Clutter-Free Living: Organisational Hacks for Bundaberg Homeowners

Get ready to conquer the clutter in your Bundaberg home with these fantastic organisation tips for clutter (and stress) free living. 

How long does decluttering take?

There is no defined time for how long decluttering will take; there are some factors that will impact it, though: 

• How large is your home?
• How long have you lived there?
• How many children do you have?
• How many pets do you have?
• How much clutter do you have?

There are a lot of ‘how’ questions, but ultimately, these will dictate how long your home will take. 

Hoping to get the whole house in one day is unlikely to work. Not only does it add a lot of pressure to finish it, but it also means you are likely to get frustrated and give up on the next part. 

The key to successful decluttering is tackling a room at a time and allocating at least a week to getting it done. 

What do you need to start decluttering?

The first thing you’ll need is a plan. Think about which room you want to start with and why that would be a great place. Here is what you’ll need to get started: 

• Plenty of trash bags: different colours work well, blue for broken, red for rubbish, and black for ‘needs a new home’. 
• Boxes or containers: anything that needs to be moved but is too large for a bag, think books, and keep one labelled for donation. 
• Self-storage options: using storage will free up space to move around and can help you decide if you want to keep or donate those large items. 
• Camera: take photos as you go because you will want to see your progress in the middle of piles of clothing and old DVDs.
• Labels: when you have seven boxes taped up and unsure what is in them, you’ll find yourself pulling them open again – a nightmare. Use labels to keep everything organised. 
• Donation boxes: frequently fill them off and take them to the drop-off point. 

How can Bundaberg self-storage help with decluttering?

Self-storage is one of the unsung heroes of decluttering, and it has more than a few benefits. As we declutter, we often find that we have many items we don’t use that much. Like the spare tables and chairs used for parties or when you have extra people over for celebrations. That Christmas tree you have is taking up space in the shed or the loft. Or the mountain of boxes you have in the garage, which could probably use a better home. 

Not to mention that midway through the decluttering, other rooms tend to bear the brunt of it by getting stacked up with furniture and items from the other rooms. 

And there is no better place to use than Mammoth self-storage, with plenty of locations throughout Queensland. 

What are the decluttering hacks yourBundaberg home needs?

It is time to start implementing the decluttering hacks that will have your Bundaberg home looking clean and tidy. 

Love it or Need it.

If you don’t love it or need it – ask yourself, should it really be taking up space in your home? Most of the time, we hold on to something long after it has a purpose at all. It can be tempting to keep everything you have because you have always had it. 

This is where self-storage from Mammoth can make a significant difference in your thinking when it comes to what you really need. Take the items, furniture, or whatever else, box it up and put it away in storage. See how you feel without the things there. More often than not, you’ll realise you don’t need, use or want them. 

Anything sentimental should have a secure place, and again, that could be storage. Self-storage comes with 24/7 security locks, and only you can get there. Keeping the things you love safe from potential theft or loss. 

So, as you sort through the piles of things, ask yourself if you love it or need it – if not, it is time to let it go. 

Categorisation 

Everything is in its place and a place for everything. This is the mantra for great decluttering. No matter which room you start in, you’re going to find a lot of items that don’t really belong there – or together. The kitchen is a great example. 

A big meal is on the menu, and you can’t wait to get started, but the pans you need are scattered across multiple cupboards. After that, you need to search through the closet to find the right seasoning, and as for the whisk and the ladle, the utensil drawer is jammed closed because of the potato masher. 

A nightmare. 

And that is why categorisation and labelling is going to be one of the most powerful tools you have. Print stickers out or handwrite labels and put them on the shelves. Not only will it help you when you put things in their new home, but the rest of the house has a visual reminder to stick with the new layout. 

Think about the items that belong together and the efficiency that comes with that. 

Drawer Dividers

Going back to the utensil drawer (or any drawer that is a bit of a mess), drawer dividers are your best friend. They work in every room, from the bedroom to the shed. You can opt to choose a premade one or use a range of perspex boxes and create your own shape. 

And, even though you’re adding something into the drawer, drawer dividers create more space. A smart and simple junk drawer management tip that works across the whole house. 

Bins and Baskets

Bins and baskets are one of the best and most versatile options for storage. During the big declutter, they will be used for moving things around and organising things into different categories. 

But, once they have served their first purpose, they can have a second life. 

Stackable bins are ideal for toy storage, shoes, cleaning products and more. Since they are stackable, they make use of vertical space, which is often underused. Investing in strong plastic ones will mean everything inside is going to be dust-free and protected. 

Wicker baskets are great for storage, too, but they look more decorative. Bins and baskets make tidying up quick and easy and, more importantly, give you plenty of extra storage to keep your home decluttered. 

