Clutter is a common thing to find in any well-lived home. Sometimes, people make attachments to the items that they keep in their homes. Sometimes, it’s simply due to laziness. Either way, it’s not uncommon for any household to have unnecessary stuff that they don’t use lying around the house.
However, there are times when this isn’t a regular thing and that you should get rid of these items. Here are some signs that it’s time to root through your things and start letting go of some of these items.
- You haven’t used it in a year.
There are many things around your house that you might want to get rid of, but it can be challenging to decide if you’re going to keep them or not. If you’re having a tough time deciding which ones to keep or throw away or get rid of, here’s a rule that you can follow. If you haven’t used or even looked for the item for an entire year, get rid of it.
Items that you didn’t miss, forgot you even had, or are plain unfamiliar to you for the entirety of the year should be thrown away. If you didn’t ever use it or look for it for an entire year, there’s no point in keeping them. It’s best that you start packing them away to either recycle them, donate them, or throw them away, depending on how valuable the item still is.
Unitaskers or items that have one specific use are items that you should likely get rid of if at no point during the year were you ever thinking of using it, let alone using it. You can also apply that same principle with clothes, especially ones that you’re hoping would one day fit you but never have in a while.
- It has no permanent home.
If there are items in your house that are difficult to organize or store away, then it’s a good idea that you get rid of them. These items will be in the way all the time, and they’re not going to last very long if they’re always in the way. That means eventually, you’re going to lose that item or even break it.
If it’s an essential item to you, then you’re going to find a way to give it a place to belong to so that it’s not hanging around everywhere. At the same time, you reduce the clutter around your house.
Sticking to this rule of getting rid of items that are just in the way and are difficult to organize in any way that makes sense will help you get rid of a lot of clutter and creating more space in your home.
- You keep on misplacing it.
If you find that you’re constantly missing items or misplacing them, that’s a massive sign that you’re living in a cluttered environment. When you leave an item on some surface, it should be easy to spot and remember where you left them. However, if you always seem to misplace things or have a hard time finding them all the time, it might be time to start decluttering.
You should be able to live your life in your home without having to struggle with your items. Living in your home should give you a feeling of ease and comfortability, but if you have too many items in your house, it inconveniences you to live a great and comfortable life in your home. Don’t settle for that and start getting rid of unnecessary items around the house.
- It doesn’t reflect your lifestyle.
Specific lifestyle changes can bring about different things in your life, including physical items around the house. However, a person is constantly changing. They’re going to outgrow or switch away from their lifestyle, but sometimes, we leave behind the items from a previous lifetime ago with us into our new one.
If you find remnants of a time long past from a lifestyle that you no longer live, it might be time to say goodbye and get rid of them. For example, if you used to be a vast DIYer but aren’t now, you might want to get rid of certain craft items you keep for your projects.
This small change is a great way to go back through your memories while also making space for new ones to come into your life.
- It is taking up more space.
If you find that your house feels claustrophobic and there’s no space for anything, that’s as good a sign as any that your home has many useless items. Little things like not being able to place your keys on a surface because you’re afraid it will drown and you’ll never find them again are signs that you have too much unnecessary stuff at home.
If you have a hard time parking in your garage because of all the items in there, it’s time to start getting rid of those items to make more room in your house. You’ll find that life is a little easier just by making more room in your home after getting rid of items you don’t need and taking up space.
- You no longer need it.
When it’s no longer helpful, or there’s no need for it, it’s time to get the junk removal services to come and get your waste. You purchase many things to help you get through specific issues or milestones in your life. They might have been essential and valuable back in the day, and you might have used them often then, but it may be time to let go of them now.
Although some of these items might have sentimental value to you now, it might not be a good idea to keep them now that you’ve moved on in your life.
For example, if you have plenty of school supplies, old test results, or things that you keep in the house from when you used to be in school, consider throwing them away now. If you had a baby and you have all these items related to caring for a baby, but you don’t have a baby now or have no plans to have on in the future, don’t keep any of these items, mainly the bulkier ones.
You can always keep a keepsake for various memories if you want to, but it’s best to keep these items small. If you have a photograph instead, it would be even better than keeping all these sentimental items that are taking up space in your house.
When you acknowledge the signs that your home is filled to the brim with unnecessary stuff, you can now start the process of getting rid of them. You’ll be happy to note that your home is more spacious after all that decluttering and feels more welcoming. You’ll find that moving around the house no longer feels like an endeavor.
