First Step to Decluttering: Throw These Away

First Step to Decluttering: Throw These Away

No matter how much or how little square footage you command, there’s no way to avoid collecting a certain amount of clutter in your home. Indeed, it can happen so gradually that you hardly notice the accumulation – souvenirs from a trip here, a pile of books there, that never-worn sweater from your aunt hanging in the back of the closet. You’ll get them in a moment, you promise yourself, only to notice weeks later that the items are just where you left them.

Whether it’s part of spring cleaning or getting your home ready for the holidays, clearing out clutter cannot help but make your home more comfortable and welcoming to say nothing of more pleasing to the eye. Not sure how to start the process? The first step is to identify and eliminate the items such as the ones below you are most likely never to need/wear/use again.  

(Not) Reading Material: Time to face the facts – despite your best intentions you are never going to get around to reading all those thoughtful essays and trying those yummy-looking recipes you’ve squirreled away from your favorite magazines. Your best bet is to take a picture of a select few just in case and throw those old magazines in with your recycling.

Bag Time: How many empty paper or plastic shopping bags do you have stashed right now in the kitchen pantry or in the cabinet beneath the sink? Probably more than you’re likely to use in this lifetime. Recycle the extras or perhaps pass them on to a neighbor with an accommodating litter box before purchasing a few reusable tote bags.

Manuals: You had the best of intentions when you decided 20 years ago to hold on to your new toaster’s owner’s manual. That was then, however, and this is now. Today, you can find all that information online, to say nothing of informative, how-to videos and more. The answer is to locate and download any still-relevant owner’s manuals and relegate the old paper copies to the recycling bin alongside the aforementioned magazines.

Clothes Minded: Bear in mind the Golden Rule of closet organization – if you haven’t worn an item in a year, it’s safe to bet you never will, in which case it’s just taking up space. Get brutally honest with yourself and clear out that clothing. If you’re looking to take some of the sting out of the process, consider donating or selling those items. Either way, it will be easier for you to access the remaining clothes hanging in your closet.

Follow the Money: Some people hold on to every scrap of paper related to their finances – check stubs, W2s, tax returns – in anticipation of that fateful day when the IRS comes knocking. In truth, there’s no need. You will want to save your tax returns, deeds, leases and – if you itemize expenses – your relevant bills for seven years and file them neatly away. Everything else can go right into the shredder and then the recycling bin.

At Harmony Communities, we feel strongly that each resident has a sense of home. That they come home from work and feel pride in their environment and in their place in the greater community. That families are comfortable raising children in our neighborhoods, and that couples and singles know that they belong to something bigger than their four walls. In other words, we seek to create harmony within each community, making our communities not just passable, but peaceful, safe, functional, and beautiful.