How To Keep Your Space (Mostly) Clutter Free & To Your Liking.
You may have just done a big declutter of your home or space, and now wonder - "How do I maintain these decluttered spaces?" (Or you might be worried that you won't be able to maintain it, so you want to learn how to do this before tackling the decluttering process).
It will all depend on various influences and factors, but I have broken it down into generalised tips for you that I hope will assist you in maintaining your decluttered spaces.
Let's begin with some influencing factors that may contribute to clutter in your home or space. These are the things that we can't control, but we can influence to a certain extent. These mainly are:
You share the space with other people- they all have different habits, capabilities, values, attitudes and needs.
Your physical, mental & emotional capabilities.
Your access to decluttering resources and assistance. E.g. A secondhand store; availability to hire a local clutter clearer; money to hire services to assist in removing clutter; access to knowledge on how to declutter; the appropriate vehicle to transport clutter to the tip or the appropriate place for it to go.
This is what you can control when it comes to decluttering:
Your own habits, values, needs, attitude and knowledge about managing clutter.
Read on for my tips on how to maintain the clutter in your home or space.
I also have a special gift for you at the end. 🎁
Tip #1 - Organise the items that remain in the space.
Without an organisational system for your items, the kept items will end up looking like clutter. It will all depend on the type, size, and amount of your items as to how you will need to organise them. I will do a post in the future about how to organise your space. But in a nut shell, the items need to be allocated a 'home'. This is so that you know where to put back the items and retrieve them when needed. Items like to be kept with similar items (their 'family'). It is also beneficial to keep items in the space, zone or room that it is mostly used in. E.g. Cutlery is usually kept in the dining area.
Organising materials such as tubs, bins, trays, sorters, baskets etc, are recommended for keeping items categorised and tidy. They don't have to be expensive. I started my organising journey by repurposing shoe boxes, jars, boxes, and items found from the secondhand store. I made labels out of cardboard and twine.
An organised space is not only pleasing on the eye, but it gives you back precious time, energy, money, and sanity.
Tip #2 - Create a system for the maintenance of the organisation of the items.
Keeping a space organised requires maintenance also. However, it can be super simple to do if certain efficient habits are added to your personalised daily routines. Here are some suggestions that I implement in our home:
Put items away after use.
Before leaving a room, put one item back where it belongs (if needed).
Do a quick tidy in the morning and night. I just put the timer on for 10 mins, and then tidy for 10 mins only. If i don't get everything tidy, it is still better than what it was. I use a laundry basket to quickly gather the items, and then I can save time going backwards and forwards collecting the items. This saves time and energy.
Identify when an organisational system is not working and tweak accordingly.
It can take time to establish an effective organisational system, but some form of system is better than none.
"Guilt is the number one reason why people keep items that they don't love."
Tip #3 - Reflect on why spaces tend to gather clutter.
Think back as to why there was clutter in the first place. Write it down and then write down a solution to the problem if you can. Some reasons why clutter can accumulate can include:
Acquired items from an estate, passed loved ones and/or family heirlooms that you feel too guilty about getting rid of.
'Empty nesters' who have items from their offsprings being stored at home.
Impulsive buying that seemed like a good idea at the time. E.g. Gimmick gadgets.
Lack of organising skills/materials.
Physically, emotionally and/or mentally you have trouble managing household items and don't have the support you need.
Gifts given to you or items "palmed off" to you by others, and you feel guilty saying no or getting rid of the items.
Knowledge is power. There are reasons for everything in life. If the clutter overwhelms you and you feel peaceful when your space is clutter-free, then this is a value of yours that is worth working on.
Tip #4 - It is ok to say "no" to items offered to you.
I don't know about you, but when I did a recent big declutter, most of the items that I got rid of were items that were 'palmed off to me' or were given to me unmindfully. What I mean by unmindfully, is to be given a gift that has been 'regifted' or a gift that wasn't thoughtful and was generic.
Most of us will just accept these items because we don't want to come across as ungrateful or rude, however, it only ends up taking up space in our personal space and in our mental space. Not to mention extra energy, time and potentially money needed to deal with these items at a later date.
