7 tasks to help declutter your home

September 28, 2018 | DIY & Home Improvement | No comments

Tidy living room

Decluttering the home is a job we tend to put off mostly because it requires time and a lot of effort. However as we are at the start of autumn, it’s the perfect time to put away spring and summer items you won’t be using for the next few months and tidy up areas that are particularly messy. Find out tips on what you can do with clutter and items you no longer use.

Put away seasonal items

Electric fan

With one of the hottest summers on record we are most likely to still have summer items strewn around the house. Put fans and outdoor furniture away for next year and if you’re not planning on using your barbecue again this year, put it away safely too. Put summer attire away and take out your thick coats and shoes ready for the autumnal weather.

Clear out your closet

Donating old clothes and shoes

We all need a clothes clear-out once in a while and think of all the extra space you will have for new clothes! You have a few options for unwanted clothes, you could ask your family/ friends if they would like them, donate to charity or sell them online via reputable second hand clothes sellers. There are also shops which will buy your clothes, with payment based on how much your clothes weigh collectively.

Organise your medicines

Bathroom cabinet

Take out your medicines and check for expiry dates, putting out-of-date ones in a pile. Organise the medicines you will be keeping in your cabinet and put open packets to the front, so you know they are there to be used first. Safely dispose of your medicines via your local pharmacy and never put medicines in the bin, down the sink/ toilet as this poses a risk to the environment.

Recycle old chargers/ gadgets

Old electronic gadgets in a box

Most of us will have a drawer full of old chargers or gadgets we no longer use. The best and safest way to dispose of these is to recycle them as it helps the environment, preventing potentially hazardous waste from landfill. Check with your local recycling centre about the items which they accept and many electronics retailers will accept old electrical items, with some offering a trade-in service where you can get paid for your electronics.

Check kitchen cupboards

Kitchen food cupboard

If you haven’t sorted through your kitchen cupboards in a while, you might be in with a few surprises when you do. The forgotten jar of olives or the quinoa that conveniently made its way to the back of the cupboard, are just a few examples of foods we forget about in our kitchen cupboards. Check expiry and best before labels and arrange foods that need to be eaten soon to the front of your cupboards.

Sort through your mail

Letters pile

Even though most communication is done electronically, we still get mail through the post and it still needs sorting! Shred mail with your personal details/ information on and try to recycle as much as you can. Where possible and if you’re comfortable to do so, try and opt for things like paperless bank statements and email reminders. This will help cut down on the amount of mail you receive in the post.

Give old furniture a better home

Classic cabinet furniture

You may have old furniture around the house you no longer use that you have forgotten about or just haven’t had the time to dispose of. You can take it to your local recycling plant or if it is in good condition you could donate it to charity. Depending on the charity they will even arrange to collect the furniture from you. Some councils offer a reuse collection service where the furniture is redistributed to a member of the local community in need of it.

There may be other autumnal tasks in the home that you might not have thought about, take a look in our Tips to prepare your home for autumn blog.

Tags: Decluttering, Organising the home, Tidying up

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