your calendar or day planner with quarterly deep decluttering events.
• When borrowing something from someone, like a book or a movie, mark your calendar or day planner with a reminder to return that item to the right person.

Recycle as much as you can when decluttering. You might be surprised to learn which items cannot be thrown away. Many community sanitation departments require residents to take paint and tires to a special processing center. Familiarize yourself with the rules for your local sanitation department. Schedule pickups or drop off items as needed.

Fill One Trash Bag Per Day:

This deep-cleaning idea is useful for anyone who would like to remove or eliminate a lot of clutter very quickly: fill one trash bag per day. Begin each day by opening boxes, sifting through shelves, cleaning out the pantry and cleaning out closets. When one trash bag has been completely filled, then the decluttering is finished for the day.

Who should use this method? This short-term decluttering plan is a good way to clean out a house when a target date is quickly approaching. For someone who is expecting guests to come stay, or who will be soon putting their home up for sale, this method is fast and efficient without being overly burdensome.

Use this method if you have a lot of clutter that can be eliminated. This is the method for you if you have a garage, attic, basement or spare room that has been filled with years of waste. People who use this method have often been in the same home for a very long time, and have allowed the clutter to accumulate for many years.

Toss or Give Away One Item Per Day:

During your decluttering time each day, identify one item to toss or give away. This method does not get rid of much clutter very quickly, but is a good way to avoid a buildup of clutter in the long run.

Who should use this method? People who use this method don’t have a major clutter problem, and don’t need to get rid of a lot of clutter very quickly. In fact, people who use this method are usually maintaining an already well de-cluttered home. Doing this can help prevent clutter from becoming a problem.

Use the Four Box Method:

The “four box” method can be used to declutter any given space, like a shelf, closet, or even a bedroom. To get started, find four medium-sized boxes (or four large boxes, depending on the size of the space being decluttered). Label the boxes as follows:

• Keep. In this box, place anything that you want to keep.
• Not sure. This box will hold any item that you’re not sure if you want to keep, or what you would do with it.
• Throw away. In this box, place anything that needs to be thrown out.
• Give away. The “give away” box will hold anything that needs to be donated; this box can also be a miscellaneous box for shredding, recycling, and so on.

After labeling your four boxes, sort clutter in the designated space. When the boxes are filled, take time to put away anything in the “keep” box, throw away anything in the garbage box, and so on. Sort through the items in the “not sure” box. After seeing what you’ll be keeping and what you’ll be throwing away, it is sometimes easier to decide what to do with the “not sure” items.

One Month Box Test:

This test is a gauge of which household items are needed, and which ones are not. This test is often used to declutter small spaces like wardrobes and drawers. Take everything out of the space, and place them in a cardboard box. As you use items from the cardboard box, put them back in the space. In one month, whatever you haven’t used is not fully necessary, and should be donated or given to friends.

This test can be repeated in other parts of the house with clothes, seasonal decorations, DVDs, and so on. Perform the test throughout the year on different areas of the home. At the end of a year, you should have eliminated a significant amount of clutter.

Room-by-Room Steps for Decluttering

Each room of the house is different, and is thus decluttered in a different way. However, the basic steps for removing clutter remain consistent no matter which part of the house you’re in:

1. Empty the space completely.
2. Find a spot for each item one-by-one.
3. Get rid of each item that has no place in the home.

Removing clutter from the space before putting items back one at a time is important for two reasons.

First, it’s important to see what the bare space looks like. This puts into perspective just how much clutter has accumulated in the space, and gives you something to strive for when putting items back.

Second, it’s important to go through everything one at a time because it encourages you to analyse which items are needed, and which ones are not. As you follow this room-by-room guide, keep these basic steps in mind.

Items to look for during the room-by-room decluttering process include: scraps of paper, things that are broken, items that have not been used in a year or more, clothing that no longer fits, and so on. These objects are often not needed and can be eliminated.

BATHROOM

Bathrooms are small rooms that are expected to hold a lot of things. Cleaning products, medicines, toilet paper, personal hygiene products and towels are just a few of the many items that can be found in a standard bathroom.

