Clutter is the enemy. It makes us stressed and frustrated; it makes our living areas unliveable, and it’s a constant reminder of our inability to part with things we don’t really need. Piles of clothes, old magazines, unused jewellery, broken toys and worn-out books…the list of items we tend to cling onto is extensive. But did you know that having a regular detox and either tossing, donating or selling on your old junk is incredibly beneficial for you and your overall wellbeing?
You may already be comfortable to go through your closet every month or so and hand over some items to charity, or help your children go through their old toys and donate the ones they no longer love. But if you really want to get on top of your clutter addiction, you’re going to need to delve a little bit deeper than that…
So, let's take a tour of the places we all forget to declutter. How many are you guilty of?
Your photo gallery
We all have an incredible high-quality camera in our pocket these days. This, in turn, means we also have thousands of photos and images stored in our smart devices. This takes up storage space, memory and patience.
Cutting through the clutter on your smart device and preserving those precious memories is essential – how would you feel if you lost all those images and you hadn't backed them up? Go through your photo gallery once a month and declutter it - you could even order canvas wall prints with some of your favourite images, decorating your home as you go.
Your medicine/first aid cabinet
The idea of running out of medicines and painkillers is an uncomfortable feeling. This is probably why so many of us have overflowing bathroom cabinets and medicine drawers. Cut back on your chaotic cabinet and check the expiry dates on your medicines and prescriptions. Reach out to your local pharmacy to dispose of them properly.
Your bookshelves
The kids’ bookshelves are a breeding ground for clutter and unloved, unused gifts from friends and family. It doesn’t take long for children’s books to mount up, and while encouraging a strong reading habit is good for your child, it’s important to continue to push their reading abilities and levels, so getting rid of those baby and toddler books to make way for age-appropriate content is essential. Donating children’s books to underprivileged kids is a wonderful feeling. Go through the book collection in your home every couple of months.
Your fridge/freezer
Do you really know what's hiding in the depths of your fridge-freezer? All those meals you pre-made and chilled, frozen food offers and jars of spreads, dips and almost empty containers…we tend to just push all these older items further down the fridge-freezer to make room for fresher produce. Go through your food storage at least once a month to see what you really have lurking in there. You may save yourself money on duplicate purchases!
And finally, your car
Kids’ car seats, door pockets, cupholders, the boot…from coats and jackets to sweet wrappers, toys, books and blankets. While keeping an emergency pack in your car is essential, the rest of the clutter is not. Go through your car at least once a month to keep it fresh, clean and clutter-free.
