AD | I loved de-cluttering and cleaning before it was made popular by Marie Kondo and Mrs Hinch. Seriously though, I’ve never been one to leave my room a mess or keep unnecessary “stuff” just for the sake of it. I’ve always felt better in a clean and tidy space. If my space is clean, my mind feels cleaner too. De-cluttering can be incredibly therapeutic. But I’m sure most of you, me included, have neglected areas of your home you actively avoid when de-cluttering!
And it’s no surprise, some areas of your home can get so cluttered, so messy and so out of hand that the prospect of dealing with it makes you wanna cry and watch Jane the Virgin instead (it’s been 2 weeks without Jane the Virgin already and life feels so empty).
But your home is an extension of you. It’s your safe space. And it deserves to be looked after. Even the dark and dingy neglected areas of your home you actively try and avoid when you have a de-clutter. So here is a kind reminder of some of those areas to encourage you to sort them out during your next de-clutter:
Photo by Camylla Battani on Unsplash
Loft space
Let me just say it… our loft is disgusting. Honestly. It’s revolting. I wouldn’t ask my worst enemy to go up in our loft. We don’t have a loft conversion, just a big space for storage. So if the loft is one of the neglected areas of your home too, let this be a gentle reminder for your to spend some time to clear it out this year.
Summer is literally an impossible time for us to sort out our loft because it gets like, 45 degrees up there. So I think when Autumn rolls around, a nice big loft de-clutter is in order. It contains so much of my old crap that I haven’t thought about in literally years.
Garage
Unlike a loft space, we don’t actually have a garage in this house. We did in our old house and yep, you guessed it, that was disgusting too. A garage is an incredible easy and convenient place to hoard things and to let things, you know, fester a bit.
I think a clean and tidy garage can be an amazing place to stay organised as garages usually have a lot of room in them with potential storage space. And if you’re planning on de-cluttering your garage, don’t forget to invest in a car cover to make sure your car stays as clean as possible too.
Get proper containers for other stuff you’re storing in your garage. For example, if you’re keeping the Christmas tree in there, use a special tree keeper bag to store the tree upright and prevent damage. Store fragile ornaments in padded bags with dividers, so they don’t chip. This way, you can still use these decor pieces for the coming holiday season and save time and money.
Kitchen cupboards
I went through 2 of our kitchen cupboards a good few months ago now and the expiry date on some of the items was shocking. Like… 2014 shocking. The kitchen cupboards are something I struggle with because I can’t just throw away stuff willy nilly as there’s 3 other people living in the house.
But they’re definitely one of the common neglected areas of your home that doesn’t see much love during a de-clutter. But they can also be a really easy thing to de-clutter: out of date? Throw it away. Having eaten it in 3 months? Throw it away? Don’t like it anymore? Throw it away!
Meanwhile, it might be best to hire professionals to do some deep cleaning of your space. Here’s where to book a professional cleaning service in Brisbane in case your schedule won’t let you spend a day doing some major house cleaning.
Under the sinks
Another area which often gets overlooked in under the sinks. So the kitchen sink and the bathroom sink. We had so many products under our bathroom sink which were either out of date or nobody had used in years and now we don’t have an awful lot under there and it’s much cleaner and tidier.
Shed
We have two sheds in our house. One horrible shed at the back of the garden which contains garden stuff, paint, odds and sods. And a shit load of spiders and bugs. And another nicer shed nearer the house which contains the exercise bike, storage boxes with photos and documents etc and actual household “stuff”.
But both of these sheds are a real mess. And the nice shed started off as being super tidy and organised at the beginning but as time went on, things just got thrown in there to get them “out of the way” and now it’s a complete tip again.
Which areas of your home do you need to de-clutter this year? Any areas you’ve neglected too?
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It’s so easy to overlook spaces like these when decluttering. I know we totally ignored our shed for the longest time when we did our first big declutter of the house because we so rarely go into it, and yet that was one of the biggest cluttered spaces we had. I find that the less used a space is the more clutter there will be and you will be less likely to tackle it because of the lack of using that space. Now I make sure to check these spaces regularly as they still manage to be clutter magnets.
Yes I agree, we never use our loft but it’s a TIP!
Honestly I’m TERRIBLE about decluttering. I inherited the hoarder gene from my mum but I’m starting to get really sick of all the STUFF that’s everywhere, so I definitely need to get started! Ironically the only area in our house that is neat and tidy is the cupboard under our stairs – it’s a big storage area a bit like our version of a loft – and the cupboards under the sink!
Eeeek! Can you hire me to declutter for you please because I love it haha!
Please come round, I’ll pay you hundreds haha! x
I am a huge fan of decluttering – I find that it helps my mind feel more at ease! So many great tips!
Rosie
loverosiee.co.uk
Same here, less physical clutter means less mental clutter IMO!
I’m a big fan of decluttering too but, I have to admit, both our garage and loft are so full of stuff! These are definitely areas we need to tackle. Also I dread to think what’s lurking at the back of the kitchen sink. 🙊
Our loft is atrocious too!
You can’t beat a de-clutter. I usually like de-cluttering my bedroom every now and then as stuff just seems to accumulate into my bedroom somehow! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It’s so easy for stuff to accumulate!
I’m so guilty of ignoring the kitchen cupboards and under the sink but think I’ll sort them out on Monday. Heatwaves do not make good tidy days! xD
Totally agree! I wouldn’t be doing any tidying this weekend!