Many pieces found in bathrooms are small, and some are quite small. Everything from bobby pins to jewelry to nail clippers can be found in most bathrooms. Often, these little objects are left loose on the counter where they contribute to an overall sense of mess and disorganization. The biggest challenge for a homeowner trying to organize their bathroom is in finding a place where all of these small, often miscellaneous items can be stored. These tips can help.

REMOVE EXPIRED MEDICINES

Sort through all medicines (including bags of cough drops and vitamins) and get rid of anything past its expiration date. Avoid dumping medicines down the toilet, especially if you’re on a septic system. Call your sanitation department, pharmacy or doctor’s office for instructions. Often, doctor offices and pharmacies will know about medicine take-back facilities or programs, where medications can be safely deposited.

INSTALL CREATIVE ORGANIZERS

One of the frustrating things about most bathrooms is the lack of organizers and functional storage space. Medicine cabinets tend to be shallow and have no mechanism for holding loose items like bobby pins and nail clippers. In some bathrooms, a lack of shelving and drawers can also contribute to the mess. The following are suggestions that can increase storage space while getting the clutter out of the way.

• Birdcage. Hang a bird cage from the ceiling to hold spare toilet paper rolls.
• Shelf over door. Install a shelf over the bathroom door to give yourself somewhere new to put some organizing bins.
• Office drawer organizer. Install an office drawer organizer in your vanity drawer, for sorting items like toothbrushes, hair brushes and combs.
• Magnetic strip. Install a magnet on the inside of the medicine cabinet door to hold the nail clippers and bobby pins.
• Tension rod. Install a tension rod or a clothes line in the cabinet under the sink, then hang cleaning bottles from it.
• Spice rack. Install a spice rack near your sink; these small kitchen accessories make excellent shelves for small items like medicine bottles.

BEDROOM

The bedroom is the home’s sanctuary, which means that it should be a place of relaxation and peace. In the bedroom, clutter can affect your ability to relax and sleep well. Decluttering can improve your ability to concentrate and find happiness while you’re there. As you declutter this room, clean off every horizontal surface and ask yourself one at a time, do I need this?

MAKE THE BED, CHANGE THE SHEETS

A messy bed can make the entire room look messy, which can contribute to an overall feeling that the job is impossible. Make your bed first, then move on to do more.

START SMALL

Bedrooms can look suspiciously tidy, even when they’re full of clutter. Don’t underestimate how long your decluttering efforts will take. Start small, working in one portion of the room, and then move on when that portion has been organized.

KEEP SMALL BINS FOR SMALL THINGS

Small things tend to accumulate in the bedroom, similar to the way they accumulate in the bathroom. Watches, jewelry, hair bands, chap sticks and other little personal items are often found in the bedroom.

Most people need these things in the bedroom for convenience. You can keep these items, but to make things look tidier, invest in some small ceramic dishes, baskets, trays or drawer organizers. Keep items sorted into bins with like items, so you know which container to reach for when you’re looking for something specific.

SORT THROUGH YOUR DRESSER

Most people assume if their clothes are in a dresser instead of on the floor that it doesn’t qualify as “clutter.” However, many people keep clothing items in their dressers that they really don’t need. Sort through your dresser drawer by drawer and make the conscious decision to keep (or not keep) each piece you find.

Once you’ve removed clothing pieces that you don’t need, sort clothes by category and put them away in drawers where they make sense, keeping like items together. Keeping your dressers organized and your clothes neatly folded will help you stay organized after your decluttering efforts are finished.

Put out-of-season clothes away in a storage area like the garage or in your basement, so the only clothes in your bedroom are the ones you’re likely to wear. Keep seasonal clothes together in their own drawer, so that when the time comes to switch out one season for another, all clothes are easy to find.

Finally, give dirty clothes a place to go if they don’t have a place already, by installing a hamper somewhere in your room. Put away any clothes on the floor at night either in the hamper or in the dresser before going to sleep.

