These days we are finding ourselves at home much more often than we are used to and because of that, you may be finding there are areas in your house that bring you anxiety, not joy. Or, maybe you’ve been eyeing that hall closet or food pantry for a clean-out but just can’t seem to find the time!
Well… no excuses anymore, and if you tackled these projects with a focused plan, it can make the whole process more enjoyable and over more quickly.
We’ve enlisted the help of decluttering expert and author of the new book, “Making Space, Clutter Free”, Tracy McCubbin, to give us some tips on how to create the home that you want, and take advantage of this time to make space for what matters.
Start in the Entryway & Hall Closet
Tracy says your entryway and hall closet are great places to start. “Really button up that part of the house and the rest of the house is going to feel clean.”
- You need a place to put your outside clothes when you come in so they don’t go into the rest of the house.
- The shoes should be put away.
- Clean out the coat closet.
- Figure out what to keep and what to do donate.
What to do with donations?
Tracy suggests, “Box that stuff up, write donate on it, put it in the garage or in a closet. The important thing to do is get it out of the house. Clutter causes stress. The less clutter we have, the less stress we have and we all need that right now.”
Move on to cleaning supplies
- Go into your laundry room or under your kitchen sink and get rid of the things you aren’t using.
- Throw away old sponges.
- Toss any empty bottles!
- Move the stuff you are using to the front.
“It’s a mindset right now, you want your house to feel clean, you need your house to be clean so if it’s junky under [the sink] and you are going into it everyday, it won’t feel like your house is getting any cleaner.”
Tackle the food pantry
- We’ve all done a bunch of shopping, our instinct is to put the new stuff in the front, but don’t!
- Put the older items in the front of the pantry and use those items first.
- Like goes with like!
- It’s good to know how much you have of everything so you can be strategic when you go to the grocery store. This will help you NOT panic buy.
Make your Bed Everyday!
- You might not be leaving the house, but you need to make your bed every day.
- When you fall into your bed later to take a nap, it will feel hotel fancy, and will give you a sense of normalcy and routine.
- We need to do everything we can for self care.
“We want to stay away from our houses getting messy during this time. All that mess and all the clutter increases our stress. We don’t want that. We want things to be calm and under control and making your bed everyday will help do that.”
Tracy McCubbin is posting videos everyday with tips on decluttering, and the most efficient ways to clean your home. Check out her Facebook page or Instagram for more information.
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