As a mom, you have a lot on your plate. Between work, taking care of the kids, and maintaining a household, it can be tough to find time for anything else. It’s no wonder that decluttering your home might not seem like a top priority. However, getting rid of unnecessary items can make your life easier and more manageable.
But before you dive headfirst into decluttering, there are some common decluttering mistakes you should avoid. In this blog post, we will discuss six of the biggest decluttering mistakes moms need to avoid so that they can get the most out of their cleaning efforts.
Key Takeaways:
- Not having a plan
- Being unrealistic
- Not starting with the easy stuff
- Holding onto things for too long
- Not having a system for organizing
- Pulling everything out at once
1. Not having a plan
Decluttering without any plan is like going on a road trip without any directions. You might eventually reach your destination, but it’s going to take longer than necessary. So before you start decluttering, create a plan that outlines what areas of your home you want to tackle and when. This will help keep you focused and prevent you from wasting time on areas that don’t need much attention.
This blog post will help you to figure out where you should start decluttering in your home!
2. Being unrealistic
It’s important to be realistic about how much decluttering you can accomplish in one session or even in one day. Don’t try to tackle everything at once; instead, set small goals for yourself and work towards achieving them over time.
3. Not starting with the easy stuff
Starting with the hardest part of decluttering can leave you feeling overwhelmed and discouraged before you’ve even made any progress. Instead, start by tackling an area that’s relatively easy to clean up – like a part of your closet or kitchen drawer – before moving on to bigger projects. Tiny daily steps can have a huge impact on your home!
4. Holding onto things for too long
One of the biggest mistakes people make when decluttering is holding onto items they no longer need or use “just in case.” This mentality only leads to clutter and makes it harder to find the things you actually need. Be ruthless when deciding what to keep and what to let go of. Stop keeping a closet full of clothes you don’t wear, instead enjoy a closet full of clothes you love to wear!
If you haven’t used it in six months, consider donating or selling it.
5. Not having a system for organizing
Once you’ve decluttered your home, you’ll need a system for keeping everything organized. Having a place for everything – and making sure everything is in its place – can help prevent clutter from building up again. Create an organization system that works for you and stick to it. Decide where your junk mail goes the second it comes into your house, when you buy new clothes for your kids, make sure to declutter old items from their closet – use the one-in-one-out rule!
6. Pulling everything out at once
One of the big mistakes people make when decluttering is the classic move of pulling everything out at once, creating a massive mess that can be completely overwhelming to tackle. While the initial burst of energy and motivation is commendable, it often leads to a chaotic and disheartening situation. Suddenly, you find yourself surrounded by a mountain of items, with no clear plan or strategy to deal with them. It’s like attempting to build a skyscraper without a blueprint! Then to make things worse, a child interrupts and pulls you off elsewhere and there is a giant mess left behind that you will have to deal with at some point!
When you’re decluttering your kitchen cupboards – do one shelf at a time, the same goes for your pantry! When it comes to your bedroom closet, pick an area like accessories, jeans, shoes but don’t tackle the entire closet!
Conclusion
Decluttering your home can be overwhelming, but avoiding these common mistakes can make the process much smoother and more manageable. By having a plan, being realistic, starting small, letting go of what you don’t need, creating an organization system, and involving your family, decluttering can be an effective way to simplify your life as a busy mom. So roll up your sleeves and get started!
Other decluttering articles you may like:
- How to declutter your bathroom
- How to declutter your whole house
- How to declutter when your spouse doesn’t want to
- 20 – 10 minute decluttering tasks that work!
- 25+ Life changing tips for hoarders
- 130+ Things to declutter in your home
Grainne Foley
Grainne Foley is a wife and mother of 2 great kids. During her 5 years of full time RV travel, Grainne learned to become very efficient at household chores, in order to make time for family adventures. Now, back in a house, she has continued to create tools and techniques to help others lighten the load of household organization and cleaning.
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