Parenting / Home life

How to Tackle Family Clutter

It might feel like you only tidied up a minute ago, but do you find that clutter quickly accumulates in all the nooks and crannies of your home? If so, you’re not alone. From toys and school bags to lunch boxes and shoes, there’s a lot of stuff to keep on top of when you have children – and that’s not to mention all the washing that piles up!

Having storage solutions in place can go a long way to help you get on top of things. Here are some ideas to help you tackle everyday family clutter.

Image by Andrew W Grabham from Pixabay

Plan it out

Get organised before you invest in any additional items. It’s important that you have a plan in place so that you don’t find you have lots of storage boxes and no idea where to put them.

There are lots of ways to approach this. You could get a home planner that allows you to really focus on target areas, create a spreadsheet or a simple notepad and pen will do the job.

Take each room in turn and come up with a list of storage ideas for each. This will help you feel less overwhelmed. Then, go through each room, decluttering in stages. This gives you a chance to sort through anything that can be donated or binned.

Maximise storage space

Consider the storage space you already have. Now that you’ve reduced the clutter, you can decide where to put the items that are left. Utilise boxes and cupboards.

Also, are there any ways to repurpose the space? For instance, could you introduce some understairs storage where you can stash things like shoes, umbrellas and coats?

Multi-functional furniture is another great addition here. Seating that doubles up as a trunk or beds with drawer space are all ideal additions that could be valuable investments – especially if you want to clear everything away for a house viewing. A clutter-free home will make it more attractive to potential buyers if you’re thinking of selling.

Create systems

Now that you have storage in place, create functional, easy-to-follow systems that work in your home. Assign a home for toys and school bags, such as baskets or storage bins. Keep homework in drawers and if your kids are a little older, show them how to file everything so that they know where everything’s kept.

Get into the habit

Make your clutter-free home part of your everyday life. Make sure everyone knows where to put their belongings and if you have very small children, ensure you and your partner are keeping on top of clearing away their toys and other items.

If your children are a little bit older, give them some jobs around the house. Teach them how to tidy up after themselves and show them how important it is to look after their bedroom.

So, are you ready to take on the clutter in your home?