Extension for Real Life

Tips for Decluttering Your Home

It’s time to get something off my chest. I have a hard time throwing things away. You may be like me as well. I’m a sentimental person and struggle with letting go of items I am attached to. There’s almost a bit of guilt when it comes to throwing away items your family members once owned, so you keep them all. Things add up quickly, and before you know it, there’s clutter everywhere.

Clutter not only makes your home untidy, but it also can lead to a variety of issues including:

• allergies
• asthma
• pest infestation
• mental health issues, like stress
• increased risk of falling

All of that from clutter? You betcha! How do you reduce clutter and create a space that’s tidier, cleaner, and enjoyable? For dealing with items that are hard to let go, consider these tips:

• Determine the amount of space you want to give to these items; maybe you have a closet, attic, or spare room for them.
• Decide what you want to keep and toss. A great method to follow is categorize items into “collections.” Pick the number of items you want to keep from each collection. This helps you get into the mindset of deciding which items you really like and which you can live without.
• Carry out the plan. Pick a day you’ll have spare time to devote to this project. It can be a stressful process. Give yourself time to sort through these items.

These tips are great for cleaning out closets as well, something we all dread doing!

For items you don’t want to keep, you have a few options:

• Donate.
• Sell.

It feels good to accomplish cleaning out a cluttered space or closet. One of the best feelings is taking items to the local thrift store with hopes someone else will love the items as much as I did.

We hope these tips are useful as we enter the new year and many people are thinking about decluttering and cleaning. I’ll be using them when I clean out my closet and spare bedroom!

MSU Extension’s Healthy Homes Initiative gives great tips and ideas on how to keep our homes safe and healthy for everyone. Get more tips and learn about our program by checking out the Healthy Homes Initiative web page.

https://extension.msstate.edu/family/msu-extension-healthy-housing-prog…