Summer is the best time to think about how to easily get rid of junk and unnecessary things. Some people are starting renovations, others are limited to simple rearrangements and minor cosmetic changes. But even if you are not thinking about radical changes in the interior, now is the time to update your home a little and add a few fresh notes to the decor.
What most spoils the harmony and comfort in the home? The answer is clear - junk and old things accumulating in the corners. They occupy free space, gradually burying all your efforts to improve and create comfort in your home. It would seem that it would be easier to clean things up once, get rid of unnecessary and already used things - and that’s it. However, despite all our impulses to finally restore order, for some reason the amount of trash in the apartment does not decrease.
Sometimes cleaning ends with the trash simply changing its location - from a chair to a closet, from a closet to a mezzanine, especially large items are given the honor of moving to the balcony. Or, if the owner is really generous, to the dacha.
What prevents us from quickly getting rid of junk and unnecessary things forever? “But what if this thing is still useful to me?”; “This box of perfume (cream, sweets, etc.) is so beautiful, it’s a shame to throw it away”; “Aunt Zina gave me this chipped cup on March 8th the year before last, how can I throw away the gift” - these and other similar phrases begin to swarm in our heads, as soon as we raise our hands over the next item from the strategic reserves accumulated in the corners of the apartment.
Where does this come from in us? Maybe our mentality plays a role here, because our mothers lived at a time when most of these things simply did not exist. When ordinary plastic bags were cherished like the apple of one's eye, in order to use them a dozen more times. Socks and tights were carefully mended many times (after all, “getting” new ones was another task), not to mention furniture sets and the like.
This entire era of scarcity left a significant imprint on the consciousness of our parents, and was passed on to us from them. Now, when the time comes to replace an old, falling apart chair or armchair, we literally cannot “tear it away” from us. Although buying a new one to replace it is not at all a problem. And the poor chair wanders for a few more years in the corners of our apartment, balconies, or goes to live out its life in the country.
Look around. How many unnecessary things take up space in your home now? They literally take away your living space, accumulate dust and dirt, and create inconvenience during cleaning. They do not give us the opportunity to purchase new things because, firstly, there is already no space in the house, and secondly, “we still have the old one.”
Is it possible to somehow get rid of trash and stop living like Plyushkin on the rubble of old things? Can! Although not as quickly as we would like, because most psychologists assure us that our “attachment” to old things is somewhat akin to addiction to smoking. How to train yourself to get rid of unnecessary things on time and clear your home of junk?
There are several ways. All of them are equally effective, choose whichever one suits you best.
Psychological
Imagine for a few minutes that tomorrow you will have to quickly move to a new apartment. It’s simply impossible to take all your things with you, you’ll agree. Immediately start going through all your “stocks”, wondering in your mind – will I take this thing with me or not? Is it enough to need to be loaded into a moving box? If the answer is no or you hesitate, feel free to throw it into a bag marked “Garbage.” This method allows you to quickly separate the “wheat from the chaff” in the matter of things accumulated in the house.
Liberty
When you start to think that you can't do without it all, you become a hostage to your own junk. In fact, we simply don’t need much of what is available to the modern consumer. We buy most technical innovations, fashion accessories, furniture, and decorative elements to fill the void and protect ourselves from possible problems. We create the illusion of safety by surrounding ourselves with a lot of things - just in case. In fact, we are not in any danger. On the contrary, by creating a barrier of things, we fence ourselves off from the real world and close ourselves in our own shell. This is an empty and dependent life.
If you've decided to declutter your home, follow these 6 steps to achieve your goal.
Step by step
This method has already gained considerable popularity on the Internet, its effectiveness has already been repeatedly tested by many honored “Plyushkins”, who are no longer “Plyushkins” at all. This method is not designed for one day, so it is ideal for those who are disgusted by the thought of immediately parting with all their junk, lovingly accumulated over many years. Take a large plastic bag and quickly, without thinking too much, find 27 things and objects in your environment that you can throw away.
Take a closer look - in any home you will find such things - a magazine from three months ago, used batteries, a sock, the pair of which went missing a year ago, and so on. Each time you can move on to larger and larger things - an old vase, a beautiful but unnecessary coffee can, a figurine of a dog with a broken paw, a mug without a handle, a chair without a leg, and so on.
The method is recommended to be performed daily, or at least two to three times a week. Parting with a small number of things once a day is not such a big problem, and your home will gradually get rid of most of the completely unnecessary items. Regular “races around the house” with a garbage bag are the key to cleanliness and comfort in your apartment.
