Archive for category: Decluttering

Do you feel like you’re drowning in kitchen utensils and useless appliances? Do the stacks of paper in your home office make you want to rip your hair out? Is the garage clutter making you extremely unhappy? These feelings of distress might indicate you’re overwhelmed by the clutter.

At this point, there’s plenty of evidence that clutter can negatively impact our mental well-being. Having too much stuff drains and frustrates us, and it also makes it difficult to focus and get things done.

The longer we put it off, the worse it will become, so even if you’re feeling overwhelmed with literally no idea how to start, it’s time to get your clutter under control!

This post is all about what it takes to get started. If you follow these five tips, you’ll be able to move past the overwhelm and recognize that decluttering doesn’t have to be such a daunting project. Let’s get to it!

Break it into small decluttering projects

If you want to declutter your whole house, then expect to feel particularly overwhelmed! Even the most organized person wouldn’t know where to start decluttering if every room needs attention… The key to beginning the process of decluttering is to break it into small, bite-sized jobs. To make it even easier, we recommend starting with the bathrooms. Most items in these areas are easy to get rid of, so you can make quick decisions and get in the right mood.

Set a timer each day

Starting decluttering when there is no end in sight can be very stressful – not to mention demotivating! To make things lighter, give yourself a finish line to look forward to each day.

Start a timer when you begin decluttering, and commit to working on your clutter, uninterrupted until that timer goes off. Even if you can only declutter for 30 minutes each day, if you’re fully invested during said time, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish!

Get the right supplies for the task

Now that you’ve decided where to start and the amount of time you want to dedicate to the task, the next step is to gather any supplies you might need. The list should include big trash bags, labels, masking tape, cleaning supplies, and so on. But remember: at this point, you should resist the urge to buy storage solutions. First, you declutter. And then, you organize.

Make a plan for your unwanted items

When it comes to decluttering, having a plan for your unwanted items is extremely important. The purpose here is to actually get the items out of your home. The last thing you want is a bunch of overfull boxes sitting around, taking up space. To solve this issue, you can, for instance, host a garage sale, sell your unwanted items online, or donate them to associations and shelters.

Find a way to get interested and motivated

Think about the benefits that will come from having a clutter-free home. How will you feel in this new environment? Visualize the changes you can make and how happier you’ll feel in an organized, neat home. And if these positive thoughts don’t do the trick, just put on a playlist filled with upbeat songs to get moving! Plus, music can be a great way to distract yourself from the overwhelm.

By clearing the clutter you’re giving yourself more time, space, energy, and freedom. You’re creating a home that’s easier to take care of and maintain. Remember this and all the overwhelming feelings you’re having right now will dissipate!

And if they don’t, remember that you can always rely on professionals to help you declutter and organize your home. At CluttlerBGone, we offer you a free telephone consultation so that you can tell us all about your goals for a clean and comfortable environment. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!

Raising children is indeed messy. Without even understanding how you find yourself living among socks, legos, dolls, abandoned sippy cups, and food scraps and have no idea what to do about it. An untidy and messy house can drive anyone nuts, but when children are added to the equation, it seems easier to give up the idea of a clean and organized house.

If you find yourself often thinking that keeping your house tidy is a “lost cause,” we have some news for you: it isn’t! It might be more challenging, but with a few golden rules, we’re sure you can achieve a feeling of greater comfort and organization.

Time for a massive purge

Look around your home. It is certainly filled with material objects you once thought you had to have. But this is certainly not true – at least not anymore! If you want a clean house, you must start by doing a monster purge. That involves your children’s toys, clothing, equipment, and the rest of your home. Go through everything and toss/donate everything that no longer serves a purpose.

A place for everything

“A place for everything, and everything in its place” is one of the biggest mottos of organizing. If you swear by the “a place for everything” rule, it will help keep your home in reasonable order and also make better purchasing decisions. Moreover, instilling this philosophy in children from an early age will enable them to understand and incorporate important organizational habits.

Build tidying and purging into your family’s routine

You might already know what needs to be cleaned and how often you’d ideally do it. If so, putting it together in a chart or checklist will ensure that all house cleaning chores get done. Having routines means that each job gets done before it gets overwhelming. Get your family involved and distribute tasks according to the ability of each. Remember that children as little as three years old can do chores like tidying up toys or setting placemats on the dinner table.

