Declutter at the Speed of Life
Have you watched Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix? If you have, then maybe it’s time you put some elements into practice and declutter at the speed of life.
Disclaimer: I AM NOT TELLING YOU TO GET RID OF YOUR BOOKS. SCREW THAT.
I am a major declutterer. I love it. It’s an odd passion of mine but I love spending a Saturday or Sunday just going through boxes and getting rid of things and making space for new things.
Declutter at the Speed of Life
As a Londoner who spends a lot of time exploring many different lifestyles, from zero-waste to feminism, decluttering is another to add to the neatened pile.
Here are some of the best tips I have on how to declutter, from Marie Kondo’s Netflix show to other programmes such as Consumed (also on Netflix) and books, like Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White.
Pile all of your clothes on your bed
When it comes to clothing this really is a great tip from Marie Kondo. When it’s hung up or in a drawer, you won’t realise how much stuff you have, or how little you use. I always find T-Shirts and socks that I never wear when I chuck all of my clothing onto my bed, and it makes it a lot easier to sort through it all and get rid of what I don’t wear and keep what I do.
Declutter your books regularly
Don’t worry, as the disclaimer says I’m not one for calling a book cull. What I am for is reminding you what books you do have and what books you don’t. Every month if you give yourself a reminder that you have that book by Sally Rooney to read or that book on Money you had to have, then you’re more likely to actually remember to read them.
I’m one of many culprits who will go on a book-buying binge and then leave them on my bookshelf for years. Remind yourself that you own them and sooner, rather than later, you’ll get to read them. After you’ve read them it’s up to you whether you keep them or not. For me, I normally leave it for three months and if I’ve not had the urge to flick through it or ‘miss it’ then I tend to get rid of them.
Organise your kitchen cupboards
Not only will this make your weekly/monthly shop so much easier it will also look so much more appetizing when it comes to cooking that last-minute dinner. I’ve bought vintage containers from flea markets to house some of my dry goods and mason jars for everything else.
I regularly check my tins, cans and other goods for their expiry dates and bring everything fresh or in need of being used up to the front so that I use them up first.
Make your bed
This may not sound like a decluttering must but actually, it is. How many of us use our beds for dumping grounds when we haven’t made the bed? For clothes, wires, hangers or bags? I do. I’m less likely to leave a mess on my bed when the bed is made. Maybe for a moment but not all day.
Put your washing up away
Don’t just leave your now-dry washing up on the side, put it away as soon as it is dry. It will make your kitchen look so much less cluttered and keep everything cleaner and fresher for longer.
Organise your bathroom cabinets
Have you ever opened your cabinet only to have your LUSH bath bombs and refillable shampoo bottles fall on you? Just me then. Organise those cabinets. Have the items you use regularly at the front, like floss and toothpaste, and all of the others behind but still visible. If it’s not visible you will not use it.
Hang everything up
If you have clothes that need hanging up then put them on hangers when they’re dry. If you have bags don’t leave them on the floor, hang them up. Coats, jackets, cardigans and scarves, hang them up. They look so much better than just scattered around the floor, bed, sofa or bottom of the wardrobe.
Declutter every month at least. It will keep your anxiety from skyrocketing as you’ll feel more in control of your life, plus fewer things will go to waste.
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