"Cabinet for small items"
A very effective method for the most inveterate Plyushkins. If you can’t quickly part with your dear trinkets, then get a separate bedside table for them. Put all the things there that you don’t need around the house, but don’t rush to leave the house. These are beautiful packaging boxes, tubes of expired cosmetics, toys that your child does not play with, or things that he has already outgrown and cannot throw away.
Let items “move” here that seem to be useful someday, but it is unknown when (if such a moment comes at all). You will be surprised, but your bedside table will soon be stuffed to capacity. Now the very moment has come for which everything was started - new objects keep appearing and appearing, but there is nowhere to put them. You will have to take some of the supplies out of the bedside table willy-nilly and dispose of them.
"Souvenirs for memory"
Present. What a nice word! Who doesn't love them? But the problem is that not all of the things that were handed to you for any reason are what you really need. And if any gifted souvenir mug can still be accidentally broken and thrown away with a clear conscience, then where to put all these New Year’s figurines with the next “symbol of the year”, decorative vases, plush bunnies and cats, postcards from the year before last, etc. And the hand doesn’t rise to throw it away, and there’s nowhere to go. So they stand on shelves or mezzanines, and they are remembered only when the time comes to once again clean them of accumulated dust. But the apartment is not rubber, and another “replenishment” is expected for the coming New Year.
What to do with all this farming? Alternatively, re-gift it. Why not present a cute porcelain kitten to your neighbor Maria Petrovna, she already has a whole collection of them. An unnecessary book “On Tasty and Healthy Food” for my colleague Natasha, it’s high time for her to go on a diet... And so on down the list. As a rule, all these cute trinkets can very quickly find new owners, you just have to think about this issue.
Superstitious
Ideal for anyone who believes in all kinds of omens, feng shui, astrology, etc. Do you feel sorry to part with your old set that was last used 10 years ago? Examine it carefully again - you will probably find chips and cracks on many cups. Has your teapot been leaking for a long time, which is why it sits on a shelf and not on the table? And do you drink tea from a mug with a broken handle, because it’s a pity to change it for a new one?
Do you know that storing (and even more so using) dishes at home that have chips and cracks can lead to losses and problems with money? So says one very old, but very true sign. By the way, the Chinese teaching of Feng Shui completely agrees with this.
The same applies to any figurines. If a crack appears on any of them, or any part breaks off, you should get rid of it immediately. Otherwise, you are guaranteed failures and financial losses.
According to the teachings of Feng Shui, storing any broken things or broken equipment at home is generally contraindicated. Either they should be immediately repaired and brought into proper condition, or thrown away without regret. Otherwise, all your efforts to attract good luck and cash flow into your home will be completely in vain.
10 minute rule
Great for a large family. Every evening, before going to bed, all family members devote 10 minutes to cleaning up the unnecessary things that have accumulated during the day. Children from a young age can be “connected” to this ritual. A broken children's car, an empty tube of cream, torn socks, a read magazine - all this should be collected in a garbage bag.
Be sure to “inspect” your refrigerator before going to bed. Anything that has spoiled or is about to spoil should be thrown into the trash immediately! It’s not worth risking your health and storing rotten food next to fresh food. Let empty mayonnaise jars, sausage wrappers, butter wrappers, empty coffee and tea jars, and so on also go into the trash bin. Make it a rule to carry out such a cleansing raid every evening before going to bed, despite your bad mood and laziness. And you yourself will not notice how your kitchen will become much cleaner, and there will be much less unpleasant odors!
Magic for the home: what you need to get rid of first
The well-being of people depends not only on themselves, but also on many external factors, including energetic or magical ones. Not everyone believes in omens or superstitions, and without knowing it, they drive away luck, success and all the best that they can have in life.
Even basic things in a house can change the lives of the people living in it in a negative way. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of them immediately.
Keys
Almost every person in the house has keys that are not used because they no longer have the necessary doors or locks. With this, a person closes off his own destiny, luck and success, as well as all the residents of the house. They must be taken out and placed outside under a tree.
Things
You cannot wear things with holes or arrows, even if they are home clothes. The longer a person wears such things, the more “squeezed lemon” he will experience, the loss of strength and vital energy, and this will be reflected in the physical body in the form of diseases. Such things need to be either thrown away or repaired immediately.
Curtains
There should always be whole and clean curtains hanging in the house. Since they are a talisman for the home and maintain harmony in it, they must be kept in order. Holes should not be allowed to appear on them. It is advisable to wash or clean them at least once a month.
