Simple steps to declutter your home

Tackle unwanted clutter with our easy guide to getting started

When spring arrives, we have a natural inclination to bring a breath of fresh air into our homes by cleaning and decluttering. This process of ‘getting our house in order’ can be cathartic, unburdening ourselves of ‘stuff’ and reducing the anxiety caused by clutter. But often getting started can be overwhelming when there’s a lot to tackle, so follow our easy guide to help you take the first steps.

Make a plan

Like any big job, organising what you want to declutter, when and how, will help you focus on the task. Divide the job up into sections – maybe by room or item – and set milestone dates for getting each one done. Leave areas like a shed, workshop or garage until the weather is fine and items can be piled outside while you do the sorting.

Start small

Sometimes clearing out a space that’s stacked full of unwanted items can bring on a sense of overwhelm. Break the job down into handy bite-sized pieces – perhaps start with just a messy drawer of kitchen utensils, one shelf of a bookcase, or a pile of knitwear in your wardrobe.

Sort into piles

Decide if items can be resold, donated or recycled first, before resorting to the tip. Sort into large labelled boxes for each, to keep everything organised. You may also find there are items that need to be fixed or repaired – find your local Repair Café or check out their online repair guides for household gadgets. Consider also whether any of your items could be repurposed – like using old jam jars for tea lights in the garden or upcycling an old wine crate into wall-mounted shelving.

Use storage solutions

Once items have been sorted, keep them tidy and easier to find by using storage solutions. From a shoe rack and coat hooks, to drawer organisers or wicker baskets, get inspired to be a neat freak with the stylish storage at A Place for Everything.

Lightweight, strong and durable, plastic baskets and crates are ideal for helping you get organised, but check the sustainability credentials of the products you are buying. The sleek range developed by Finnish brand SmartStore, available at Homebase, has options made from bio-based and recycled plastic.

Don’t forget to reuse old containers to stash small items too, like biscuit tins or shoe boxes.

Donate the easy way

Of course, any task is made more palatable if it’s easier to tackle. Instead of having to run a car loaded with boxes to your local charity shop, you can now get donations picked up from your doorstep. At both Anglo Doorstep Collections and I Collect Clothes free pick-ups for homeware and clothes can be booked online and you can choose which of their charities to support.

If you live in the London area, please consider giving unwanted furniture and homeware to our charity partner, Furnishing Futures. They support women escaping domestic abuse, creating healing homes for them in empty social housing.

Little and often

Once you’ve finished decluttering an area, don’t let all your good work go to waste. Keep on top of tidying items away in their proper place each day, rather than letting them be dumped on a counter or left on the floor.