Issue 36: The Good Habits Guide to Decluttering and Organizing Your Home
Check out our eight-week guide to organizing and decluttering your home sanctuary.
Hey Friends!
With the new year and new motivation comes the urge for a “clean slate,” which means cleaning and decluttering. Let’s be real – we know how stressful decluttering can be. In this week’s issue, we created a guide to organizing and cleaning your home easily. With clutter comes negative emotions and mental stress that can affect us in loads of ways, and although cleaning can be a chore, it can also be a fun distress, or that can become a routine.
After all, we kept Mr. Noh in mind for this issue. He was the sweet elderly man we met at Tanguisson Beach (check out Issue 16), who we found camped out on the side, raking the fallen leaves from the covered pathway 🥹.
When we asked why he was cleaning, he smiled and replied, “When I clean, I feel good. It feels good.”
This is a shout-out to you, Mr. Noh! 🙌 Here’s to forming good habits ☺️
Happy Cleaning ✨
Marissa & Akina
Benefits of Decluttering
🎧Listen: The Verywell Mind Podcast: Make Space for Happiness with Decluttering Expert Tracy McCubbin
Strategies we needed to hear on how clutter affects our happiness, how to get rid of the things you don’t need, and how to create healthier environments for yourself and “make space for happiness.” We appreciate Tracy's insight on how your home doesn’t have to look perfect but about making it work for you. Her advice is simple and practical: “Have less stuff.”
📺Watch: ASMR Cleaning, Organizing and Cooking
For some relaxing and mindless inspo, watch one of our favorite YouTubers clean her studio apartment in Tokyo.
📖Read: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organization by Marie Kondo
A must-read for anyone looking to transform their living space and, in turn, their life. Marie Kondo’s KonMari method is not just about tidying up; it's a philosophy that encourages you to keep things that speak to your heart and discard items that no longer spark joy. Her unique approach focuses on organizing your space category-by-category rather than room-by-room, making the process more efficient and meaningful.
Cleaning Tools You Didn’t Know You Needed
Cordless Dyson Vacuum: This sucker is a game changer. It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver without the hassle of a cord. Take. our. money 🤑
Large Lint Rollers: These are not just for your clothes! Large lint rollers are a game-changer for picking up hair, crumbs, and dust from furniture and floors. They’re especially useful for pet owners. These oversized rollers make cleaning up quick and easy, especially in those hard-to-reach places where dust and pet hair accumulate.
Spin Mop with Bucket: Give the TLC your floors need with the efficiency of the Spin Mop with a spinning mechanism in the bucket. This allows you to rinse and wring out the mop with little effort easily and without having to get your hands wet and grimy 😖
Stress-Free Game Plan for Decluttering & Organizing Your Home
Here’s the deal: Focus on one room or section per week. This alleviates the stress of cleaning and decluttering your entire home. Need help coming up with a schedule? Take ours ;)
Week 1: Bookshelf(ves)
We love having a library, and sometimes it's hard to let go of good books. Although we’re all about decluttering, we also keep a library of books we can return to. After all, you’re never the same person when you read the same book twice or thrice, so you may have new perspectives.
Here are some tips:
Group by genre
Follow the two-thirds rule. According to experts, “only fill two-thirds of each shelf with books. What you do with the empty space depends on what look you’re trying to achieve. Add in decorative accessories or leave it clear for a minimalist vibe.”
Separate your hard and soft covers.
Week 2: Closets
Start by removing everything from your closet. This gives you a clear view of the space and what you have.
Sort your items into categories – clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. This helps in organizing them back efficiently.
Keep the current season’s clothing at the front and store away off-season items.
Use boxes, dividers, or hanging organizers to maximize space and organize items like scarves, belts, and socks.
Week 3: Old Clothes
Go through each drawer and put your clothes in three piles.
Pile 1: Worn within the last few weeks
Pile 2: Worn within the last few months
Pile 3: Don’t remember when last worn
Consider donating items from piles 2 and 3. Our friends at our favorite charity thrift shop, Hidden Treasures, are accepting donations. We love their generous initiatives, such as their food pantry program, where they donate non-perishable foods to the homeless 💗.
Take it from Marie Kondo and spend time with each item to see if it sparks joy. If it no longer does, it's time to part ways.
Follow the Minimalists’ 90/90 rule and ask yourself if you used it within the last 90 days. Then, ask yourself if you’ll use it in the next 90 days. If not, then you might not use it at all.
Week 4: Bedroom
While your entire home is a sanctuary, your bedroom is where you should feel most at peace (and rested). A clean bedroom can help with better sleep quality.
If you have space underneath your bed, use under the bed storage to store thicker blankets or seasonal clothes.
Start by cleaning your flat surface areas– table, dresser, vanity. Minimalize the items on your bedside table to essentials such as a lamp, clock, and a book.
Keep your hampers underneath open bedside tables. Use a cute basket to add to your bedroom aesthetics.
Week 5: Bathroom
Throw out old and unused items.
Take everything off the shelves and categorize items: towels, skin and hair care, everyday products & toiletries, cleaning products.
Consider purchasing a shower caddy to organize your shampoo and conditioner bottles.
Put spare items like toothbrushes and dental floss in clear decorative storage. Seeing them will remind you that you still have items that need to be used.
Week 6: Kids Room
Divide toys into categories and keep the favorites within easy reach. Consider donating toys that are no longer played with.
Use kid-friendly closet organizers and ensure clothes are hung or folded at their height for easy access.
Use bins, baskets, or shelves for storing books, art supplies, and small toys.
Engage your kids to make organizing a fun activity to do together. Allow them to decide which items to keep or donate.
Encourage daily or weekly clean-up routines to maintain the organization.
Week 7: Kitchen Pantry
Utilize your wall space with photo ledges for your cookbooks or use a suspended pot hack. It also helps with aesthetics!
Throw away anything that’s expired.
Move your “use first” items to the bottom rack of your pantry.
Consider meal prepping based on items you have in your pantry
For inspo, watch how our lovely friend Jojo organizes her pantry!
Week 8: Office
Remove everything from your desk, then only add back essential items.
Utilize drawer dividers, pen holders, and document trays to keep supplies in order.
Use clips or ties to keep cords untangled and out of sight.
Install shelves to store books, documents, and office supplies, keeping your desk space clear.
Regularly organize digital files and emails to reduce clutter on your computer.
Don’t know where to start? Try this challenge instead.
For an entire month, throw out or donate the calendar number of items. For example, on the 1st, throw out one item, and on the 2nd, throw out two. By the end of the month, you’ll have about 465 items thrown or donated. Don’t overthink the process, and it can be simple items such as:
Old pens and notebooks
Expired travel amenities
Faded towels
Broken phone chargers and chords
Worn out shoes
Unused bags
Board games
Paper trails of junk mail and documents
Have a Good One!
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