CLOSET

In most bedrooms, the most valuable storage asset is the closet. When you’re decluttering your bedroom, focus on your closet. Even small closets can be critical for bedroom storage.

ASSESS EACH CLOTHING ITEM

Closets can easily get too full. Often, people will save items of clothing for years and years, only wearing those items once or twice. To declutter your closet, assess each item one by one. Ask yourself a series of questions:

• Do I wear this?
• Do I love it?
• Does it fit?
• Is it comfortable?

If the answer to any one of these questions is no, then that item of clothing can be donated.

MAXIMIZE STORAGE SPACE

Most closets have a lot of unused space. Installing shelves on the walls, and bins to place on the shelves, can help you make more use of that space.

• Install a pegboard on the wall to hold bags, hats, purses and hanging accessories.
• Use modular organizers to fill all unused space.
• Install a ladder to reach high shelves near the top.
• Install shelves on the inside of the closet door.
• Use a portable organizer on wheels to fill space, and wheel the organizer out of the closet when you need access to items behind it.

For walk-in closets, some people find it helpful to install a dresser or multiple dressers to keep clutter up off the floor.

Tips:

• When your decluttering efforts are finished, keep your closet clean by donating one or two old pieces of clothing for every new piece of clothing you buy.
• Leave yourself time; proper closet sorting may take several days, as closets can be full of many items.
• Ask someone who is not familiar with your closet to help you dream up organization solutions; sometimes it helps to have a fresh perspective.

ENTRYWAYS, MUDROOMS, + FOYERS

Entryways, mudrooms and foyers are often the first thing that people see when they enter your home. A cluttered entryway makes a poor impression on visitors, and can be a safety hazard, depending on the type of mess typically found there. Ideally, this part of the house will have little furniture and few personal possessions.

ENSURE EVERYTHING HAS A PURPOSE

Sort through each item in your foyer or mudroom one piece at a time. Typical items that can be found in this location include:

• Shoes
• Coats, jackets and sweaters
• Hats, scarves and gloves
• Keys
• Boots
• Umbrellas

Sort through each item one piece at a time and remove anything that does not need to be there. Stray items have a way of collecting in this part of the house. Extra shoes, in particular, are commonly found on the floor by the door or on the shoe rack. Establish a rule that limits the number of shoes that are allowed to be on the shoe rack at any given time, then ask people to remove extra pairs of shoes to keep the space tidy.

GET CREATIVE WITH ORGANIZERS

Foyers and mudrooms tend to be small, compact spaces. Organizers can help keep these spaces functional and attractive.

• Install a shoe rack to keep shoes off the floor.
• Place a bench with storage space near the shoe rack.
• Clean any foyer or mudroom closets.
• Attach hooks to the walls; assign one hook to each person in the house.

TIDY THE FOYER DAILY

Foyers and mudrooms can get messy quick. It is this space where people usually put down their bags when they enter the house; and sometimes items placed inside the door can be left there for a long time. Assign one person in the house to tidy this part of the house every night, to remove anything that may have been left there accidentally.

KITCHEN

Gadgets rule in the kitchen, which means that many kitchens are full to the brim of things that people only occasionally use. Contributing to the mess is non-perishable food that people buy but then don’t need.

Over time, pantries and cabinets can become so cluttered that finding things can become difficult. This can lead to a lot of waste and can even lead to pest infestations.

GET RID OF SPARES

Kitchens are often full of “spares.” Over holidays and birthdays, people accumulate extra mugs and silverware, multiple waffle makers and casserole dishes, and so on. These extra items may come in handy on rare occasions, but spend most of their time in the way.

Get rid of spares to free up valuable counter space, pantry space and cabinet space. Donate what you can’t bring yourself to throw away, or give your extra dishes to a relative or friend.

CONDENSE YOUR COOKBOOKS

Do you have a lot of cookbooks? Do you use all of them? Chances are, you have a few favorite books that you use regularly, and the rest of your cookbooks sit unused for the majority of the year. Donate cookbooks you use rarely, or use for only one or two recipes. Make copies of the recipes you want to keep, either by making a photocopy, taking a picture with your phone, or by copying the recipe onto a recipe card.

