Good evening! Since this month we are talking about junk removal, we thought we’d cover some common decluttering mistakes that people make. This way you know what other people might struggle with so that you don’t make them yourself.
Common Decluttering Mistakes 1 = Not Having a Plan When Decluttering
One of the biggest things that you want to do when you are starting to declutter is to have a plan. Without having a plan, it leaves a lot of room for frustration, distraction, and failure at the end.
The way that you can succeed is to create a plan for decluttering that will keep you working throughout the whole home, going from one room to another in a pattern that is logical. You want to break each of the rooms down into smaller projects or areas so that you’re able to begin and stop easily if you get interrupted during the decluttering process.
Common Decluttering Mistakes 2 – Not Having a System for Sorting While Decluttering
Whether you’re decluttering quickly, or you are tackling a whole room at the same time, leaving that room so you can put things away is one of the best ways that you can become distracted. This is going to derail the decluttering session.
It’s essential to stay where you are and keep focused on your task.
You can avoid this mistake by setting your sorting system up before you begin. A system that is widely used is 4 boxes labeled:
- Throw away
- Donate or sell
- Store
- Put away
Of course, you don’t have to use boxes. You can use a trash bag or can for things that you are throwing away, an opaque storage bin for things that you are putting away, a box for things that you are selling or donating, and a clear storage bin for the things you’re storing.
Common Decluttering Mistakes 3 – Keeping Things You Plan to Donate or Sell Too Long
A secret to success in decluttering is to get those items from your house fast and forever. When you store the items that you want in your garage or even your basement until you have time to go to the thrift store or the weather’s nice enough for a garage sale, it isn’t decluttering. It is simply rearranging it.
It’s also very hazardous to the progress you make since it’s going to give you an opportunity to move the items back to the house.
You can do avoid this mistake by getting rid of the stuff immediately or making sure that it’s taken care of soon. If the items are being donated to your thrift store, place the items in your car’s trunk so that they’re ready to go the next time you go out.
If you want to sell them, box items that are similar together and tape your boxes shut. Then write the date that you are likely going to have your garage sale on the boxes. If the date comes and goes and there’s no sale scheduled, simply donate them.
Common Decluttering Mistakes 4 – Doing All Decluttering at Once
Decluttering’s a process. It’s also very tough if you’re not doing it regularly. When you try to do it at the same time, you are going to get frustrated and feel overwhelmed. It could also be something that will make you hate doing it.
When you are creating the plan for decluttering, break your large projects into ones that are smaller. Then schedule each of these projects for a different time.
If you’ve got a whole weekend that you are going to use for decluttering the whole house, this may be your best way. However, if you are like most people and you can’t spare that amount of time all at once, you can divide the things into increments of 20 to 30 minutes and give yourself breaks of 5 to 10 minutes in between.
These are three common decluttering mistakes that people make when they are trying to get the clutter out of their house. Decluttering is a good thing. But if you make these mistakes, they can stop you from being successful. Don’t forget – we offer junk removal services too. Contact us today for a quote and connect with us on Facebook.
