Identifying clutter is hard to do, because why is it clutter if you own it? Are those weights you purchased to strengthen your arms -clutter or useful? Trying to identify the objects in your house as useful or clutter can be difficult for many. By describing what could possibly be clutter might help you part with some of the things you own. Parting with those things might just make your life less stressful.
Here are four categories of identifiable clutter that you probably can get rid of once you understand what it is.
Identifying Clutter:
Sentimental Clutter:
OK, I probably am the worse with this. I will tell my kids to clean out their rooms. I see in the piles of what they are throwing out an item and say “but you made that in first grade, don’t you want to keep it?” Of course, I get “Mom, that was 15 years ago, what am I going to do with it?” These items carry sentimental value to each person differently. The key here is to ask yourself truthfully when you see the item do you still use or enjoy seeing it or are you just hanging on to it because…
You probably have other clutter throughout your house that is similar. That birthday gift your sister in law gave you and have no idea what to do with it. The ornate picture frame you received as a wedding gift ten years ago and have never used. Yes, we all have it and you need to donate, give away, sell it or throw away. Move it on out so it is not collecting dust.
Inspirational Clutter:
This is all the clutter you acquire when you think it is going to improve something for you in your life. Do you have a treadmill sitting in the room that has never been used in years? Be truthful now… Maybe a fancy dress that you thought would make you look awesome, wore it once and never again? How about the expensive appliance you bought for a recipe that you never made again. The hobby or sport you thought was so fun to take up, and you just got frustrated at. All of those things you have accumulated are inspirational clutter, although at the time you had great intentions, now those items need to be moved out to make space for clearing your mind.
Clutter With No Home:
My parents use to say to me when I was a kid “a place for everything, and everything in its place.” When you have an organized space within your home, every item has its own “home.” It might be a drawer, a spot in your closet, a storage container but the object has a place it belongs. Then we have the clutter that has no home. Those piles on tables, counters and spare bedrooms. These are the things that need to be addressed today!
The clutter that piles up until we sort through it and decide what to keep, what to save, what to throw away. This applies to everything you bring into your home, if you do not have an intended use and place for it, don’t hang onto it or bring it in.
Bargain Clutter:
At the time it was the incentive to buy __________, because you got ______________ for free even though you never used the free ___________. Yup, you get it. We collect bargain clutter because we think it’s such a great deal. But what’s so great about something that sits around and collects dust? These cause you not to be able to pull anything out of the closet because of it being jammed pack. Or the items you realize you have no room for the things you do because these items are in the way. These are items that you can give or throw away and free up your space and mind.
So when it comes to decluttering your spaces think about what type of clutter those items are. If they fall into these categories most likely they can be donated, tossed out or maybe they have some value to sell them. Whatever they are, if you have not used the item in over a year the key is to get them out of your spaces to free up the clutter that you have.