Decluttering under the sink is such a good tip. I haven’t done that in…ever? Thank you for the reminder!
You’re welcome!
Our loft is my bedroom so the only thing that gets too out of hand in there is my dressing table! Our garage has some fitness stuff in there and some storage so it isn’t toooo bad as far as garages go. The shed? Don’t wanna talk about it. Never going in there, it’s scary. It probably won’t come as a shock that I like to keep on top of the kitchen cupboards but there’s one huge one that needs a good clear out. I’m waiting for someone to take Hugo for the day so I can get in there and do it properly! x
Sophie
http://www.glowsteady.co.uk
I’d happily take Hugo for the day!
Hey Jenny,
Great post with great information and tips. I really like the post and the points that you have listed. De-cluttering the home is one of an effective way to clean the home and to stay hygienic. The mentioned areas i.e. Loft-space,
garage, kitchen cupboards, shed and under the sinks should not be neglected and they must be de-cluttered. As this post will motivate many readers and allow them to de-clutter these neglected areas.
Really helpful post and thanks for sharing.
I’ve loved to de-clutter since I was about 12 years old, far before it became something of a trend within popular culture. I’m glad it has made an impact though! We’re over-saturated enough as it is, and we hold on too tightly to the passing things of this world. I’m by no means a minimalist, but having a clear out and getting rid of things I truly don’t need for memorabilia or use is wonderful. Having a clean room and clean house is psychologically proven to be of benefit to the human mind, just as having a cluttered space leads to feeling more stressed & less put together! How wild is that?!
brineandbooks.com
I totally agree with you! Minimalism isn’t about owning the least about of items, it’s about just owning what you truly need and find value in and I think I’m almost there! It’s amazing that they’ve found that link between clutter and stress too!
I really need to do a massive declutter!
Love, Amie ❤
The Curvaceous Vegan
Hope you get around to it soon x
I LOVE de-cluttering but I always forget about the kitchen and shed!
Easy things to forget haha!
Ahhh I totally agree with you on the kitchen cupboards! You find all sorts of ancient ingredients. My home spaces I tend to hoard and neglect are my art cupboard (which I’ve just cleaned so not too bad right now) and the drawers and under spaces of the coffee table and TV stand. I don’t even know how to get in my loft! 😂
Oh goodness haha wonder what’s up there 🤔🤔
I really need to tidy under the kitchen sink!! xx
Ahhh I totally agree with you on the kitchen cupboards! You find all sorts of ancient ingredients. My home spaces I tend to hoard and neglect are my art cupboard (which I’ve just cleaned so not too bad right now) and the drawers and under spaces of the coffee table and TV stand. I don’t even know how to get in my loft! 😂
Hope you get around to it x
thankfully I don’t have any of these aprt from sink and its tidy. it’s drawers that are our down fall
I get that, out off sight out of mind!
It is just crazy how much clutter accumualtes. I LOVE getting rid of shit.
It really is. Me too. The clutter that accumulates in my room is usually my boyfriends and it drives me spare!
I always neglect under the bed. Out os sight, out of mind.
I understand that!
I let my garage get so bad once it took an entire skip to empty the contents…never again!
Holy hell haha! 😂
This is something that we’re not too bad for in our house. We regularly go through all the kitchen cupboards, porch cupboard, shed etc. My ex/carer is a bit of a neat freak, so he’s the one that is always doing it as he hates clutter and things being untidy. Honestly the worst thing for needing to declutter is my skincare & makeup. I get sent so many items that I’d need 10 faces to go through them all. But after testing I hate getting rid if I’m not going to use them again. And I still tend to buy stuff too lol which doesn’t help, then there’s the items out of all the sub boxes I subscribe too lol SO yeah, the built in cupboard in my room is the one that needs decluttering! 😀
Sarah 🌺 || Boxnip || Latest Post
Maybe you could create packages to send to people with the left over products you don’t use or the ones you’ve only swatched or something?
Decluttering the office should be on the list as well. It is so easy to put mail aside, or “i will look at it later magazine /flyer /coupon” and before you know mail, magazines and what not takes over.
xoxo
I don’t have an office sadly otherwise it would be on there!
This has reminded me I need to sort out under the kitchen sink! I’ve been putting it off because it’s such a mess but I know I’ll feel better when it’s done. Like you, a tidy space means my mind feels much less cluttered xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
Starting is the hardest part!
I’ve been a bit of a hoarder and over buyer so I have lot of stuff and it’s getting to me now.
I’m currently in the process of a big declutter but it seems never ending atm.
https://littlemissmelanie.com/
Hope you manage to get it all done soon!
I am usually quite good at decluttering, but there are a few areas I have been meaning to get around to this year, our shed being one of them!
Thanks for the nudge, Jenny…
Sheds are awful haha!
Aha my dad was decluttering the lift this weekend and just kept hearing thuds as he chucked stuff down the hatch! My bathroom cupboards are one place I never touch – I think my spares probably have spares, probably could save myself a fortune if I actually looked what was in there! I’m the same – have to have a tidy space around me to work properly. Great post!
Haha sounds like us with our loft!
This is such a realistic post, clutter in your house can build up so quickly, for me it always happens with clothes and in the bathroom! X
Kayleigh Zara 🌿 http://www.kayleighzaraa.com