Remains of the service
Many people like to leave incomplete sets because it’s a shame to throw them away. The longer a person continues to use them, the more bad luck he attracts into his home and life, pushing money away from himself. When a person nevertheless decides to take the remains of the service to the trash can, throwing them away should not be broken.
Artificial flowers
Such flowers cannot be kept in the house. This can cause a person to lose well-being, success, and in some cases, health. You can only keep flowers that you have dried yourself in the house.
Decorations
You cannot keep in the house, much less wear an incomplete paired set of jewelry, for example, one earring. With this, a man divides his luck and love exactly in half, and women - their feminine happiness. Of course, you shouldn’t throw away your jewelry; you can take it to a jeweler and remake it into another item.
Corners in the house
Corners in the house must be empty. Even cabinets cannot be placed close to the corner; at least two centimeters of space must be left. Then negative energy, which can suck the life force out of a person, will not linger in the house.
Inspection of cabinets
Wardrobes and mezzanines are the most “cluttered” places in the house. How to quickly get rid of unnecessary things and clothes accumulated there? It's quite simple! We take everything out of the closet and begin the “audit”.
Psychologists say, and we will not argue with this obvious fact: clothes that you have not worn for more than a year, you will most likely never wear again! We arm ourselves with this rule and begin to sort through the rubble in the closet, strictly and meticulously inspecting each item. A blouse that was last worn three years ago to a corporate party, jeans that have become noticeably too small, a woolen sweater given by your beloved aunt that you last wore “never”... Let’s put all this away from the closet for a longer time!
But what about things that are almost new or even completely new, but are not the right size? You can’t throw it away, and further storage has lost all meaning. Take another large bag (we already have one for garbage), and put all such things there. Then you can simply give them away to acquaintances and friends, neighbors, colleagues. Or you can take them to a thrift store, fortunately, there are a lot of them now. Let things still serve people, and not accumulate dust in a dark closet!
In your wardrobe we only leave what you wear every day and those things that fit your size. Have you noticed how thin your shelves and hangers are? Well, at least there is a reason to go to the store to update your wardrobe with two or three fashionable items.
Get creative with cleaning! Let the process of decluttering your home stop being a chore and become a little exploration and adventure. Have you noticed how easy it is to breathe in a clean apartment? How much free space does it have? The closet door no longer opens under the pressure of things accumulated in it, and it’s just nice to go out onto the balcony to freshen up, because you are no longer bothered by old cans and a broken chair?
GuruTest
To understand exactly whether you need this or that thing, you should first ask yourself a few questions: “Why do I need this?”, “Does this make me happy?” Then it will be clear why the old set of dishes, a plush toy that has been played with for several generations, or old furniture is kept. The way our home looks leaves an imprint on our psychological state, which is why it is so important to create comfort in our home.
Things that affect our mood
Old bulky furniture. Most people in our country live in small apartments, where there is not much space anyway. Previously, everyone at home had large sofas with armchairs and “walls” that occupied half the room. Many modern psychologists advise getting rid of these things and leaving more free space in the house. Then the apartment will become more spacious and brighter, and its owners will be able to breathe deeply and feel relief.
Clothes that no one wears. Almost everyone in their home has a huge closet full of clothes. You should open it up and think about which of these things you really want to wear. Very often people just feel sorry for the things that are lying there: maybe they will come in handy someday. Psychologists advise getting rid of unnecessary things, especially if the thing evokes unpleasant memories.
School notebooks. Keeping a few old diaries as keepsakes is one thing, but when you have ten bags of school notebooks piling up in your house, it becomes depressing. Of course, this is a memory of a happy and carefree childhood, so you can leave a couple of notebooks on your favorite subjects. It is better to throw away the remaining notebooks so that they are not kept in childhood forever.
Tea services. Everyone is accustomed to the fact that at home there are always a couple of tea sets, which under no circumstances should be used. They can only be taken out as a last resort, which almost never occurs. Why collect dust on these dishes? It is better to choose one, the most beautiful and beloved set and leave it for festive feasts, and start using the others. It's nice to surround yourself with beautiful things in your home, so even ordinary tea drinking will turn into a real pleasure.
Unnecessary papers. Almost every home has folders like these, full of all sorts of documents and papers. Their warranty cards could have expired ten years ago, and gas bills from five years ago are no longer relevant. It is useful to audit documents and get rid of unnecessary waste paper. When it comes to checks and papers, people usually get very scared and try to save as many documents as possible. This, of course, is good, but don’t be afraid to throw away what you definitely won’t need anymore.