Habits

It isn’t a hack, but it will make the whole thing a lot easier. A big declutter is usually needed because a general decluttering habit isn’t something that is in the routine. Organisation habits are the ultimate in keeping your efforts in check. 

The labelling and storage will help you to keep that habit in action, so it is important that those two steps are taken. 

Creating a habit takes time, but you can start by looking at the tasks you have to do daily. Those are the ones that will need the most work. Things like putting letters in the right place, putting junk mail in the recycling, and toys in the bucket. 

Get everyone in on the action, and you can even have designated jobs for everyone to take part in. Look for a day, usually a weekend, when it is easiest to get a few hours of cleaning and tidying done.

As well as having a day dedicated to a deeper clean and tidy, it is important that there is a nightly version, too. The idea behind the nightly clean-up isn’t for it to be perfect; it is to lighten the load for the bigger cleaning. 

Donation 

Donating everything at once can be tricky, especially when not all donation centres will take everything. Look for one that takes as many different items as possible. The best advice is to give all of the local centres a call and see what they currently need and want. 

For furniture, you might need to arrange to drop it off or have it picked up at another time and put the items in self-storage for a while. 

The 30-Day Rule

It is no secret that people love to furnish their homes with new things, and often we keep the old items ‘just in case’. So it isn’t difficult to see why you may end up with your Bundaberg home stuffed with things that never get used. 

There are two ways to use the 30-day rule, and it can really make keeping your home decluttered much easier. 

The first 30-day rule is that if you aren’t 100% sure you need something, put a pin in it for 30 days. This helps to prevent splurging on impulse buys (not to mention it saves money). With the 30-day rule, you are less likely to buy smaller items that take up space and give you more to do. 

The other 30-day rule is that if you don’t use an item in 30 days, ask yourself, do you really need it? This can go for larger items like breadmakers, mixers, tech devices and clothing. Anything you haven’t used, needed or worn can be donated or sold. 

Junk Bin

Throughout the week, things from other rooms make their way into the living room because that is where most people hang out. Books, toys, blankets, socks – you name it. Somehow, it makes its way to where it shouldn’t be. And while there is nightly tidying, this can make everything a lot easier. 

Have a junk bin, and everything that doesn’t belong in the living room gets put in there – and everyone needs to get their items out and put them where they should be. Or, you can carry it around and put everything in the right room. 

Vertical Space

We don’t often use vertical space in the home to our advantage. But the vertical space can be a godsend when it comes to things like spices and shelving. However, you can make more room in your laundry room by hanging your clothes horse directly on the wall so that you can pull it out when you need it and put it away when you don’t. 

Instead of having a regular desk, there are options for space-saving desks. They have some storage, but the desk part folds up to close it off. Meaning that you have instantly created more space with the bonus of reducing the clutter that often sits on the top of a desk. 

Frying pans and other smaller pans can also be hung vertically along walls or cupboards, just use sturdy hooks – and remember to measure the space you need before jumping in with a drill. 

Monthly Clear Out

Did you know that makeup, skincare, some cleaning products, and more go out of date within a few months of being opened? Just like some food items, these should be disposed of. Choose a day once a month to go through the tins, dried goods, cereals, fridge items and the bathroom for anything that might be out of date. 

Rather than just throw it away, rinse everything out so that you can recycle it correctly. 

Cupboard Doors

One of the most unused spaces in almost every household is the back of cupboard doors. They can hold things like chopping boards, magazines, or anything that could be attached via a magnetic strip. 

Garage Ceiling

Vertical space has been mentioned a few times, but the garage ceiling is an incredible space that often goes unused. But in the fight to keep your Bundaberg home clutter-free, after shipping most of the items off to self-storage, start to look at the ceiling. 

Invest in some very sturdy racks and hang them on the ceiling – anything you need but don’t use often (think jumper cables, pumps and seasonal sports gear) can go up there.

1. Declutter Challenges: Decluttering can be tricky. You need to decide where to start and how much time it will take, depending on your home’s size, how long you’ve lived there, your family size, and how much stuff you have.
2. Room-by-Room: It’s best to clean one room at a time and give it a week. Trying to do everything in one day can make you frustrated and not finish.
3. What You Need: Trash bags (different colours for different things), boxes or containers (for donations), and consider using self-storage to store items you don’t use often.
4. Storage Helps: Self-storage can be a big help. Anything seasonal bulk or things you need to keep but don’t want to make room for in the house.
5. Love It or Need It: If you don’t really love or need something, think about putting it in self-storage for a while. You might find out you don’t really need it.
6. Sort and Label: Put similar things together and use labels to remember where they go. This makes it easier to keep things neat.
7. 30-Day Rule: Wait for 30 days before buying something new. If you use an item for less than 30 days, you might not need it, so think about giving it away or selling it.

Ready to declutter one and for all? Book your self-storage and get started!