10 Decluttering Projects That May Change Your Life

10 Decluttering Projects That May Change Your Life

Just the thought of decluttering your home can be overwhelming, making it hard to get started. Shop-O-Rama has some solutions for you.

One way to move ahead with your decluttering dream is to take small steps and tackle one area of a room or closet at a time. Even one small decluttering project a month will make you feel better and will save you time and money. No more endless searching and buying things you already have!

Make a plan

Jot down the decluttering priorities in each room, based on what is most important to you.

Each time you declutter one area, check it off your list and pat yourself on the back. This will motivate you to keep going. Work your way down your list on a regular basis whenever you can.

Try to put away or discard items and papers before they build up. Regularly go through your drawers and cupboards, discarding, donating, selling and recycling once you have decluttered.

1. Declutter your hall closet for a grand entrance

Are you starting to duck every time you open your hall closet door? If your closet is bulging with coats, shoes, bags and hats you no longer use, you can solve that with a few simple steps:

• Sort the items by season
• Donate any coats you don’t wear or that your children have outgrown
• Remove out-of-season jackets and put them in another closet or bin, ready to return to the hall closet when the seasons change
• Place baskets or bins on the closet floor for your bags, hats and mitts, umbrellas, tennis racquets and other items you grab on your way out the door

2. Every home needs a junk drawer!

This is a place to stash all those odds and ends that suddenly appear – screws, bolts, coins, keys, and business cards – a short-term sorting station that will save you time. Go through it monthly to keep it in order. Use small baskets or containers with compartments to put items neatly away for the next time you need them.

3. Bathroom

Have you looked under your vanity lately?

• Discard empty containers of shampoo, liquid soap and body lotion. Donate unused hotel shampoo and soap to your local shelter or use them when you go away.
• Pack up any cosmetics, nail polish or items you no longer need and cart them off to your local recycling center
• Baskets or wood containers will keep your toiletries and supplies organized and easy to find

4. Kitchen Freezer Overload?

Managing your freezer is an excellent money-saving decluttering project to put near the top of your list.

Life gets busy, so it’s easy to forget what you have in the freezer and how long it’s been there unless you write the name of the contents and the date on each package.

• Check the condition of the items and discard any that are well past their best before date. Freezer burn on meat or other food products may not make them inedible, but it will change the taste and texture.
• Section off your freezer by type of food to make it easy to find and then date and identify new items as you purchase them
• Plan to use what you have in the freezer before purchasing any more food!
• If you’re not sure how long you can freeze certain items, refer to this handy guide. In Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/general-food-safety-tips/safe-food-storage.html
• In the United States: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety

5. Keep it spicy!

Fresh spices add so much flavor to our favorite recipes, but when you can’t find the one you want or it has lost its aroma, then maybe it’s time to organize your spices.

• Look closely at each container, smell it and check the best-before date. Some spices lose their power after about a year, but others last longer. If you’re not sure about the condition of a spice, refer to a reputable spice website for guidelines on how long to keep your spices.
• Replace spices that are no longer doing their job and add a few others that you really enjoy and use
• Date your spices with a marker so you know when you opened them
• Store in a dark cabinet away from direct sunlight and the heat of your stove

6. The Pantry

This is one decluttering job that could be spread out over a few days, depending on the size of your pantry.

• Take a close look at the food products in your pantry, and make a note of the best-before dates. Discard any food that is well past this date and no longer safe to eat.
• If you are feeling energetic, remove everything from your pantry and give it a thorough cleaning, or work shelf by shelf over a few days or weeks.
• Store items in bins or baskets on the pantry shelves, and write the type of product on the bin. This way you can easily see which supplies are running low and add them to your grocery list.

7. End food container chaos!

There’s nothing more satisfying than sorting out your food storage containers. No more mismatched lids and bottoms! When putting away your clean storage containers, place the lids in one container and stack the bottoms inside each other, matching shapes and sizes.

Clutter-free storage is one thing that can simplify your life, save time, money and keep food fresh.

8. The paper chase

Despite the move to online billing, we still get some bills by snail mail, as well as donation requests, newsletters and greeting cards. On top of that, we have newspapers, magazines, and flyers to recycle.

It’s best to shred any papers that include your personal and banking details. Recycle all other paper in your regular recycling service.

Whether you follow the “handle paper only once” method or prefer to handle it as many times as needed, having a place to put it is an effective way to prevent paper from piling up. This means as soon as you receive mail or any paper, put it where it belongs – in your file folders, in a to-do pile, or immediately into recycling or a bin for paper to be shredded.

9. Books

It’s not easy to part with treasured books, but they do take up a lot of shelf space. If they are starting to build up and you don’t plan to read them again, donate them to a local community organization or give them to friends. You can also thin out your bookshelf by placing your books in a little free library in your neighborhood.

10. Board games and toys

The best way to deal with toy and game clutter is to do a thorough clean-out every change of season. As your children outgrow the toys, pass them on to neighborhood children or a donation centre, or have a yard sale!

Repair or discard broken toys, games and puzzles. Seniors’ residences, community centers and youth organizations may welcome some board games and toys.

If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to visit Shop-O-Rama for assistance. We would be happy to help you in any way we can.