ELIMINATE EXPIRED FOODS

Sort through the dried foods in your cabinets. Check each expiration date, and toss any boxes of foods that are expired.

RE-THINK YOUR FOOD AND DISH STORAGE

Sorting through your kitchen gadgets, dishes and foods is likely to free up space, but is that space being used wisely? Evaluate each pantry, cabinet and shelf in your kitchen. Can you make spaces less cluttered by installing additional shelves or other storage solutions? Look for ways to personalize your storage.

BE CHOOSY ABOUT COUNTERTOP APPLIANCES

Small countertop appliances take up a lot of workspace. Evaluate each appliance that sits on your counters, from the toaster to the food processor.

How often do you use each appliance? Would you feel a hardship if you no longer had that appliance? Ask yourself, would you buy this appliance again today?

If an appliance is used at least once per week, then it likely belongs on your counters. If the appliance is only used once a month, it may belong in a closet or on a shelf. If an appliance is only used every quarter, it likely belongs in the donate bin.

LIVING ROOM

Living rooms tend to be one of the hardest spaces to declutter because they’re used by many people in the house. Everyone has an opinion about what should and should not be in the living room. When decluttering your living room, work with other family members. Get buy-in from the people you live with to make this job easier.

REMOVE STACKS OF PAPERWORK

If you like to pay your bills in front of the television, or do homework in a central part of the house, there’s a good chance that your living room is home to many stacks of paper. These stacks of paper do not belong in your living room. Sort and recycle, or place in your home office as needed.

DONATE UNUSED COMFORTS

Many people like to fill their couches and recliners with comforts like afghan blankets and pillows. Unless you find all of these objects necessary for true comfort in your living room, they’re likely just taking up space and making your living room feel more cluttered. Downsize the number of creature comforts and donate what you don’t use.

SELL OR DONATE OLD DVDS AND VHS TAPES

A lot of people no longer watch DVDs or VHS tapes, but still have movies in their living room “just in case.” If you usually watch your movies on an Internet streaming service, it’s time to get rid of your massive DVD and VHS tape collection.

PUT CHILDREN TOYS BACK IN THEIR ROOM

Children should not leave their toys in the living room. Have your children remove toys from this space when they’re done playing at the end of the day. If some toys have come to stay in the living room permanently, work with your children to find a more suitable place to keep their toys, either in the toy room, your child’s bedroom or even in the family room.

DOWNSIZE KNICK-KNACKS

Sentimental items like decorations and knick-knacks take up a lot of space and make your living room feel smaller. Reduce or eliminate the knick-knacks in your living room to leave the space open and comfortable.

Mistakes to Avoid When Decluttering Your Home

Decluttering can be an overwhelming and frustrating task. It’s easy to become burned out by the process, or to make time-consuming mistakes that can set you behind schedule. You can avoid this problem by planning your decluttering in advance. Here’s what you need to know to ensure that your decluttering process goes smoothly.

NOT ORGANIZING BEFORE YOU BUY

Buying items before you’ve organized your house can be a problem in several different ways. First, you’re more likely to buy something you already own, because you’re not sure what items can be found in the clutter in your home.

Second, when you get home with whatever you’ve bought, you won’t have anywhere to put them. As a result, you’ll put them somewhere that may not make sense. This can make your new stuff difficult to find.

Finally, buying items before you have somewhere to put them just makes it harder to become organized when the time comes.

Before you purchase new clothes, new books, a lot of food, and so on, have a place to put those items. Know how much you plan to buy, and whether that will fit in the space available.

OVER DOING IT

Very few people have the ability to focus on organizing (or any other task) for more than eight hours each day. Break your decluttering and organizing down into manageable chunks. Limit time spent decluttering to no more than eight hours per day. Once you’ve hit eight hours, take a break. Lay on the couch, relax, and eat a healthy meal.

NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH

It’s usually a mistake to stop your decluttering project midway through. You might plan to come back to your project in several weeks or months, but this is often impossible. More clutter will build up in the meantime, you’ll forget what you had planned to do with all the remaining clutter, and the room will become messy in the interval.

EXPECTING PERFECTION

Don’t spend too much time trying to achieve perfection. All throughout the decluttering process, you’ll find that some items just don’t have a perfect spot, and not everything can be thrown away.

Some things will be left to decorate your shelves, coffee table, nightstand and countertops. You’ll find that having these items around may be comforting, especially when the rest of your horizontal surfaces start to look rather bare compared to the way they once were. Enjoy seeing these little touches of you scattered around your home.

The Psychology Behind Clutter

 As you try to eliminate clutter from your life, you’ll find it helps to understand where clutter comes from, why people collect clutter, and why letting go can be so important. Not all of these reasons will apply to you; in fact, you may have just one or two reasons for allowing clutter to gather in your life. Still, knowing the cause can help you devise a solution.

FEELINGS OF LOW SELF-WORTH

Sometimes people hang on to clutter because they feel they don’t deserve any better than to live with mess in their life. Other times, they hang on to clutter because they believe that the items in their possession give them more value.

FEELING TOO SENTIMENTAL

Many people attach personal feelings to their possessions. Their possessions become interchangeable with the memories associated with the possessions, and the idea of giving those things up becomes painful.

PROCRASTINATION

Decluttering is hard work, and eliminating clutter takes time. Many people allow clutter to build up simply because they don’t have the time or don’t want to take the time to clean things up.

CHAOTIC LIFESTYLE

Sometimes clutter is essentially a lifestyle choice. People who have poor organizational skills and who are prone to buying many things often find it difficult to declutter.

OVERWORKED

Because removing clutter takes time, people who are naturally overworked will find it more difficult to remove clutter than those that don’t. People who work multiple jobs or who spend more than 40 hours per week at their job may find it difficult to keep their home clean and clutter-free.

FEELINGS OF BEING OVERWHELMED

Clutter can be overwhelming and defeating. Some people allow clutter to build up in their lives because they’re just not sure where to start.

FAILURE TO SET BOUNDARIES FOR YOURSELF

Sometimes you have to say no, I don’t need this. Not knowing when or how to do that can be a contributing factor to the development of clutter in the home.

COLLECTIONS

Sometimes clutter builds up because of a personal collection at home. Personal hobbies can lead to development of lots of clutter over many years.

UNDERSTAND YOUR CLUTTER PERSONALITY

If you have a habit of accumulating clutter, it’s very likely that this inclination is programmed into your personality. Recognizing and understanding this side of your personality can help you understand why you collect clutter. Knowing the why behind your clutter collecting can help you change the behavior.

PEOPLE WHO DON’T RECOGNIZE THEIR CLUTTER

By far, the largest group of people who allow clutter to accumulate in their home are the people who don’t recognize their own clutter.These people prefer not to have clutter in their home, but when faced with clutter day in and day out, they’ll stop noticing the clutter is there. When they clean their home, they’re very likely to clean around the clutter, looking past its presence.

People who don’t recognize their clutter often want to have a clean home, but because they don’t notice that the clutter is there, it’s very hard for them to clean their clutter up. Over time, the clutter can become very problematic indeed.

PEOPLE WHO CLEAR THEN RE-BUY

The second group of people are known to clear their clutter periodically. They recognize the clutter is there, and they want to get rid of it. After cleaning out the clutter, they’ll quickly start to buy more things that clutter up the home.

People who clear and then re-buy their clutter often like having many things around them. Although they want to have a clean and tidy home, they can’t seem to help themselves. When the chance to buy and keep more things in the home comes up, they will.

THE SUPER MAN OR SUPER WOMAN

The super man or super woman are those individuals who can’t or won’t acknowledge their own clutter because they feel pressure to be more organized. This third personality type spends a lot of time getting organized, but is generally made up of people who have too much to do and can’t spend any time fixing the problem in their life that resulted in the clutter in the first place. This personality type is doomed to deal with clutter forever, because they’re so busy and unable to reflect on the issues that can cause clutter to build up in the first place.

