At the beginning of every new year I get the urge to purge!! The idea of purging my entire house can be really overwhelming but I love the feeling of walking into a room and knowing it is a lot less cluttered. I can hardly believe that the first month of 2020 is nearly half over, seems like this is going to be a quick moving year! That being said, I have found myself really busy so my purging hasn’t been too successful.
I decided to focus on five areas of my home and tackle a few things in each of those areas. This is a great way to keep up with my new year goal of purging and decluttering but also helps me not be so overwhelmed.
5 Areas To Purge In Your House Right Now!
Area 1: The Kitchen
Pantry – This is always the first place I feel like gets completely unorganized. So, whenever I am feeling cluttered, I go to the pantry and reorganize and look at best buy dates. It is amazing how many granola bars I always end up finding…kids!
Towel Drawer – I think towels multiple when we aren’t watching them. Time to clean out that drawer and find those towels that have seen better days. Toss them! This is a great way to find those brand new towels that have never been used too.
Kitchen Junk Drawer – We all have one! Make it a rule to clean this drawer out every year and if the items in the drawer have not been used in the last year…toss it!
Cups/Mugs/Glasses – Okay, I buy a lot of coffee mugs for and cups for the kids. That cabinet in my kitchen gets a bit crazy. Evaluate which mugs, cups and glasses are ones you need to save for memories and donate others that seem to sit in the cabinet through out the year.
Area 2: The Bathroom
Medications – Time to dispose of those medications that you are no longer using. This is not only a great way to purge your medicine cabinet but the safe and smart thing to do with medications. Checking expiration dates is important as well.
Bath Toys – Okay, we love our bath toys and even if you clean and dry them after every use, there is no way to escape the mold and film from years of use. Time to toss those toys and decide what is really needed for bath time as your child ages.
Hair Things – hair ties, barrettes, brushes, headbands OH MY! Some of these items are mine but mostly they are Teagan’s. Time to get that under control. Organize this drawer with little containers and decide which items are actually used.
Area 3: The Living Room
Magazines/Junk Mail – these two items just seem to pile up. Junk mail should be shredded and recycled. Go through those magazines, maybe there are a few you love to keep on hand but most of them become outdated quickly. Recycle!! Easy task!
Candles – I have a mild obsession with candles but also hate when they get too low to use, for awhile I would keep them JUST IN CASE. Time to toss!!
Toy Bins – While we would all love to keep the kid’s toys in the kid’s rooms or playroom, the fact is that they usually end up in the family or living room as well. We have a few toy bins in our cube storage and it is crazy how fast those bins fill up. Move the toys back into the kid’s rooms or playroom if they are items that the kids will still play with – if not DONATE!!
Area 4: The Bedroom
Junk Drawer – If you are like me, the junk drawer doesn’t just happen in the kitchen. I have one in my bedside table and again, it is crazy how much STUFF gets stuffed in that drawer through out the year. This is another drawer that I always go through and toss things that haven’t been needed for the last year or so.
Damaged/read books – as a reader, I have books everywhere in my bedroom. I do have a hard time donating my favorite books but those that I have read already that do not leave a special place in my heart I know I can donate. This allows for me to have more space for new books!
Unused/Old Linens – How many blankets, sheets and pillows do you have in your room that aren’t used? I have a lot! I love nice clean sheets on my bed but do not need three sets…time to purge!! Those throw pillows….all 7 of them…are they necessary? PURGE!
Electronic cords – phone chargers, tablet chargers, camera chargers…oh goodness!! I think these also multiply! Finding a good storage option is key for these to stay nice and untangled but it is also a good idea to review what you have and use…do you really need 4 phone chargers??
Area 5: The Closet
Clothes – clearly the clothes in your closet is the biggest thing you can purge every new year. Try things on…doesn’t fit….DONATE! Haven’t worn that sweater in 2 years…DONATE! It is okay to clean out your closet and end up with a large space of missing clothing…instead of filling it with clothing start being intentional about what you really enjoy wearing.
Old Shoes – Same as the clothing…haven’t worn those beautiful purple high heels for 2 years…donate. Styles change and it is something you should consider when going through your shoes. Maybe those tennis shoes are your favorite but you cannot wear them anymore because they are so broken down. Toss them. Wear shoes that work for your lifestyle.
Broken jewelry – I have a lot of jewelry that I would never consider “valuable” and for the most part those are the pieces of jewelry that end up needing fixed or repaired. Is it worth your time and money for repair or should that broken jewelry be tossed? Going through your jewelry and picking out the pieces you actually wear will allow you to organize your space and have the jewelry more accessible.
Holy Clothing – no, not the clothing you wear to church. Raise your hand if you know you have a few jeans or shirts with holes in them in your closet? ME! Why are we keeping those? If you find items that cannot be repaired it is okay to get rid of them.
Jumping Into The New Year!
Well, those are just a few areas of the home I have been tackling this new year. One area at a time. I am feeling great about the progress I have made and look forward to continuing to focus on these smaller goals when it comes to purging and decluttering my home.
