Thursday, December 28, 2017

The Joys of De-cluttering Your Apartment



In today’s consumer society it is easy to find yourself buried in stuff.  Whether it is clothes, linens, shoes, half-finished packages of food, or an overstuffed medicine cabinet, it is an almost constant battle to keep the stuff we use for our every day lives under control.  By taming the beast of clutter you can simplify your daily routines by having less stuff to sift through, and you can restore a greater sense of peace and well being to your home in the process.  Here are a few guidelines to getting the clutter out of your apartment and to getting some peace of mind back into your life.

The Kitchen

It is easy to acquire food, spices, oils, condiments, plates, and cookware without having the proper storage to accommodate it all.  Generally, if you have not used something—whether it is a fondue set, a blender, or that Thai spice mix set you someday intend to use—get rid of it.   One way to ensure your kitchen stays manageable is by making a few smaller shops per week, rather than one big stock up.  Buying less items more frequently keeps you in touch with what you do have, and allows you to keep fresher ingredients on hand while preventing waste through spoilage. 

The Bedroom Closet

Clothes can be particularly tricky to manage because of the sentimental value we often place upon them.  A particular sweater, t-shirt, or coat can live on in our closets well after it has ceased to be worn simply because it reminds us of a particular time and place.  As a rule of thumb, if you have not worn a garment over the last year then it is time to put it out to pasture.  Once you pare down your wardrobe to a manageable amount, be sure to arrange and present your clothes in a clear and organized manner, so you can keep daily, visual tabs on what you have.

The Bathroom

Bathrooms are magnets for almost empty bottles of shampoo and conditioner and old medications, combs, and tubes of cream that never get used.  Again, if you have not used something in a year then it is good to go.  Think of what toiletries you would pack for a trip—i.e. what are the essential things you need each day—and reduce your bathroom stock to only those items. 

If you clean as you go, and keep your counters, cabinets, and drawers free from becoming dumping zones, than a de-cluttered apartment is easy to maintain.  Remember, thrift stores, charities, and food banks are always in need of good items, so pass your stuff along, and keep yourself and your apartment organized and orderly.

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