For most people, the private space they inhabit plays an essential role in their mental health and physical well-being. Because of this, decluttering and organization have become popular methods of creating a functional and serene living environment. Both aim to streamline your life but are slightly different and cater to different needs and preferences.
If you need help deciding whether to declutter or organize your home, SecurCare Self Storage has information below that will be helpful. It’s about the difference between decluttering and organization to help you determine what is right. To find out more and get some excellent tips on minimizing clutter, optimizing space, and organizing your home like a pro, read on.
Decluttering vs. Organization
There’s a surprising difference between decluttering and organization. Decluttering is the process of removing items from your space that are unnecessary or unwanted. It’s also about making room for the things that add value to your life and removing those that don’t.
On the other hand, the organization focuses more on arranging the items in your home so that they’re aesthetically pleasing and, more importantly, easily accessible. The organization is about ensuring all your items have their place in your home and making your daily routine more efficient and enjoyable.
How To Minimize Clutter
Minimizing clutter in your home is beneficial in several ways, including reducing the time it takes to keep your home from becoming a jumbled mess. Below are some excellent tips for minimizing clutter and simplifying your decluttering task.
- Only purchase items that you genuinely need. The less you purchase, the less clutter your home will have.
- Follow the “1 In, 1 Out” rule. This rule states that, for every item you bring into your home, you should take one out by selling, donating, or trashing it.
- Go digital. Many items that clutter your home, like bills, manuals, receipts, books, and magazines, are now found digitally. Not only does this reduce paper clutter in your home, but it also makes it easier to organize and access those items when needed.
- Declutter regularly. If you turn decluttering into a weekly or monthly habit, not only will your home stay decluttered, but it will make your regular decluttering task much more accessible.
- Donate Items regularly. Similar to the previous tip, donating items you don’t need, want, or use regularly will go a long way toward keeping your home clutter-free.
Tips on Decluttering
Decluttering, while not rocket science, takes some energy, time, and effort. Below are some tips that will help you keep all three to a minimum.
Use the “6 Month” Rule
This unwritten rule says that if you last used something in the past 6 months, it’s time to donate, sell, or discard it. This is an almost perfect way of minimizing clutter.
Create Categories to Make the Task Easier
Before you start to declutter your home, set up 4 large boxes. On those boxes, label them “keep,” “donate,” “sell,” and “discard.” Then, as you declutter, place items into one of the 4 boxes according to what you plan to do with it.
Start on a Small Scale
You might think, “I’m going to Declutter the entire house,” but experts recommend you start smaller by decluttering a single room, closet, or even a drawer or a shelf. Decluttering this way will keep you from becoming frustrated or tired and giving up on the project.
Home Organization Tips
Keeping your home organized is much easier if you use methods tried and tested by organization experts. Lucky for you, we have those methods listed below!
1. Declutter First
Before you begin to organize your home, declutter it. That way, you don’t organize things you eventually get rid of.
2. Use Clear Plastic Bins
There are a few things better than large, clear plastic bins for organizing your home. The reason why is simple: you can see what’s inside and its much sturdier than a cardboard box.
3. Take Advantage of Vertical Space
Most homeowners use very little of the vertical space available in their homes. By purchasing, for example, shelving units, hanging storage, floating shelves, and so forth, all of that vertical space can be used.
4. Label, Label, Label
The best way to know precisely where something is and what it is is to label it. Labeling also helps with basement storage and garage organization, making it easier to do both.
5. Purchase Dual-Purpose Furniture
One of the top organization tips is furniture that can also be used for storage. Side tables with storage inside, for example, bookshelves that turn into desks and nesting tables, among others, are all excellent ways to keep your home organized and store extra stuff. Multipurpose furniture is one of the best space management and optimization methods.
6. Reassess Your Organization System Regularly
Depending on how long you’ve lived in your home or apartment, reassessing your organization system regularly is a good idea. That way, as things change, the way you organize also changes.
7. Don’t Skimp on Closet Storage Devices
For many folks, closets are their most essential storage areas. If that’s you, experts recommend using closet storage devices sparingly. Over-the-door hangers, for example, multi-use hangers, shelving units, and other devices, can increase the amount of storage in your closets exponentially. As we mentioned earlier, it’s also vital to declutter your closets regularly. This will keep them from becoming overstuffed and allow you to store new items easily.
Let SecurCare Self Storage Help You with Your Decluttering and Organizing Tasks
Whether decluttering, organizing, or both, SecurCare Self Storage can make your tasks less hassle and more enjoyable. When renting a storage unit from SecurCare, you can store anything you like, furniture, clothing, antiques, collectibles, and more. With extra storage space, organizing and decluttering will be so much easier! That’s especially true if you have many seasonal items like clothing, decorations, and sports equipment.
If you’re ready to declutter or organize your home or apartment, reserve a storage unit with SecurCare online today. Until then, we hope the information provided today has given you a clearer idea of the difference between decluttering and organization and helps you create a living space that makes you happy.