Stay on Top of Clutter

Clutter can be bad for your physical and psychological health. Clutter can make your home harder to sell and can even reduce your overall quality of life.

Decluttering and living as minimally as possible can add many benefits to your overall well-being. By making time to practice these tips a little bit each day, you’ll see an overall improvement in your life.

To improve your quality of life, manage your clutter now before it starts to pile up. The more often and earlier that you work on eliminating your clutter, the easier this task becomes.

Written by: Sanziana Bona

Original Publication: Rent Cafe

This past year, many people had to convert their humble abodes to accommodate a work-from-home office. And that’s not all – but cooking, working out and, in some cases, homeschooling, all took place in the same space. Unfortunately, with all these activities going on inside the home, keeping things organized can be quite a challenge.

So, while we’re all waiting for things to get back to normal, it’s important to make our homes as comfortable and accommodating as possible – for all our needs. And, with 2020 coming to an end, now is a great time to think about what we want to change in 2021 – not only in our lives, but also in our homes – even if this means cleaning and organizing the entire house. To help, we asked 15 experts for their tips on how to turn organizing your home into a New Year’s resolution that you will actually get done. Here are their suggestions:

 

1. Just Start – Organizing has a Snowball Effect!

At times, it’s better to just do something, without thinking too much about it. According to Michelle Hansen, organizing expert and owner of Practical Perfection, the same applies to organizing.

“Oftentimes, people are so overwhelmed at the thought of decluttering and organizing that they never do it. But, the reality is that the longer you put it off, the more daunting it becomes. You build it up in your mind to be such a big ordeal that nothing ever gets done.

So, turn up some energetic music, get into some comfy clothes and just start. And, if you feel paralyzed at the thought, just start small. Even organizing something as simple as a junk drawer can make a big difference in your life. The best part is that organizing has a snowball effect. When you realize how much better it makes you feel, it motivates you to organize another area. Living in an organized apartment can literally transform your life for the better. So, stop putting it off and start today – even if it’s something small.”

2. Pick One Space to Begin With

According to Laura Sandberg, space solving expert and founder of Let Laura, it’s good to choose one area in which to begin the organizing process. Then, with the intention of decluttering in mind, move on from there.

“Our homes are full of people, love, and stuff. Organizing the stuff makes more room for the things that are important to you, like the people and the love! As a renter and professional organizer who moves and unpacks clients, I see first-hand how expensive moving is. You’ll save so much time, energy, and money each time you move if you clear the clutter (let’s be honest, most likely, you don’t use, love, or need the majority of it) and cultivate your optimal space.

Pro tip: Pick one space to start with. A good one for January is holiday items because it’s fresh in your mind and decision-making will be easier – you know exactly what you used and what you didn’t. Keep this guideline in mind throughout the year and always review your items at the change of a season or occasion.”

3. Approach Bite-Sized Projects for Quick Wins

Decluttering your home can be overwhelming. But, starting with small projects, as opposed to diving straight into big ones, allows you to build up the energy and motivation not to give up after the first project.

“To start with decluttering, my number one tip is, begin with bite-sized projects,” said Ester Konz, personal organizer and blogger at Uncluttered Simplicity. “They are simple ways that give you quick wins, which will then inspire you to tackle those bigger projects that you’ve been putting off.

Tackle the junk drawer, fold and put away the laundry, make the bed, clear your bathroom counter, address a clutter hotspot or do a five-minute trash collection: a few practical decluttering examples that will only take 5 minutes a day. Remember, a journey is taken step by step, and this new year, the same goes for decluttering your home or life.”

4. Create Simple, Common Sense Habits

As Juli Oliver, professional organizer and founder at OrganizeNY, simply puts it:

“If you open it, close it. If you take something out, put it back. If you turn it on, [then] later, turn it off. Common sense, right? But, creating a new habit even as simple as these takes time. Don’t get frustrated, just keep doing it and, eventually, it will click without a second thought.”

