Having a tidy, uncluttered living space can work wonders for you. Not only does organizing your home provide a mental boost, but it also ensures you're left with belongings that truly add to your daily life.

To help you navigate through the monotony of decluttering your home—and to make the process less daunting—here we'll share with you some reliable advice. Keep it in mind, and you'll find it much easier to simplify your surroundings.

Tip #1. Keep or release your items

When it comes to decluttering, Marie Kondo will inevitably come up in the conversation. This decluttering expert proposes something that has worked for many homeowners worldwide: Ask yourself if that thing you're wondering about getting rid of sparks joy in your life.

How can you know if an item sparks joy in your life? If the answer is not that apparent with some objects, you can go through these questions to know if keeping it is worth it:

• Why did I keep this in the first place?
• Does it have sentimental value?
• Do I use it frequently? 
• Will I use it again?
• Do I own something similar? 
• Is it fit for purpose? 
• Could someone else make better use of it?

Answering these questions with honesty can guide you in the decision to keep or release. However, there will always be those items that you struggle to let go of, no matter what.

Tip #3. Archive, shred, and recycle papers

If the clutter also includes documents lying around your home or taking space stored, this tip will help you greatly.

As you go through your papers, sort them into three different piles: the ones you need to keep, the ones to shred, and the ones that can be recycled. If you find it difficult to know which papers go in which category, check this:

• Archive. Important documents such as medical records, birth certificates, bank or credit card statement information, school forms, and any legal documents.
• Shred. Any documents that you no longer need but contain sensitive or personal information.
• Recycle. You can look at this in two ways. You can toss irrelevant documents into a recycle bin to send them to a recycling center, or you can save them to reuse the backside when needed.

Tip #4. Declutter in small bursts

If you're facing the tall order of tackling clutter throughout your entire home, it can get overwhelming pretty quickly—even a seemingly small room can get hard to deal with!

To avoid the feeling that you have so much to do, divide the mess into small zones or categories and tackle them at different times. For example, books or clothes, you can go through your books in the morning and your clothes in the evening—or even do it on different days.

Besides making things much easier for you, tackling clutter a small zone at a time will make you feel you're making progress from the moment you finish with the first area.

Tip #5. Follow the 90/90 rule

When you are doubtful about getting rid of an object, think if you have used it in the last 90 days. If not, think about whether you're going to use it in the next 90 days. If both answers are a no, that's an item you won't miss when you get rid of it.

Of course, depending on your lifestyle, you can be flexible with the amount of time—whether shorter or longer. So, pick the timespan that better fits your routine.

Tip #6. Pick the best, your favorite, or essential item

If you have multiple items that fulfill the same function, chances are you don't need every single one. To get a better idea of which one to keep, get all the repeated items together and check which is the best one to do its job, your favorite, or simply necessary.

You don't always have to try to lower the number to only one. For instance, in your kitchen, you may need more than one of the same tools to prevent cross-contamination. So, you can easily keep two items as long as they fit the categories.

Tip #7. Declutter before thinking about storage

Many times, when people declutter and organize their homes, they start to think, "I'm going to buy a bin to store these things," or "Oh! I know where it could fit," keeping them from tossing many unnecessary items.

Besides helping you to get rid of more things, decluttering first and then thinking about how to store the stuff that you want to keep also minimizes the storage tools you may need. It will save you money and space!

Tip #8. Get a second opinion on decluttering

Whether due to having had the item for a long time, sheer stubbornness, or any other reason, sometimes, it becomes too difficult to choose what to let go. However, if you're on a decluttering quest, you need to pick some things to toss.

A second pair of eyes that doesn't have a personal history with your stuff may be able to see it in a more objective light. So, pick a family member or a friend you trust to help you decide what items are really necessary for you and which ones aren't—you'll see it gets much easier.

Tricks to keep decluttering sessions more manageable

You can reduce your workload the next time you decide to declutter your home with these tricks. Also, you'll be less likely to accumulate unnecessary stuff if you follow them. Check them out:

Hanger trick

If you feel like you have too many clothes but don't know which ones to get rid of, try this: hang your clothes with the hanger in the opposite direction you normally hang them. Whenever you wear something, flip the hanger it was in.

After a certain amount of time (three months, for example), check which hangers are still the wrong way and toss away those clothes.

Note: Keep in mind your seasonal clothing, as it may pass more time so you can use them again.

Tape trick

This trick is similar to the clothes hanger one but for all kinds of stuff around your home. You can either put it in practice throughout your whole house or in a particular area—as you feel more comfortable.

First, you need to pick a future date to check on your stuff. Three months usually work, but you can choose any interval that fits your schedule. Then, mark your belongings with a piece of tape that you can easily rip off later—masking tape or washi tape are good options.

Every time you use a marked item, remove the tape. When the set date comes, check which tools still have tape on them and start your decluttering journey.

Always keep your home in top shape with Rain City Maids!

Decluttering your home is an important step to maintaining it, but what about the rest of the tasks? Rain City Maids has many more tips and tricks that will make your daily cleaning routine much easier. Keep an eye on our blog to discover all the cleaning advice we have for you!