Declutter Your Home and Donate to Habitat

There are wonderful benefits of owning fewer possessions: less to clean, less debt, less to organize, less stress, and more money and energy for other passions. However, some folks stall out when they are ready to declutter because they get quickly tripped up on how to start the process.

To avoid getting frozen in the staging period where some people begin to feel overwhelmed, anxious, and defeated around the idea of decluttering their homes, try taking a breath and then seek a decluttering method that speaks to your personality. Find a process that you can connect with that will make the activity comfortable and even enjoyable. There are a variety of decluttering tactics available with some even being a bit fun! Check out these creative ways to get started:

Sorting Bins

To get started, first set yourself up for success and choose a collection point for your pieces. You’ll need a place where you can put everything that gets removed. This can be problematic if you’re already short of space, but it is very important. Then create a separate bin for Trash, Giveaways, and

Donations

This decluttering step works because not only do you concentrate on emptying your rooms, you have created a workflow – or a process – to determine the final destination for these items.

Take the 12-12-12 Challenge

This is a basic task of locating 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items to be returned to their proper home. This can be a fun and exciting way to quickly organize 36 things in your house. If you’re doing this challenge as a family, you can either take the divide and conquer approach to tackling the 36 items, or each family member can be responsible for their own collection of 36 items. This method can become a productive, yet lighthearted competition between family members and roommates.

Fill One Trash Bag

This activity leans towards simplicity and can be one of the least stressful decluttering techniques to try as you start your decluttering journey. The trick is to grab a large trash bag and see how quickly you can fill it with items. First pick a focus for the roundup, whether that be for the items to be thrown away or selected for donations. Do this once or twice a month and you’ll soon see the piles start to shrink away.

No matter what you choose to help you get started, the goal is to take your first step with excitement behind it. There is a beautiful world of freedom hiding behind that clutter. How you remove it is up to you.

Already working on decluttering your space? The Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity ReStores are ready to take some of those items tagged for donations off your hands. Here are a few items that ReStore loves to accept: appliances, furniture, hardware, lamps, tools, curtains and drapes, gardening tools, lawnmowers, and boxes of household items likes toasters, microwaves, dishes, books, vases, and more.