5. Maximize All Available Space

Make sure you use all the space you have, but use it smartly. David Cusick, CSO and executive editor of House Method, has three main tips:

“Utilize the space under the bed. With limited space in a rental apartment, you need to take advantage of this storage opportunity. You can store seasonal items and other bulky stuff you have under your bed. Just put them in storage boxes that will fit under the bed.

Maximize your wall space. Free up some floor area by taking advantage of the wall space you have. Install hanging shelves and organizers, which will also allow you to see your stuff quite easily.

Clear the countertops. Whether it’s in the bathroom or the kitchen, a clean and uncluttered countertop can make your apartment look neat and organized. Organize the items in the drawers, instead.”

6. Swap Your Stuff More Often

Don’t focus on swapping things in your home just twice a year based on weather.

“You’re probably used to a seasonal swap two times a year when the weather changes,” said Rob Truglia, senior brand marketing manager at MakeSpace. “Now that we spend so much time at home, it’s important to rotate our décor and furniture to match smaller occasions or micro seasons. Beyond just weather, think about what items can enhance your experience based on holidays, hobbies or design trends. This will leave you with a home that’s more inspiring and spacious. If you don’t have the storage to accommodate this, consider full-service storage solutions to make things easier.”

7. Nonessential Item to Rid Your Home Of – Paper Clutter

As Amy Bloomer, MA – organizational psychology at Columbia University and professional organizer at Let Your Space Bloom – states, when it comes to organizing, it’s important to start by ridding your home of nonessential items in 2021.

When it comes to paper clutter, “I encourage my clients to deposit all catalogs and junk mail into a recycling bin before entering their homes. Place magazines where you will read them (on a bedside table) and commit to recycling them immediately after reading them. If there is any information that you want to save, take a picture of it and move on.”

Another thing is to “recycle cardboard packaging throughout your home, stripping excess cardboard packaging from nonperishable food items, toilet paper, medication and frozen food, just to name a few. Once you recycle all that cardboard, you’ll realize you have more space than you originally thought.

The above is what I would consider quick and easy, low-hanging fruit. Many people are busier than ever during this quarantine period trying to manage homeschooling, working, and household responsibilities. It’s important to be realistic about finding small projects that are doable with limited time.”

8. Discard the Cardboard Boxes

Rhea Becker, organizer and decluttering expert at The Clutter Queen, also stands by getting rid of cardboard boxes.

“I know, you’re convinced you will need the box if you decide to return something you bought,” she said. “OK. But, chances are, you won’t. Or, you believe that you will seek out these boxes when it comes time to move. Not likely.

Here are a few other reasons you need to discard the cardboard: boxes take up too much valuable space in your apartment, they create visual chaos, and they attract rodents.”

9. Place a “Moratorium” on Bringing Anything Into Your Home That Isn’t Perishable

It’s important not to feel the need to fill the available space we have in our homes with just anything. Lisa Dooley, organizing coach at Your Organized Life, advises not to bring things into your home unless you have a good reason and purpose for it.

“The challenge for most of us is that we buy, buy, and buy some more because ‘it’s on sale,’ ‘I’m bored,’ ‘I think I can find a use for it,’ etc. In addition to buying things, we accept as gifts things [that] others are getting rid of – an extra couch, bookcase, holiday decorations, etc. But space is finite and having more can easily become overwhelming. And, we’ve achieved the opposite effect by adding more stuff to care for, replace, maintain and repair than we had before. Instead, make your resolution to purge the unneeded and unused – and don’t just fill up space! Donate items through your local community sites, so it finds an appropriate ‘good home.’”

10. When in Doubt, Do it NOW

Delaying your organization will only lead to more of a mess and clutter multiplying, thereby making it that much harder to take care of and get sorted out. For this reason, Lucy Milligan Wahl, a professional organizer at LMW Edits LLC, suggests doing it now:

“This resolution has all sorts of applications! When you see a piece of trash, throw it out. When you realize you no longer like or use something, put it in a bin for donation. When you notice something that belongs to someone else in your household that’s out of place, put it in their room or workspace. When your laundry bin is full, start a load. When your sink is full, wash the dishes.

