Here’s a list of ten questions to ask yourself when you’re cleaning your closet, spring cleaning or just decluttering your house.
If you’re truly ready to purge and organize your home, it may be time to face a hard truth. You’re probably holding on to a lot of stuff you really don’t need.
I’m going to give you a list of ten smart questions to ask yourself. As you banish the clutter from your home, answer these questions honestly. You will eliminate a lot of items and finally be able to declutter your home.
10 Questions To Ask Yourself When Decluttering
1. When was the last time I wore or used this?
As you go through each area of your home, think about the last time you wore or used the items there.
Your closets may be full of clothes and you only wear a very small percentage of them frequently. Your kids may have toys everywhere and have one or two favorites they love. Bookshelves throughout your home may be overflowing with novels and magazines you’ll never read again.
If you are not using an item, get rid of it.
2. Is this still in style?
Fashions change in the blink of an eye. It’s a real struggle to keep up. Clean your closet and remove clothes that are no longer in style. Donate them, throw them out or re-purpose them, if you’re crafty.
3. Do I feel obligated to keep this?
Sometimes, we receive gifts or inherit items that we don’t like or that we know we won’t ever use. We feel guilty about letting them go and that’s when they become sentimental clutter.
What you should feel guilty about is the layer of dust covering a gift on some far corner of a shelf somewhere. There is someone out there who would fully appreciate and use the gift so let them have it. Don’t let guilt be a reason you hold onto clutter.
4. How many do I have?
You don’t need duplicates of the same item in your home. If something breaks, you can always go out and purchase another at that time. Discard or donate anything in your home that serves a similar purpose as something else.
5. Does this still work?
If it’s broken and you haven’t taken the time to get it fixed after a few weeks or even months, why is it still in your house? Clearly it is something you can, and have been, living without so it’s not a must-have.
6. Does this match my decor?
It’s hard to decorate a house. One reason is it’s expensive and another is you may not know what styles you like or what looks good together. So often, people move into a home and furnish it with hand-me-downs or odd finds. It works for a time, but after a while, your taste may evolve.
Even if everything in your home coordinated beautifully, trends change. If an item no longer fits (or never fit) with the rest of the decor in your home, you know the drill. Get rid of it.
7. Is this seasonal?
Seasonal items like holiday decorations do not need to be stored in your home year round. Put them in storage bins in the garage or storage shed. Bring them into the house only when needed.
8. How much space does this item need?
Think twice before keeping bulky items around that you don’t absolutely need. Also, try trading in an item that serves just one purpose for another that has multiple uses. This way, you will be storing one item instead of several.
9. Is this worth keeping?
Items that are old, while they may function well, may not be worth keeping if there is something more efficient on the market. Think about the pros and cons and see if it is better to get rid of old possessions in favor of newer models.
10. Does this make me happy?
If an item genuinely makes you happy, keep it! If it doesn’t hold any sentimental value and you don’t thoroughly enjoy its use or presence, then you can throw it out.
It makes no sense organizing things you don’t need. The bottom line is that you need to be brutally honest and ruthless when trying to organize your home.
This list of ten questions to ask yourself can really open your eyes. If you answer them honestly, you can be sure every item you keep has great value to you.
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