January is perfect for decluttering your home and getting rid of unnecessary ballast. Stilpalast presents simple tips and tricks for an effective home detox.
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planning is everything
Before you start tidying up and clearing out, you should create a plan. Because even if your apartment is very small: the risk of getting bogged down in one room is high.
To do this, draw on a piece of paper all the rooms in your apartment or house that you want to detox. Now give each room a grade from 1 to 6. The lower the number, the greater the need for action. Now add the date by which the clearing out should be completed for each room and estimate the time required for this. Important: Be sure to set the dates and times so that they are realistic and achievable.
boxing trick
Now when you go from one room to the next you need a system to sort all the items you find. A popular and very simple method is the one with three boxes. This method forces you to make a decision for each item, thereby creating order. The three boxes are labeled as follows:
“Keep & Need”
This is where you put all the things that you definitely want to keep because you still need them regularly or because they are linked to a specific memory. Ideally, you should then arrange objects that find their way into this box neatly in the appropriate new place (drawer, shelf, cupboard, as decoration, etc.).
“Away with it”
This box is for those things that you definitely want to get rid of. Don’t just think about utensils that belong in the trash, but also those that you can give away, donate or sell. If possible, hoard the items after clearing out, but not within your four walls. Pack the things that are intended for disposal, for example, in the cellar, in the garage or directly in your car.
“To store”
The last of the three boxes includes all the things you want to keep but rarely use. They should be labeled properly, packed if necessary and stored appropriately so that you can find them again quickly at any time.
Don’t forget: Before you go to the next room after clearing out one room, you have to empty each of the three boxes completely.
Let’s go!
Below you will find food for thought and inspiration on where to declutter and reorganize anywhere in your home.
Kitchen:
Get behind the pantry in the kitchen and throw away any food that is long past its sell-by date, has been lying around openly for ages, or isn’t going to be eaten for any other reason. This gives you space for new things in no time at all and you can also do part of the spring cleaning while clearing out by wiping the cupboard shelves with a damp cloth and then drying them thoroughly. To keep things tidy, fill pasta, rice, sugar, flour, muesli, nuts, etc. in storage jars that can be closed easily. Take this opportunity to sort out the dishes that you would not put out for visitors (cloudy glasses, plates with chips, etc.).
Living room:
Plants that are more dead than alive, almost burnt candles, tarnished vases and magazines/newspapers that are several months old should be thrown away. After the mucking out (and cleaning), new plants literally bring a breath of fresh air into your home. Have you also had enough of photos and pictures? Then now is exactly the right time to redesign this decoration. You can find inspiration on this topic here.
Workspace:
There is definitely enough fodder for the waste paper collection or the shredder in the study or office. So get rid of old paper, postcards and bank documents from the last decade that are no longer needed. You can find creative organizers for a tidy workplace here.
Bedroom:
Is your closet bursting at the seams? Get rid of all clothing you haven’t worn in the last 6-12 months (depending on the season). You can find more valuable tips on how to bring overview into your sanctuary with System here.
Bath:
Do you find it difficult to part with your collected make-up treasures and other cosmetic products? But you should definitely do this after a certain period of time. You will probably be surprised how many bottles, jars and pots you should have thrown away long ago, because eyeshadow, lip gloss & Co. sometimes only last a few months (maximum one to two years).
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