Junk doesn’t reproduce, but it always seems that way, and your living area quickly begins to feel smaller. You may not remember buying or receiving that deep oil fryer, or whatever it is that you never use, but it is taking up space. Here are six tips that will help you declutter and reclaim your space:
General Sorting
Sometimes the biggest reason for clutter is hanging on to items you don’t need anymore. Sort your belongings into items you use often, only once in a while, and things you rarely use. Put them in labeled boxes. Everything can be kept except the stuff you never use, and the things you use often should be placed in areas where you can have ready access to them. The items you don’t use should be given away, sold or tossed out.
Declutter Your Closets
Your closet is often the first place your items laying around the house get tossed to, because it is out of side from visitors and rarely organized. Get rid of all wire hangers and hang blazers, pants and skirts on padded or wooden hangers. Sweaters need to be folded and placed on shelves. Throw out the items that don’t belong and decide if need to keep them.
Tidy the Junk Drawer
Again, get rid of everything that’s not going to be used, like cheap pens that have run out of ink. Take everything out of the junk drawer and vacuum it. Then, arrange the items on a flat surface. Put a drawer organizer in the drawer so you won’t be searching for the only pair of scissors or pens that work.
Store Old Furniture
Some apartment buildings have storage areas in their service halls, but if yours doesn’t, you may need store some of your larger items that you use later in Extra Space Storage. Make sure that you can really live without the furniture and other stuff in your apartment. This makes it easy for you to get the items whenever you need them, and it is a cheaper option than throwing it all out and buying brand new items when you move.
Clean Out the Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry
Having your refrigerator, freezer and food pantry organized makes more of a difference than you probably realize. Take out everything, put it in coolers, and clean out the fridge and the freezer. Put back everything that’s still good and that you’re still interested in eating. Try to organize your pantry by food items to avoid letting something go bad because you didn’t know it was in there. This will free up space for other kitchen items if necessary as well.
Organize CDs and Other Equipment
Because CDs and DVDs are small, they show up everywhere. Stack them in baskets or bins, and place all remote controls in remote control caddies and group them together on the lamp table. If you have a lot of DVDs, consider displaying them neatly on shelves so it will be easy for you and guests to find the movie you want, without making a mess of your living room.
These are but six ways to reclaim your apartment space. This can be done a little each day, and eventually, everything will be stored just where you want it.