WE’RE all familiar with the phrase, ‘tidy house, tidy mind,” but how many of us actually put that into action?
It’s all too easy to gather a collection of clutter after years of living in the same house, but as we’re still in January, it could well be worth starting the new year with a good old clear out.
A pro organiser, who refers to herself as ‘The Declutter Darling’ has taken to TikTok (@thedeclutterdarlinguk) with a 10 day challenge, where each day, she uploads 10 items to get rid of in a different room in your home – from your hallway to your bathroom.
The idea is that by day 10, you would’ve gotten rid of 100 unnecessary items that were simply clogging up space.
In a recent clip, she focuses on the kitchen – and let’s face it, it’s one room in the house that we use every day and that probably gets the messiest the quickest.
The decluttering whizz begins by suggesting you grab a charity bag, bin bag and recycling bag and points out that the task should take no longer than an hour.
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First up, she recommends getting rid of chipped mugs or glasses, before pointing out that it’s time to ditch the Tupperware that doesn’t have a matching lid or bottom.
Next up, she urges people to get rid of expired spices or sauces.
“Check the dates,” she says. “You might be surprised at what’s lurking in the back of your cupboard there.”
She also recommends chucking out any duplicate utensils and says to just keep your “absolute go-to’s” if you use them, but to give the rest to charity.
Hands up if you’ve got a drawer stuffed with old takeaway menus.
Well, with everything online now, she says to chuck those out, along with any reusable bags you don’t need.
“A lot of food banks will take those,” she points out.
Another popular item clogging up space in people’s homes are half empty cleaning bottles.
The declutter whizz advises: “Decant into one if it’s the same brand and make and then get rid of the rest.
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- Out with the old, before in with the new
“It may sound a little ruthless but a one in, one out rule in your home and wardrobe can be effective to avoid over accumulating items in your home,” they said.
“It can also make you more mindful about the purchases you are making.”
“In any space, however big or small – from a utility room to your make-up box – organising items by category is the perfect way to keeping super organised,” they said.
“This allows you to know exactly where everything is and what you’ve got.
“Plus, it will make it super easy for the rest of the household to put away and keep tidy.”
- Storage, storage and more storage!
“Storage is key, especially if space is an issue in the home or if the room is used for items like storing toys for children,” they said.
“Consider decorative storage baskets, side boards with plenty of storage or even a media wall or bookshelves with doors.”
“Responsibly recycle them. You do not need all of them.”
Not stopping there, she notes how many people also keep hold of worn out tea towels for no apparent reason, along with cracked or dirty plastic containers.
“If it’s stained, got a crack in it, you know where it needs to go…out of your home,” she says.
And last but not least, the pro organiser says to clear random bits that are scattered all over your work surfaces.
“Clear that down, get rid of them, recycle, whatever you need to do. It’s an instant declutter for you and instant tidy in your kitchen,” she explains.
The post has since gone viral, racking up a whopping 154k views and several comments from grateful social media users.
“I rarely comment on your page, but honestly, you have helped me declutter so much unwanted/needed stuff,” one person wrote.
A second commented: “Went through my recipes and recipe books and got rid of ones I never used and recipes on loose paper, taped them into a book of plain paper.
“Amazing how many recipes you collect but never make.”
A third penned: “I can honestly saying am going to do this, I always get overwhelmed if things look cluttered so best way to go moving forward.”
Another praised: “This was so helpful.”