Decluttering a living space can be an incredibly satisfying experience that can help reduce stress and anxiety. If you are looking to do some spring cleaning but are not sure where to start, here is a 5-step process for decluttering your home, room by room:

Step One: Sort and Pile

Instead of focusing on where to put everything, start sorting by what you want to throw away. This can help you be realistic about the space you are trying to organize and understand if this is a weekend or weeknight kind of project.

You will want to throw away the following:

• Old/expired items
• Things that are broken and take too much to get repaired
• Items you use less than one season a year
• Common sources of mess

Step Two: Commit to Throwing It Away

As soon as you have your discard pile ready, load it into the car and head out. Easy places to get rid of old items include:

• Charity bins
• Goodwill donation pickup
• Recycled garbage dumps

Step Three: Plan for What is Realistic

Make sure that you are planning realistically. It makes no sense to put everyday use items out of reach. Instead, focus on making it as neat as possible without adding extra effort to your day to day routine. This can include:

• Snacks and kids’ items located at lower heights
• Tupperware stored where it fits instead of being thrown in a cupboard
• Laundry hampers placed in high traffic areas such as bathrooms and bedrooms

Step Four: Buy Storage Containers

There are countless bins, baskets, and boxes available to buy at your closest home goods store. Pick up all the storage you will need to make it easier to tidy up in the future. By choosing fun and unique designs, you can add character to your home and keep it tidy at the same time.

Step Five: Put It All Away

While this is the easiest part of the project, it is also the most neglected part. Often, we leave this until tomorrow only to realize that weeks have passed, and their “temporary holding spot” has become their new home.

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