De-Cluttering Your Home from Attic to Basement

If you've finally decided to "clean up your act" around your home, you might be wondering where to start. Getting a home organized from top to bottom can definitely be a challenge - but one that's certainly worth taking on. Springtime is a popular time of year for people to de-clutter and clean their homes. By taking the time to re-organize, de-clutter, and clean your living space, you'll be on your way to a simpler and more enjoyable way of life.

Before You Begin

Before you embark on your top-to-bottom home cleaning project, you'll want to first make a few decisions. As you clean, you're likely to find a number of items that you simply do not need any longer. It's important to have a plan for these items. For example, you might choose to have a garage sale, or perhaps sell some of your items on eBay. If you don't have a lot of spare time, perhaps simply donating your unwanted items to a charity could be a better option. By making these decisions beforehand, you'll undoubtedly find that the entire project will go quicker and easier.

Of course, it's probably inevitable that you'll also come across some items that simply need to be thrown away. Depending on your trash pick-up service, you might need to make special arrangements for the disposal of these items. If you're embarking on a really big home clean-up project, you might even want to consider renting a small dumpster. Again, by making these decisions up-front, you'll be in a better position to get the entire project done right.

Start in the Attic

The attic is often the best place to start a home de-cluttering project. If you're home is like many, this area may be where you've relegated numerous unwanted items. Sort each item into one of several piles, depending on the cleaning strategy you've decided upon previously. For example, you might have one pile for items to keep, another for trash, and yet another for items you plan to sell on eBay. Organize the items you plan to keep in containers or on shelves so that your newly cleaned attic space is neat and tidy.

Once the attic is under control, work your way down through the rest of the house. Pay special attention to any area of your home that has a tendency to accumulate clutter, such as the kitchen, mudroom, garage or basement. As you move your way down through your home, move the items you plan to discard, sell or donate along with you.

De-Clutter the "Hot Spots"

As you clean, it's important to focus on "hot spot" areas that get a lot of traffic. For example, a home's entryway is often at risk for accumulating clutter. For these areas, you'll want to devise new organizational strategies after you've cleaned the area. For instance, a basket on the entryway table could be used to hold gloves, car keys and other small items, instead of having them simply strewn across the table. A coat rack or wall-mounted peg rack can make quick work out of organizing coats, jackets, book bags and other items that tend to clutter entryway areas. Your efforts will result in an entryway that is neater, more organized and definitely more welcoming.