How to Ensure Decluttering Is a Delight (And Not a Drag!) WRITTEN BY NATALIE JONES

Look on the bright side.

Decluttering can take some effort. There is no denying that. There is much to gain from the effort, though, so keeping the pluses in mind can be highly motivational. For instance, when you find things you’re ready to part ways with but those belongings still have life left in them, the second-hand economy is an opportunity to turn those unwanted goods into some spending money. And as Gumtree notes, it’s kind to the environment, keeps items out of landfills, and it gives others the chance to make affordable purchases.

Another option is to donate items to charity. Several ways are giving, promoting your well-being, releasing feel-good chemistry in your brain, improving life satisfaction, and helping out your community. In fact, when it comes to mental benefits, having an uncluttered home offers many vital perks, like reducing anxiety, promoting sleep, and reducing exposure to allergens. With all that to reinforce you, get ready to dig in!

So how will you do this?

There are several effective decluttering methods, and you might need to try a couple to see what fits your personality best. Some people like to pare down one item every day, and some choose to do as many as the day of the month, such as 15 items on the 15th. Another popular method is to use four boxes for sorting. Each box receives a designation, such as donate, throw out, put away, and undecided. Whatever method you choose, keep in mind that some items that are no longer useful can be recycled so that you might want a separate area for those things.

Beware of bunnies

As you go about your business, you’ll likely discover your clutter is harboring a bunch of bunnies - dust bunnies, that is. The last thing you want when you’re rolling along through clutter is to have to drop everything and fetch various cleaning supplies, so consider putting together a handy cleaning caddy. As Clean Mama points out, a cleaning caddy can be somewhat personal, so think about what cleansers you like and what container is convenient. You can even DIY some nontoxic cleansers with products in your pantry, such as baking soda and white vinegar. A hand vac can also be a boon, as well as a duster.

Cleaning as you go will feel good since each space will sparkle when you’re done. For further motivation, keep things moving by putting on some upbeat music! If you don’t have one saved, House Beautiful offers their favorite cleaning playlist here.

Keep clutter out of your home.

Once you get your home all tidied up, you won’t want clutter coming back. One of the big culprits of returning clutter is paper. If you still have paper coming into your home, you can take steps to cut it out of your life almost completely. The Spruce suggests one way to reduce paper is moving to electronic billing statements. You can also scan important documents to the cloud, along with your favorite photos. And put an end to subscription services and junk mail since all that is on the web anyway.

Of course, paper isn’t the only source of clutter. To maintain an uncluttered home, some experts suggest planning a 15-minute decluttering session each week, and you’ll be surprised how far you can get. Another idea is to invite guests to your home for dinner regularly. When others see your space, it’s surprising how motivational it can be to clear things out!

Decluttering doesn’t need to drag you down. Think of all you can gain, put together your supplies, and crank up some music! Your home will be clutter-free, and you’ll have a delightful time making it that way.