We all accumulate stuff—it’s nearly impossible not to. Over time, though, most of us end up with things we don’t use or need anymore. Instead of keeping it around, here are some practical steps you can take to clean out and declutter your home and reclaim your space.

Make a Cleanout Plan

Going in without a plan is a surefire way to make your clean out or decluttering process crash and burn. When you just dive in, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and simply put the task off—which probably means it will never get done.

Instead of jumping right in, take some time to think through how you’re going to tackle your home clean out. This includes realistically considering:

  • The scope of the project
  • Which areas are top priority
  • How to break down the job into smaller tasks

Once you have a clearer idea of what needs to get done, you can move on to thinking about your timeline.

  • How much time each task will take?
  • How much time you can devote to the process?
  • Is there a deadline (like a move-out date or an event)?

Get specific about what needs to happen, how much time you think it will take, and when you plan to complete each step. Write down your plan and even put it in your calendar so that you keep your decluttering time clear of other events and obligations.

Work in Stages

When you make your plan, it’s important to break down the overall task of “decluttering the house” into smaller steps. It’s often helpful to work room-by-room so that you’re not trying to take on everything all at once.

Within each room, you can also break down the job even further into different areas. In the bathroom, for example, you can work on cleaning out the medicine cabinet, then tackle the bath or shower area, followed by the storage space under the sink.

This approach helps you stay focused so that you can be thorough. It also builds a sense of progress and accomplishment to help you stay motivated.

Organize Your House Clean Out Approach

Before you start your clean out process, arm yourself with different containers so that you can sort through items as you go. Using large bins is a great organizational approach. You can designate different bins for:

  • Trash
  • Recycling
  • Donations
  • Items to repair
  • Items to put away

Having these different containers will allow you to move efficiently through each space. You’ll be able to quickly get rid of the things that are going out and easily organize the things that are staying. 

If you know that your decluttering or cleanout process is going to involve a large volume of property or several larger items, you may also want to consider a dumpster rental. Think of this as a really big version of your trash container!

If it’s more efficient to move things to a dumpster all at once, you can use Post-It notes to mark which things need to be taken out. Once you’ve finished going through a specific area, you can cart away all of the dumpster-bound items and cross that space off the list!

If you need help with a major decluttering or property clean out project in Westchester County, call the team at D. Barry Rubbish Inc. today. We are a family-owned company with over 20 years of experience providing house clean out, junk hauling, and dumpster rental services throughout the region. Customer satisfaction is our top priority and we provide regular and emergency service so that we’re here when you need us.