My journey toward gathering tips to declutter your home began unexpectedly. Decluttering my own home was spurred by an unwelcome invasion of fleas. Yes, you read that correctly. The presence of these pesky pests prompted me to take proactive steps to bring order to my household chaos. In this blog post, my aim is to inspire you while providing practical tips to declutter your home, empowering you to reclaim your space and find peace once again.
Let me back up this story a little before we get into the fleas…
My Story: Tips to declutter your home
Throughout my twenties, as a young adult navigating cramped living spaces, I didn’t recognize that my struggle with disorganization wasn’t a matter of lacking organizational skills. Rather, my disorganization problem came from owning too many belongings in my space. I had the mistaken belief that some individuals possessed an innate organizational gene while I floundered in my own clutter and disorganization. I hung onto every trinket from conferences, every ill-fitting garment, and every unused gift. This only exacerbated the chaos within my tiny apartments and wreaked havoc on my mindset. I struggled to find anything back in those days, and I never knew there were simple tips to declutter your home.
After my husband and I married, we moved a few times and we were able to afford a slightly larger apartment. Moving reduced the amount of clutter and our living arrangments were at least manageable, for awhile.
Then we had children...
Once my daughter was born, we were incredibly blessed with lovely hand-me-downs. However, we held onto every single onsie that was given to us, because wasn’t it ungrateful if we didn’t? We held onto every toy she played with because, what if she missed it? We held onto every baby shower gift because we planned to have another baby. Ultimately, we thought we needed to keep all of those things – just in case!
Back to the flea story
A few weeks before my son was born, my husband and I thought we saw a flea. We weren’t sure and I had intended to call the exterminator; however, I was 8 months pregnant. I was more concerned about my growing belly than anything else. Plus, I had been a few days late on my cat’s flea medication. I was positive his latest treatment would take care of it.
A couple weeks later, I gave birth to my baby boy. Little did we know, while we were at the hospital, our HVAC went out, and we happened to have an unusual heat wave in March. We didn’t know about the HVAC for a few days. And who knew? Fleas breed like crazy in the heat.
When we got home, there were fleas everywhere! We called our exterminator right away, and I immediately started vacuuming everything, every day–the furniture, the curtains, the nooks and crannies. I religiously vacuumed every day, with a 19-month-old and a newborn in tow. The exterminator came out and treated the house and yard, and I continued to vacuum as instructed.
During this time, I eliminated the amount of STUFF I had to vacuum around. I threw all the laundry and cloth toys in the dryer to kill any fleas that might be on them. Then, I bagged up everything except our favorite clothes and toys, threw them into trash bags, and stored them in our car.
The Nightmare continued
We dealt with that flea problem for 5 MONTHS. That’s right. I vacuumed the house every day for 5 MONTHS with a baby and a toddler. We had the house and the yard treated monthly and we even switched exterminators.
After 5 months, one exterminator finally realized that the problem was coming from our crawlspace. We had groundhogs living under the house, and they were creating the infestation. It had nothing to do with the cat or not vacuuming enough. Once they treated the crawlspace and it was sealed up, the flea problem was almost instantly gone.
Do you know what happened to all the stuff during that time? We didn’t even notice it was gone.
During that time, our house looked a million times better without all of the extra things and it was much easier to manage. I started researching tips to declutter my home – and keep it decluttered! All the items that had been in our car for months, we got rid of without a second glance, and we still haven’t missed any of it!
I’ve been working to keep my home decluttered ever since.
Over the past few years, these are some of the best tips to declutter your home I’ve learned!
tips to Declutter Your Home
- If you’re undecided on an item you “might” need in the future, give yourself permission to buy it again later. My husband held onto a large griddle for years, only using it once. While decluttering, we decided if we ever needed it again, he could get another.
Refrain from treating your home as a storage unit. Everything you keep takes up space and time. Remember, these are precious resources that deserve careful consideration.
Keep a donation box in your closet for donation items. Schedule regular visits to your favorite donation center.
While selling items can generate extra income, don’t hold onto these items too long. Set a time limit on selling things, and donate them if they haven’t sold.
If you’re given something you don’t use, allow yourself to donate it without guilt. Appreciate the gift but prioritize your space. I once kept a skirt from my grandparents for 17 years, despite never wearing it!
Be discerning with sentimental items you’ve had a long time. If an item doesn’t have utility or sentimentality, give it to someone who will use it.
During decluttering sessions, focus on one room or section to avoid distractions. Resist the urge to tackle too much at once.
Regularly assess your things by asking yourself if you’ve used it recently or if you’ll use it again soon. If the answer is no, consider giving it up to simplify your life.
Begin decluttering with the most visible areas of your home for an immediate sense of accomplishment. Start at the entryway and work your way through your house.
Consistency is key in decluttering. Even just 5 minutes regularly is better than marathon decluttering sessions. Don’t wait for large blocks of time; seize any opportunity for decluttering.
Conclusion
While enduring a prolonged flea infestation was undeniably challenging, it ultimately prompted a positive transformation in our lives. Grappling with excess possessions taught us valuable lessons about the importance of simplicity and decluttering, resulting in a more manageable and fulfilling lifestyle for my family. I hope you find these tips to decluttering your home useful!