Isn’t living a simple and minimalistic life satisfying?
If your apartment is messy, chances are you aren’t feeling content. That’s because being content largely depends on how organized your home is.
But we have good news:
You can create a happy and simple life in your residence.
To do this, only keep what you need and get rid of the rest. By eliminating the clutter, you’ll be able to focus on things that matter.
Freeing yourself of unnecessary stuff can help you get organized and find peace in your apartment.
So let’s get to work by following these seven secrets. You can find simplicity in your apartment by trying and applying these techniques!
1. Clean for Ten Minutes at a Time
If tackling your entire apartment seems overwhelming, start by working in increments.
For the first day or so, only declutter for ten minutes at a time. If you want to spend more time than that, great, but don’t force yourself. Ten minutes is a fine way to start.
First, you can pick things up and sort them. Later, you can put things back into newly sorted bins and baskets.
As it gets easier, start cleaning for longer periods. Remember, you’re trying to get this done in less than two weeks, so you’ll have to pick up the pace eventually. But, starting in ten-minute increments will make the project feel more realistic.
2. Pretend You’re a First-Time Visitor
Stepping outside of yourself can make you see things in a new light.
Walk through the front door and imagine yourself as a guest who’s viewing it for the first time.
As you pretend, make some mental notes on what sticks out. After taking everything in for a bit, write down what you “see.”
Your first impressions should guide the rest of the project. It’ll reveal how to proceed with organizing your interior.
And when you get stuck, you’ll have handy notes to remind you what to do.
For example, if you noticed that your mudroom is too cluttered, don’t add anything else there. Instead, put your new apartment elements in a room that needs more character.
3. Purge Your Kitchen
Your kitchen cabinets are probably full of things you don’t need. Go through them and throw some things away.
For example, if you have Tupperware without lids, toss it in the garbage. What good is a Tupperware container if you can’t find the cover?
You may also have broken appliances. Get rid of them! Why allow an old blender to take up space on your counter when you can’t even use it?
There might be items that still work but you don’t use. Either give those things away or make a point to use them. Otherwise, they’re going to continue taking up precious kitchen space.
4. Toss Anything With Holes
You don’t need to wear socks with holes. Get rid of them immediately and make space in your dresser.
Damaged sweaters and pants may be worth repairing. For example, you might be
sew a patch over the hole on your favorite pair of jeans.
But if you decide to keep them, make sure to commit to it. If you don’t think you’ll get around to fixing a garment, toss it or cut it up to use as spare rags.
5. Fill Up an Entire Trash Bag
Without giving it a ton of thought, grab a trash bag and fill it with anything you haven’t worn in more than six months. It may be tough to get rid of some things, but this is the best way to declutter your apartment.
The more stuff you throw away, the more organized your home will be. At the end of this process, you’ll have a lot more space in your closet and dresser. (If you’re particularly messy, you’ll probably have some extra room on your floor, too!)
If you want to double-check the bag before you give it away, that’s fine. But, keep in mind that everything in there went in for a reason.
Try to purge as much as possible instead of keeping items you no longer use.
6. Do the 12-12-12 Challenge
The 12-12-12 challenge is a great way to start decluttering your apartment.
It’s easy to do:
- Find 12 items to throw away.
- Find 12 items to donate.
- Find 12 things that need to be put away (and put them back where they belong).
Try not to overthink this process, especially when it comes to the items you’re getting rid of. If you come across something that you no longer have any use for, give it to someone who can put it to good use.
If your goal is to declutter your apartment in two weeks, go through this process every day. When the two weeks are over, you should have a tidy and functional apartment.
7. Take Before and After Photos
The best thing about organizing your home is seeing it all come together. As you apply these secrets, your hard work will really start to show!
But before you dive into putting Humpty Dumpty back together again, take a picture.
And once you’re done, take another.
Before-and-after photos will be good reminders of your hard work.
If your home starts to get messy again, pull out your pictures. They’ll give you the motivation you need to clean up ASAP.
In Conclusion
No matter how you go about decluttering your apartment, it starts with a single step. You simply have to get up, choose a piece of clutter, and decide what to do with it.
This process gets easier and easier with each move you make.
At the end, when everything is either organized on shelves, in the trash, or with a new owner, you’ll feel more content in your home.
Underneath the clutter is freedom and simplicity. You can make that happen by starting today!
About the Author
Dominique Daniels
Dominique Daniels is the Business Manager at The Morton. With over five years of property management experience, she begins and ends each day loving what she does. She finds joy in making The Morton a place everyone loves to call home.