Dishes aren’t clutter until the sink gets full and household members start leaving dishes in other spots. Laundry isn’t clutter until dirty clothes overflow onto furniture and the floor and get mixed up with other stuff. Trash isn’t clutter until the trash can fills up and you stop collecting it.

The best part about making the resolution to do things NOW is that it will help you decrease the total amount of clutter in your home over time – without needing to take on a big, top-to-bottom reorganization project.”

11. Take Advantage of Vertical Space to Increase Storage Options

Susan Santoro, a professional organizer and blogger at Organized 31, believes that it’s essential to make the most of any space you have in your home to store and organize things.

“In an apartment, it’s especially important to take advantage of vertical space to increase your storage options. Apartments have two often-overlooked areas that I recommend you fully utilize. My first and favorite tip is to use the often-overlooked space at the top of closets above the shelf. You can add inexpensive shelf risers and temporary hooks to the space above the closet shelf to add up to 20% more storage space. This space is perfect for items that are not used often, such as out-of-season clothing, holiday decorations, and suitcases. An inexpensive, folding step stool makes this otherwise inaccessible, hidden space useful. Secondly, you can use the space on top of kitchen cabinets to store seldom-used appliances, mixing bowls, baking pans, and other large items. Shelf risers increase the usable space here, too. Use decorative baskets or bins if you’d like to hide the items from view.”

12. Be Realistic About How Much Time and Energy a Task Requires

Before you begin organizing an area of your home, make sure you have enough time and energy to finish. Ben Soreff, a professional organizer at House to Home Organizing, suggests that the most important thing when it comes to organizing is how much time it takes to get it done.

“Many people make resolutions regarding organizing their space. However, it is important to remember to be realistic about how much time you need to dedicate to the task and your energy level. Most people don’t finish what they start around the house because life gets in the way, especially if you add kids into the mix. Organizing isn’t about stuff, it’s about time. Tackle projects in bite-sized chunks. Don’t pull everything out of the closet and then quickly shove it back in when the phone rings for a work emergency, leaving it worse off than if you hadn’t ‘cleaned up.’ I suggest setting the smartphone timer and focusing on 15-minute sessions.”

13. Make Your Home More Productive

Wendy Yates, principal designer at Abigail-Elise Design Studio, says, organizing your home allows you to make the most of what it has to offer.

“Our biggest trick is to utilize multipurpose pieces in your new plans. This includes tables with storage, coffee tables that have two different heights for different activities, and movable screens – especially if you are working from home without a separate office.”

14. Donate, Give Away or Sell Clothing That No Longer Fits

We tend to hold on to old clothing in the hopes that at one point in the future, we will wear it again.

“Start 2021 with a clean slate by donating, giving away, or selling clothing that no longer fits you,” said Jordan Stolch, expert style advisor and founder of MiKADO. “We often hold on to these items out of sentimental attachment or strictly because we’ve spent money on them. But, when space is limited in our homes, unworn clothes are occupying very valuable real estate. Not only do clothes that no longer fit us trigger an adverse mental reaction every time we look at them – reminding us we’re no longer that size – but if we were to lose the weight in the future, it’s almost guaranteed we’d want to celebrate by investing in a new wardrobe.”

15. Focus on Kitchen Organization

There are many things to invest in that are extremely beneficial for your home, especially to organize your kitchen. Saul Cerni, founder of Home ISD, suggests:

“Use plastic containers to organize perishables on every shelf in the pantry, the fridge, and every cupboard. Categorize everything as you do it, so you can find everything you need easily. Not only [does] it help to keep the kitchen tidy, but it makes it much cleaner and odor-free as well. For renters, it also prevents any damage to the fridge and the shelves that spoiling food can cause.”

With these tips in mind, set your own goals for what you expect to achieve as far as organizing your home in the new year. Make sure to be realistic about your resolutions to ensure you can cross them off your list as being done. Here’s to a new year and a newly organized home!

Original Rent Cafe article here.