Always have your cleaning arsenal on hand

Truth be told, clutter is only one way in which your kids can make a mess of your home. There are also the spills and the scribbles… and the bodily fluids. To have (almost) all situations under control, always keep your cleaning arsenal on hand – and properly organized, of course. It should include a good multi-surface all-purpose cleaner, cloths, a small broom and dustpan, and a powerful laundry stain remover spray.

And about the toys…

No matter how organized and clean you try to keep your house, toys will end up everywhere in a matter of seconds! But let your kids play and make a mess – it’s healthy for them. The best solution to deal with the whole toy chaos and make everything more manageable is to invest in storage bins for similar-type toys, like musical instruments, dolls, legos, books, and so on. Trust us: it will make a huge difference when it’s time to clean up – both for you and your kids.

It feels nearly impossible to picture a mess-free house while raising kids, but it is doable! It might just take a little extra help. If you feel like you’re spending every waking moment cleaning your house without seeing any improvement, it’s probably time to hire a professional service to assist you. At CluttlerBGone, we offer you a free telephone consultation so that you can tell us all about your goals for a clean and comfortable environment. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today!

One of the biggest challenges of living a clutter-free lifestyle is giving and receiving gifts, and now that season of birthdays, weddings, and parties is about to start, the struggle becomes real. Most of the time, we receive gifts that don’t quite satisfy our needs or expectations, but, out of respect for the gift-giver, we accept them anyway.

But how can we effectively deal with unwanted gifts that don’t serve us any purpose? In this article, we will share some practical tips to declutter unwanted gifts.

Be upfront about not wanting gifts

If you’re planning a party or any other event, your guests will likely want to spoil you with a little gift. If you don’t want this to occur, you must be honest about it and add a little note to the invitations specifically saying “No Gifts Please.” While some etiquette experts advise against it, we don’t see a problem with mentioning it politely. To make it more cordial, you can add a message like: “Your presence is your present.”

Give people alternatives

Even if you specify that you don’t want gifts, there will always be people keen to skip the rule. In these cases, you must give alternatives that don’t take up space in your house. You can, for example, suggest that your guests donate to a charity in your honor.

Return the gift

If all of this fails, there are other options you can consider. If you have the gift receipt, why not bring the item back to the store and either exchange it for something you like or get cashback instead? Ultimately, it’s your choice what you do with a gift. By returning it, you have the chance to get something you really need and avoid cluttering your house with purposeless items.

Make a donation

If we are honest, most of us already have everything we need. So why keep collecting and offering random items to people who likely don’t need them? An honorable and thoughtful way of letting go of unwanted gifts would be donating them to local charities, thrift stores, schools, and shelters.

Sell or Re-gift your unwanted gifts

In addition to donating, you can also sell the items or give them to someone else as a present. You probably have a birthday or party just around the corner, so take the opportunity to make someone happy. Besides, doing so saves time and money and simultaneously avoids additional trash!

Nowadays, most people yearn for more sustainable and minimalist lifestyles. However, weddings, birthday parties, and special celebrations like Christmas usually fill up our houses with gifts that have no value or utility. If that’s your case, don’t feel pushed to keep gifts you don’t love or don’t use solely out of guilt. That will land you in a house full of clutter and disorganization. Deal with unwanted gifts by saying thank you and letting them go. And if you need help during the process, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us for a free consultation.

When decluttering your home, it can be challenging to decide who to gift your beloved possessions. Whether you have collected valuables along the way, received important gifts from friends or family, or kept sentimental items throughout your life, most of your belongings hold significant meaning. Giving these items away can feel like gifting part of yourself or your story to your family. This is what makes these moments so special and why you should be intentional about having conversations with your family about what they may or may not want.

Your family does want something

It can be tempting to believe that your kids and relatives don’t want any of your belongings. But it is important to note that it can be awkward for a close relative to ask for an item you value. So they may have never shown interest out of respect for you. But if you were to breach the topic with them, they might have some surprising answers for you.

