De-clutter Your Lexington, Kentucky Home This New Year

Written by Miranda Hinchman 01/15/09

So your New Year’s Resolution is to get your Lexington, Kentucky home clutter free; it can seem like a daunting process.  However, if you follow these few suggestions, you'll be on your way to keeping your New Year’s Resolution.

Work in Small Bits of Time

It’s best to break the project down into pieces.  You could work as little as fifteen minutes at a time or up to a few hours, if you prefer.  Just be sure to pick a time frame that doesn’t overwhelm you.  Set a timer to make sure you quit when the time is up.  Here's a great online timer you can use.

Pick a Room

Choose one room to start in. Believe me; keep the chaos contained in one area. It doesn’t have to be the messiest room, just one you think you can handle. Look for a shelf or closet that needs sorting, and don't forget to look under your bed. If the whole room is in need of de-cluttering, start in corner farthest from the door.

Gather Supplies

Wait!  Don't just dive in.  Before you’re ready to start sorting through your Lexington, Kentucky home, you’ll need to find a couple of boxes and trash bags. Label the boxes with KEEP and GIVE AWAY.  You'll use the trash bags for stuff that isn’t useful to anyone and needs to be thrown away.  It may be beneficial to have someone help you dispose of things. A good tip is to keep items that are important to you but don’t get too emotionally attached, a friend or family member can help “keep you in check”.

* KEEP: These items are useful or have sentimental value.  Here's a good rule of thumb:  If you can’t remember why you kept it, it's time to let it go.

* GIVE AWAY: Some of the stuff you've accumulated may be useful to someone else.  If you loved it once, most likely someone else will too. Clothes that don’t fit anymore go in here, and anything in good condition that you haven’t used in six months. After all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There are many great Lexington Kentucky charities like the Salvation Army or the Goodwill that may even come pick up your stuff.

* TRASH:  Anything that didn’t make it into the first two boxes goes here.  Clothes that are beyond repair, household items you don't use and out-of-date magazines that can take up a lot of space are all trash. Some libraries or schools will take old journals or magazines off your hands.  Remember to shred anything that has your social security number or other sensitive information on it.  If you have a lot of things to shred, there are services that will pick up the materials and shred them for you at amazingly reasonable rates.

Be honest with yourself about what you should keep.  Before you keep that favorite sweater that hasn't fit in years, check your "honesty" radar.  In no time at all, you’ll have your Lexington, Kentucky home de-cluttered. And, you’ll have kept your New Year’s Resolution this year!

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