Decluttering your home is quite time-consuming, especially when you’re doing it alone without any organization plan. Fortunately for you, we have listed down instructions on decluttering each room in your house using the 15-minute rule.
Living Room
Being one of the house’s main public rooms, the living room is often brimmed with clutter, and it will be painstakingly hard to declutter. To do it just within 15 minutes, you need to at least three bins with you; one for garbage, one for objects that are supposed to be in another room, and another for the living room objects. Make sure that the bins are big enough for the things you will be putting in them.
Walk around the living room and put any objects out of place in one bin while simultaneously keeping an eye for those who don’t belong in the room, putting them in another bin.
Your next step is to walk through each area of the living room and return each piece from the bin to its proper place. When you arrive in the area where you put your entertainment center, arrange your DVDs, video games, and remote controls. Place them back in their organizers and designated spaces. Also, restore any unwinded wires or cords that may have twisted out of place.
If you have books that are in disarray, take time to straighten and restack them. Put the piles of magazines or catalogs that you have in trays to keep them tidy. Any blankets lying around should be folded and returned to their designated areas. Items atop the coffee table that do not belong should also be returned to their original storage.
Grab the bin containing the items that are not supposed to be in the living room and put them back in their respective places.
Kitchen
If you love food and you’re into cooking, then the kitchen is probably the busiest part of your house. It’s probably hard to cook a meal when your kitchen is in shambles, which is why it’s important to keep your kitchen free of clutter. All you need is a bin.
Using your bin, gather every item from your kitchen that doesn’t belong there. Your countertop is the first area you should look through, as it’s probably where most of the things misplaced ended up being. Put everything you find out of place and return them to their proper places. Arrange everything on your kitchen island, table, and countertop.
Any appliances that are not in their proper spaces should but put back with their cords wrapped neatly. Go through your refrigerator and arrange each self. Take out all the old or spoilt food and put them in the trash. Move around the products in your fridge until they’re back in their proper storage space. You can also arrange each item by height to maximize the space.
When you’re done with your fridge, the next step is to arrange your kitchen shelves and pantry. Make sure that all your food containers are stacked neatly.
The last thing to do is grab the bin and return what doesn’t belong in the kitchen back to its proper storage space.
Bedroom
This room is the one you spend most of your private time on, and it will definitely do you good if it’s completely free of clutter. Decluttering your bedroom is a separate feat from decluttering your closet. Each is to be given their own 15-minute limit. Take a hamper and a couple of bins. Make sure to have one for recycling, and one for your trash, then place them in your doorway.
First, start with arranging your night table and throw everything that needs to be recycled or trashed into their respective bins by your doorway, and while you’re at it, take a rag or cloth to wipe the surface. Take another bin and go through your room, picking up items that are not in their proper places. Start with your bed and then work outward from there.
Any extra linens in sight should be put back in the linen closet or the hamper. Next, go through your drawers, cabinets, and dressers and do a swift clutter sweep. Also, if you spot any of your jewelry that’s out of place, restore them to their proper storage.
Bathroom
Taking baths will be harder if your bath essentials are all cluttered and out of place. To fix it, you need to do a clutter sweep. Once again, you’ll be needing a couple of bins and a hamper.
With your hamper right by the doorway, step inside your bathroom and toss any dirty towels, face cloths, and hand towels in, then replace them with fresh ones straight from the linen closet. Any laundry you see on the floor should also be put into the hamper.
Take out empty bottles, empty tissue rolls, and used tissues and put them in the trash or recycle bins. Get another bin and fill it with items that are not supposed to be in the bathroom, such as jewelry, shoes, and clothes.
Go through your sink and countertop and replace items that need replacing. Do the same with your bathroom drawers. Any item out of place should be restored to its proper storage space.
When you’re done, take the hamper to your laundry room.