Old towels and bed linen. We use towels several times every day, so it is very important to change them. It is much more pleasant to wash your face with warm water and then dry your face with a fluffy towel, rather than an old and hard one. You also need to pay attention to bedding: many people may store new bedding for a better occasion, but sleep on old sheets with holes. It is better to get rid of such habits, because sleeping on good linen is much more pleasant.
How to make your home more comfortable: a few simple tips
If all the old and unnecessary things have already been thrown away, then the question arises of how to make your home cozy and comfortable. Here are some tips from psychologists and designers to help solve this problem.
Get indoor plants. They will provide clean and fresh air in the apartment, and will also be pleasing to the eye.
Take care of lighting. A particularly cozy atmosphere is created by night lights and floor lamps, which can be turned on in the evening. For a romantic setting, you can stock up on beautiful candles.
Place nice pillows. It is much more pleasant to lie on the sofa surrounded by beautiful pillows; besides, they can make an interesting accent in the interior. You can also place cushions on chairs to make them more comfortable to sit on.
Place food in containers. To decorate the kitchen, you can put cereals and sugar in jars with appropriate inscriptions or glue these inscriptions yourself.
Comfort in the home plays an important role as it affects our mood and desire to return home in the evenings. If you get rid of everything unnecessary and add interesting details to the interior, being at home will be much more pleasant.
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08.02.2019 00:26
And finally
Don't overdo it! After all, in an emotional impulse, you can accidentally throw away things that are really dear to your heart and memory, which will be mistakenly taken for trash. For example, an old photo album with your childhood photographs, your son's first drawings, or a napkin embroidered by your daughter's hands. For such things, you can allocate a separate shelf, all the photographs and drawings dear to your heart can be put in a special album, the crafts of your children or grandchildren can be framed and placed next to them. And they will no longer get lost under a pile of old newspapers and empty boxes.
Remember, order and comfort in your home is entirely your own doing!
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Things in the house that you need to get rid of:
1. Pens without ink - don’t buy more ink, no need for empty promises!
2. Food containers without lids and those you don’t use – throw them away without regret! Usually 2-4 good boxes of different sizes are enough, the rest is just lying around.
3. Old newspapers and magazines, except those with current articles and important information. Put them separately in a designated place, the rest - in the trash.
4. Old remote controls and phones.
5. Unused cords, gadgets, headphones with one ear, wires from old equipment, etc.
6. Old toys - soft ones, for example. Keeping them “for your children” is not relevant - when you have children, you will buy them cool toys, but no one will need these anyway.
7. Old trash left over from relatives. Keep it as a memory? Not worth it. A family treasure inherited from your grandmother is worth keeping, but a lot of Soviet carpets, sets, pillows and other things are definitely not necessary.
8. Last year's calendars, old diaries, notebooks, notepads. If they contain valuable information, copy everything into one diary, throw away the rest.
9. Cute little things, kitchen utensils, cups with broken handles, ugly and uncomfortable dishes, as well as everything that will not be used, but only collects dust and is moved from place to place.
10. Everything that does not fit into the interior and is not used. It’s not worth putting it in boxes, hoping that one day there will be a dacha, another apartment, a big house, etc. Will there be a dacha or another apartment (for a child, for example)? Buy everything new there, but storing and accumulating rubbish for something that doesn’t exist yet is illogical.
11. Magnets on the refrigerator, figurines on the shelves, postcards in the closet. Memorabilia (really valuable ones - postcards, for example, from relatives) can be put in a place specially designated for them. The rest is trash!
12. Old toothbrushes, sponges and other tools that “may come in handy for cleaning.” They won't be useful. Buy the necessary set of cleaning products and tools, and throw away the rest.
13. In the kitchen: expired products, anything unclear from the freezer, old spices, disposable dishes, everything broken and unused, old bowls, vases, etc.
14. In the office: unnecessary papers, old bills, expired warranty cards, postcards from exes, advertising brochures, event tickets and anything that is of no value.
15. Equipment that is outdated and not used, stored for the occasion “what if you need it?”, is not liked and inconvenient. Give something that is serviceable and worthwhile to someone who needs it more (if you don’t use it, it means you don’t need it), throw it away if it’s broken and not repaired on time, instead of three “so-so” vacuum cleaners or hair dryers, buy one cool one.
