A cheat’s guide to keeping your home clutter free and calm

Mums Tips

Parenting Skills

Published on Saturday, 27 January 2018 11:21

Last Updated on 26 January 2018

AliMoore

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We all know the feeling: washing, toys, shopping or clutter slowly build up and a busy life starts to feel a little overwhelming. What you might not realise is that keeping your home tidy can help to reduce stress. With just a little time and a few easy tweaks, you can avoid the clutter and keep your cool.

When you have young kids, the concept of “tidy” can feel somewhat unattainable, but there are always a few ways you can avoid unnecessary clutter. 

 

One Bin is Rubbish

Did you know that, more than half of those we asked in London said they’d had a gutful of ‘bin-digestion’ – piling up of recycling items around their rubbish bins due to lack of a separate bin or container for their recycling. The simple fix? Make sure you have a separate recycling and rubbish bin (and that both are big enough) so you can avoid rubbish piling up in such a stress-provoking way.

 

Waste not, want not

Now is a good time of year to start thinking about de-cluttering. Maybe there are unwanted gifts left over from Christmas or a whole section of your family’s wardrobe that hasn’t been touched in a few years. Regardless, it can feel hugely satisfying to rummage through your belongings and cut out everything you don’t really need (plus it frees up some much-needed space!).

Giving old clothes, toys and household items to charity is a fantastic way to ensure they have a second life, whilst supporting great causes. If you have any clothes that are too worn to be resold, take them to your local textiles recycling point. Your local council recycling centre is a good place to start.

Break it down

As busy mums, any reduction in stress or anxiety is welcome – so break up the task and make it super manageable. Give yourself 20 minutes to declutter a specific area of your home and then repeat at intervals. You can fit this in between other elements of a busy schedule and you’ll get there bit by bit!

Marie Kondo, an expert in decluttering, recommends that clearing up can help with problem solving, as well as, pleasingly, reminding you of what items are really important to you.