How to Declutter Your Home

2. Home office

Don’t let your home office become a dumping ground for receipts and junk mail!

A clear desk is a clear mind. Start with the desk drawers and throw away anything you no longer need, such as pens that don’t work or cables that are broken. Do the same with the desk surface, making sure that the only things left on it have a purpose and are accessible.

Use storage organisers, shelves and cube storage to organise what you do need. Only keep a couple of pens in a pen pot and once they stop working, throw them away! Recycle old receipts once the returns period has expired, but if you need to keep them, create a digital copy instead.

The best way to keep your home office tidy is by being proactive. Use a wire memo board to keep to-do lists from cluttering the desk surface, but don’t let it get filled with unnecessary junk. Once a list is no longer needed, get rid of it. Remember, be brutal with your decluttering.

Top tip: If you have lots of electronic items, sort your cable clutter with organisational tools such as cable zips and cable tidy wraps.

3. Kitchen

A multi-functional hub for cooking, eating and socialising, the kitchen is arguably the hardest room in the house to declutter. You can either tackle the room zone by zone or declutter by item.

If you’re looking for an easy place to start, go for the refrigerator. Remove the entire contents and give the fridge a good clean. Throw away anything that is out of date, or freeze it if know you will eat it later. Use under fridge shelf storage boxes, soda can organisers and caddies to organise your remaining refrigerated items. Remember, only buy the food that you need and try to eat foods in the order of their expiry dates, to prevent food waste.

Cutlery trays are the best way to organise utensils in drawers – but be smart about what you decide to keep. Do you really need four sets of cutlery? Probably not. When it comes to clearing clutter amongst your cookware and dinnerware, lay everything out in one area so you can assess how many of each item you have. Discard anything that is broken or worn and be realistic about what you need. If you have a large family, a ceiling rack is an alternative storage solution for utensils and pans that are taking up cupboard space.

Using a spice rack to keep your spices and condiments in one place is a good way to stay organised, but you need to regularly declutter it. Throw away anything that is out of date, broken or empty. Recycle any storage containers that have lost their lids. Keep your kitchen countertops clear by giving everything in your kitchen a home within one of your storage spaces.

 4. Bathroom

Start with any bathroom storage units, vanity units or mirrored cabinets. Empty everything out and get rid of outdated medication, empty bottles or unused products. Keep the products you use daily at eye level so they’re easy to find. Decide what you want to keep, throw away, recycle, or give to charity.

Bathroom accessories are a great way to give your bathroom essentials a dedicated space. Unless you use them daily, tidy the products around your bath or on your shower floor by storing them away in a storage cabinet instead.

Another tip to help you declutter and become more sustainable is to buy refillable containers for everyday bathroom products, such as a soap dispenser. This will remove the tendency for empty plastic bottles to pile up, and you can do the same for hair care products and shower gel. Get rid of any frayed or bleached towels by donating them to your local animal shelter.

Keep as few items as possible on your bathroom countertop to keep the space feeling clean. As with any other area of your home, the key to keeping your bathroom organised is to make decluttering a routine task.

Top tip: You can use a towel radiator to keep your towels dry, but only keep the ones that you’re using out on display.

5. Living room

Clear all the surfaces of coffee tables, side tables  and tv stands. Remove used mugs and plates and take them back to the kitchen. Get rid of worn throw pillows and random bits of paperwork hanging around. With CDs or DVDs you no longer use, either sell them or donate them to charity.

Storage options such as cube storage, sideboards and bookcases are all useful ways to give miscellaneous items (such as chargers, gadgets and gaming equipment), a home. However, assess all the items you are currently keeping in the living room and decide if they’re actually needed. Do all of your remote controls still work? Do you really need to keep magazines from months ago? Will your kids be willing to donate any of their toys? Remember the decluttering rule – if you wouldn’t buy it again, it’s time to let it go.

6. Hallway

When it comes to clearing the house, your hallway is likely to be one area that accumulates more clutter than other spaces. Grab a big basket to collect anything that has a home elsewhere, so you can start to put those items back where they belong.

Tidy away shoes and coats with a hallway storage unit, shoe storage and a coat hook rack. Sort through and decide whether there are any items that you could get rid of or donate to charity. Are any of your shoes broken? Do you really need three pairs of white trainers? Can you store wellies in the garage rather than by the front door? A good tip is to rotate what you keep near the front door with the seasons. You’re unlikely to need big coats and scarves in Summer, so they can be kept elsewhere.

Reduce the opportunity for clutter. If there’s a console table in your hallway, completely clear the surface and display a simple vase and a couple of photographs. If you make it a decorative feature, you’re less likely to keep it cluttered. If you’re prone to leaving your keys behind, use either a key tidy or a command hook near your front door to hang your keys, so you’ll never forget them.

Decluttering sustainably

When decluttering your home, it is also important to keep sustainability in mind. Remember to recycle items that can be recycled and donate to charitable organisations or family and friends. Discover our upcycling ideas and how to upcycle old furniture with paint guide to give old items a new lease of life.

And that’s how to declutter your home. Don’t forget to share your before and afters with us @Homebase_UK on Instagram! Discover more of our storage & home ideas here.