How to Declutter Your Apartment

Advantages of Decluttering

Stress relief: If life gets overwhelming, organizing your home can create a sense of control over your environment. A decluttered space gives you physical and mental room to breathe and assess your needs.

Easier housekeeping: The less stuff you have, the less time you’ll have to spend cleaning and rearranging it. An orderly space may only need light maintenance, whereas a disorganized home requires heavy-duty cleaning

Pride in your home: Decluttering shows you value your living space and gives you room to enjoy it. You’ll also have the ability to decorate and make your home into your haven.

Make an Apartment Declutter Plan

Finding a place to start is often the hardest part of getting organized.

Here are some tips for decluttering to consider:

• Set a timeline. For example, you may dedicate a Saturday to decluttering your bedroom and have the unnecessary items donated or disposed of by Sunday.
• Start small. Work on one section of your home at a time. You may start with clearing off all flat surfaces so you have space to organize other items.
• Create a sorting system. The three-box method is helpful; one box for items you want to keep, one for donations and one for items to throw away or recycle. You could also add a fourth box for keepsakes you wish to put in storage.
• Ask a friend for help. An extra pair of hands will make the work go faster. Your friend can also give you perspective on eliminating unnecessary items.

Decluttering Your Space by Room

Entryway:

• Organize desks or consoles with containers or decorative bowls for personal items like your keys and wallet.
• Relocate any items that don’t need to be in the entryway.
• Hang coats in the closet, on wall pegs or on a coat rack.
• Line shoes up neatly or put them away in your bedroom closet.

Living room:

• Collect any dishes, dispose of trash and put away items that belong in other rooms.
• Take advantage of storage spaces like coffee tables, ottomans and shelves to store decorations and books.
• Fold blankets and stack or hang them.
• Hang items on the wall or install floating shelves to move table décor up and away.
• Stow remotes, controllers and extra cables in table drawers or entertainment consoles.

Kitchen:

• Divide your kitchen into sections and tackle them one by one.
• Wash and put away dishes and clear countertops.
• Go through pots, pans and utensils and throw away old, dirty or damaged items.
• Use upper and lower cabinets to stow appliances you don’t use every day, like blenders, mixers and waffle makers.
• Check out your refrigerator and pantry and throw out expired food and beverages.

Bathroom:

• Clear off the countertops and put clutter away in a cabinet or linen closet.
• Dispose of outdated medication and beauty products in your medicine cabinet.
• Store loose items in vanity drawers in containers.
• Move the items you use daily to the top drawers and store other products further down.
• Remove old or unused cleaning products from below the bathroom sink.

Bedroom:

• Throw discarded clothes in a hamper or laundry basket.
• Make the bed and fold blankets.
• Remove unnecessary items from your nightstands and store them in the drawers.
• Go through each dresser or bureau drawer and get rid of clothing you haven’t worn in the last few months.
• If you have a vanity or dressing table, organize your items in containers and toss out old products.
• Hang clothes neatly and line shoes up in your closet. You can also stack shoes on a rack if you don’t have closet space.

Spacious Apartments in Columbus, OH with Storage Spaces

Ardent Communities apartments are available in various suite styles that provide ample living and storage spaces. Connect with us online to learn more or view our Columbus, OH apartments.