Living free from piles of old receipts and almost-finished bottles of hairspray is mythical to some: “that kind of world only exists within the make-believe realm of Pinterest,” they scream!
While a marvellous mess may well be reality, holding on to “stuff” (those shoes that pinch your pinky toes etc.) does little for how your home looks and only adds to dusting duties.
“In order for your home to feel fresh and balanced, don’t cover every inch of the space with something -- keep it simple,” Beck Wadworth, founder of An Organised Life told The Huffington Post Australia.
A good place to start is to count your junk drawers, then decrease them down to one.
When clearing things out, ask yourself: is this item something I use regularly? Unless it's something you just can't part with due to sentimental value, it's probably time to clear it from your life. After all, what use does a birthday card from four years ago really have?
And if you’re still holding on to magazines purchased when Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise were a thing, it’s time to let that clutter go.
1. "Less is more -- if you don’t need it, you simply don’t need it!" Wadworth said.
2. “Create a home for everything -- from books, to accessories -- invest in stylish storage solutions and create a system that works for you,” Wadworth said.
3. When it comes to the kitchen, only keep the packaging for electrical pieces that have a long warranty period.
4. “Fold empty packaging boxes flat and store them in a garage or basement,” Wadworth said.
5. “Each month aim to re-organise your wardrobe, cupboards and drawers and discard anything that you don’t need or wear,” Wadworth said. Do you have multiples that could do the same job?
6. Most makeup has an expiry date and if it's an opened bottle -- it's good practice to throw it out after a certain period, depending on what sort of product it is. A mascara is good for three to six months.
7. “Order bathroom products into small bags so that they are easily accessible inside your bathroom cupboard and arrange them in order of how you use them in the morning," Wadworth said.
8. When it comes to old financial records like bank statements, if you've got an electronic copy, there's no need to have both.
9. Get rid of old electronics. Recycle old mobile phones via Mobile Muster.