As a rule to myself, I follow the following guidelines when others want to give me items that I do not want:
If the item is gifted to be as a birthday, Christmas or special occasion present, then I will respectfully accept it, then will get rid of it appropriately when I can.
If someone offers me the item because they do not want it anymore, I will respectfully decline if I do not want it.
Most party bag items and McDonalds Happy Meal toys do not last long in our household because they are cheap and usually are not sentimental or purposeful for my kids. Obviously, if they love the item so much, I won't get rid of it.
If an heirloom is offered to me and it doesn't hold meaning to me, I will see if someone else in the family would like it.
If you are reading this and are guilty of regifting unmindfully or buying gifts unmindfully, or perhaps you guilt people into taking items that you think they should keep, please next time rethink before doing this. Think about how the item will impact the receiver. Will they love it? Or will it be a burden to them?
Tip #5 - It is ok to not keep items given to you.
Guilt is the number one reason why people keep items that they don't love. Why do we feel guilty? Because we either feel shamed about getting rid of it because we know it will upset someone, or we may have regretted buying it and only keep it because it was an expensive purchase. We may feel guilty for wasting the money and to hold onto it will somehow rectify the poor choice made. This in itself is a recipe for regular self berating.
You should never be forced to keep an item that is a burden to you. Only keep items that bring you joy, or is purposeful. On the other hand, if the item does not belong to you, it is not yours to get rid of. You can use your discretion for your child however.
If someone else's item is causing you grief, it is best to discuss how you feel about it with them. You can't make someone get rid of something, but you can bring it to their attention. See more in tip number 6.
Tip #6 - Practice mindfulness when making purchases.
It takes some relearning to practice some mindful shopping when we are used to giving into our impulsive urges. Me being one of them. 😅 But little by little I have worked on this. I am now only buying due to the following guidelines:
It's essential to the functionality, survival and requirements of my life’s current (meaning within the next 3 to 12 months) circumstances.
It brings me so much joy and it won't break the budget.
It enhances my health and longevity in a practical and realistic way.
These guidelines also apply to when I purchase for my kids and for their well-being, joy and daily requirements. It is better to buy what you truly love or need, otherwise you will be dealing with the consequences on a later date.
Tip #7 - Discuss with household (or space users) members about how to keep the space clutter free.
If you live (or work) with others and are someone who loves a clutter free space, and thrives when your space is clutter free, then more than likely you will need to have a discussion with those who share your space. Things to consider when you have the discussion:
Does everyone else love a clutter free space? Are they willing to keep it clutter free in a sustainable way according to everyone's current circumstances?
What are everyone's physical, mental and emotional capabilities? Do some members require added assistance with maintenence of clutter?
When is a good time for everyone (who is capable) to do a quick tidy?
Are there certain items that need a discussion about? Discuss the pros and cons of keeping and getting rid of the item. Sometimes others need this to realise that an item is causing more issues than it is worth.
Ask each other questions rather than bark orders and point fingers at one another. Listen completely to each other. Hear each other out and show each other respect.
If you are in a household with adult flat mates that are stubborn and continue to bring in clutter and cause clutter, maybe it is a sign to find somewhere less cluttered to live. However, I do understand that it is not always this black and white. Each person's situation is different. Better to explore all options that are available to you.
BONUS - Use my FREE Decluttering Work Book.
To help you to get started on your decluttering, and to also to reflect on your decluttering accomplishment, I have created a FREE Decluttering Work Book for you. You can use it however you like. Click on the link below to download it now!
Thank you for using your quality time to read this blog post. I hope these tips will help you to manage any form of clutter.
REMEMBER: A lot of the time perfectionism and procrastination can kill the tidying vibe because we may place too high of an expectation on ourselves to upkeep spaces. Like I said above, we can't always control contributing factors to clutter when we share our space with others. We also can't always control getting sick or other unforeseen circumstances in life. Give yourself the grace that you need, and know that there will be a time when you can manage the clutter again.
Stay true to you, and abundance will follow.
Cassie xo
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