7 Surprisingly Easy De-cluttering Tips for the Busy Mum

A happy home is a tidy home and one in which you know where everything is. If you find yourself in the never-ending mess of kids' clothes and stuff and you're looking for that sweater again and again - it's time to declutter!

I know it doesn't sound exciting... But de-cluttering makes life so much easier. And once you're organized, you'll never look back, I promise! There's more space, less mess, fewer things to clean, and your house is just a happier place.

If you’re feeling inspired, let’s find out 7 ways to declutter your home in just one weekend.

1. Just get started (with a plan!)

Don’t start without a plan – otherwise, you’ll end up wasting time and getting exhausted. Plan what you want to clean, prep everything, set the date, and get started.

Prepare:

Bin bags for things you'll get rid of
Boxes for things you'll donate and give away

Here's an amazing real-life video to get inspired:

2. Give yourself a break

Yep! This one is hard.

Some say you must devote an entire weekend to tidying up. The logic behind it is, if you only clean one room at a time, it will get messy soon. Well, I don't think so! If you have the entire day, it's perfect. But if you only have time for one room or one shelf today - do it anyway!

It's better than waiting for the ‘right time’ to start because that time never comes, believe me. Do what you can, and if life gets in the way, don’t stress it. Give yourself a break, especially if you're a new mum, - and pick up where you left off.

3. Take photos of your cluttered spaces before you begin

This is not to make you feel ashamed. The photos are only for you to see your progress. As you tidy up, sometimes it feels like nothing is getting better. But looking back at the photos, you'll see how far you've come. It's a great motivation to keep going.

4. Tidy by category

Have you heard of Marie Kondo? She's the queen of decluttering and super popular these days. I really like her method. She says, tidy by category, not by room. The categories are:

Clothes
Books
Papers
Miscellaneous Items
Sentimental Items

Start with clothes - it's the easiest one! Take each item and decide what to keep and what to toss/give away. Then go on to books and papers, and finish with sentimental items.

Alternatively, you can tidy by room or by area at a time. This way, you'll notice the progress faster as space gets cleaner. But personally, I prefer Marie Kondo's method. It just makes more sense to me:)

5. Does it bring you joy?

It's also my takeaway from Marie Kondo's approach. When deciding if you should keep the item or not, ask yourself - 'does it bring me joy?' If not, let it go. Why keep things that don't make you happy and clutter your home? Donate them or simply give them away. You'll feel lighter and better, I promise!

6. Don't say 'I'll need it someday'

Ok, this is a hard one. If you look in your closet or bathroom cabinet, there is a good chance you’ll find things you MIGHT need someday (next year? the year after that?). But this is exactly how the clutter starts! If you've never used it for months, chances are you never will. Don't get wrapped up in delaying tactics:) Only keep things you really need.

7. Fold the clothes in a 'file system'

Once you’ve sorted out what you're keeping, fold the clothes in a 'file system'. This way, you'll easily find what you need, and reduce the space in your closet. It works with socks, underwear, kids' clothes, shirts - pretty much anything. Here's a video to see how:

After you've finished decluttering...

Congrats, Super Mum, you did it! Be ready to do it again. That's the thing with kids - there will always be clothes, books, toys, school stuff, you name it. The good thing is, when your children are involved in the cleaning up, it's much easier for them to follow and (hopefully) keep their room tidy, too.

Happy de-cluttering! Let me know if these tips and de-cluttering methods work for you
Best,
Stephanie Hanna
Creator of Essmak Labels