Here’s How To Actually Declutter Your Home

With the Christmas and New Year festivities officially done and dusted, you might be feeling the urge to clean, organise and generally revamp your home – and TikTok’s latest decluttering tips promise to help you do just that, in record time. Here’s the rundown…

Decluttering Tips: TikTok’s Post-It Note Method

The hardest part about decluttering your home is usually forcing yourself to start – but once you’ve committed to a clearout, how do you ensure it doesn’t descend into chaos? According to TikTok, all you need is a trusty pack of Post-It Notes. Read on for some essential decluttering tips.

Step 1: Decide On A Focus Area

Since the prospect of sorting through an entire room can seem like an insurmountable task, narrowing your focus will help things to feel much more manageable. 

‘Pick a room and then break it down into smaller spaces,’ suggest the experts at Pay Less for Storage. ‘In the kitchen, you could start with the drawers under the sink or the cupboard, while the obvious choice for bedrooms is the wardrobe.’

Step 2: Start Categorising

Once you’ve decided which area to tackle first, you can start to divide up your possessions. Set aside anything you know you’ll keep – and likewise anything you want to donate or sell – and then pull out your pen and Post-It notes. This is the fun part: the ‘maybe’ pile. The Post-Its will help you figure out whether you really need to keep certain items, or whether you can get rid of the clutter. 

Step 3: Set A Deadline

To begin, set yourself a time frame – anywhere between a few weeks to two or three months. Then, ‘attach a Post-it note to each thing you’re unsure about keeping, marking today’s date on it,’ say the experts. ‘Even better, if you can remember the last time you used the item, mark that date instead.’ 

Step 4: Review & Declutter

Once the sticky-noting is complete, you’ll need to change the date whenever you next go to use each item, helping you to track exactly how much you use it. ‘After your set period of time, review what still has a Post-it – you’ll be able to clearly see how little you use or wear certain items and subsequently get rid of things that aren’t essential,’ the team explains.

Step 5: Plan Your Next Clearout

Once you’ve tackled one section of your home, think about other ‘high-traffic, clutter-prone spaces and make a plan to do another round of organising in six months or a year,’ says the team. ‘This will prevent the gradual buildup of clutter and ultimately help you identify what you really need in your home and what’s taking up too much space.’