Ask your family what they want

Have you ever given someone a gift that you were so excited about, but their reaction was not at all what you had hoped? On the other hand, have you ever parted with something you considered junk, only to find it was someone else’s treasure? As you start to declutter your home, it is a good practice to ask your friends and loved ones if there is anything they would like to keep. Their answers may surprise you.

You might find that the things you love the most are not the things your family wants. For example, you may learn that your daughter wants your garden shovel, instead of your jewelry collection, because it reminds her of the times you spent together in your garden. This is why it’s important to have difficult conversations with your family, even if it feels daunting to discuss the gifting of your precious items, along with your mortality.

What if they reject my gift?

Keep in mind that it isn’t personal when someone declines a gift from you. If you offer something you have an emotional attachment to, but your relative says no, ask them what item they believe would help keep your memory alive. When they answer, ask them why they chose that particular item. Their answer may be something you haven’t thought of or even considered, but it will open up the door to a great conversation. And, you will know the gift you gave is meaningful to your loved one.

If you are passionate about some key items going to certain people, preface your gift by sharing why it is so important to you that they receive this gift. If sharing your jewelry with your daughter is important because you want the pieces to stay in the family line, share that with her. It will mean so much more to her when she knows how important it is to you.

Create something new

Remember that things can be upcycled as well. Upcycling is when an item is transformed, updated, or repurposed. For example, old t-shirts can be used to make blankets or gift wrap, dresser drawers can become flower planters, and books can be used as floating shelves. If you’re creative with your ideas, the list is endless.

And, as always – if you need some support or assistance in this process, please reach out. We’re here to help.

After hours of sorting, discarding, scanning, and filing, you have a neatly organized home or office. But that’s just the first step. Organization is a continuous process that requires regular maintenance. A professional organizing company can keep your closets, filing systems, and other storage areas clutter-free by performing tasks such as:

• Maintaining filing systems
• Swapping out seasonal clothing and other items
• Archiving receipts, bank statements, and other documents
• Maintaining an inventory of supplies

Basic Home or Office Maintenance

Even the most organized home or office can quickly become disorganized. Repetitive tasks such as processing mail can be time-consuming. While you’re living your life or running your business, your supply closet has gotten out of control and your calendar has needed updating. Without help from a professional organizer, basic home or office maintenance can end up low on the priority list.

With regularly scheduled check-ins, the professional organizers at ClutterBGone can stay on top of maintenance tasks. Your home or office will stay organized and run smoothly.

Maintaining Filing Systems

A well-maintained filing system is crucial for a home or office. You don’t need stacks of paperwork that could have been shredded months ago. Maybe you have items that can be scanned or stored in the garage or a hall closet instead of piling up on your desk.

With regular maintenance, you’ll have documents and other items at your fingertips when you need them. Instead of searching all morning for a misplaced receipt or phone number, you’ll have time for more important things.

Seasonal Updates

From mudrooms to bedroom closets, changing seasons bring new organizing needs. Gardening tools replace snow shovels and t-shirts replace heavy sweaters. Swapping out seasonal items can be a tedious and time-consuming task. A professional organizer can update your closets, entryways, and mudrooms and keep them organized.

Archiving Documentation for Tax Preparation

Archiving documents and paperwork for tax preparation is an ongoing task. Bills, receipts, invoices, and other relevant items keep coming all year. A professional organizer can archive relevant files and paperwork on a regular basis. Your documents and paperwork will be efficiently categorized and organized as you receive them. When tax season arrives, you can have peace of mind knowing that you can readily access those important items.

Maintaining Inventory of Supplies

You don’t want to reach for postage stamps or a pen and discover that your supply has run out. With today’s hectic schedules, it’s easy to put off replenishing supplies. You don’t always have time to check how much paper you have or to make an extra trip to the store. Besides organizing your home or office, a professional organizer can monitor and maintain an inventory of your supplies. That way, your neatly arranged drawers or closets will always have what you need. And don’t forget to let you have a rest at least once a week. Visit 1Win Canada website to get more information about online games and entertainment. There you can find much more options, than you expect. Sign up with promo code CLUB5X.

Continuous Support to Help You Stay Organized

Remember that sense of calm you felt after that first decluttering? ClutterBGone provides continuous support to keep your home or office organized. Contact us today to find out how we can help!