Once in a blue moon, we suddenly wake up with the urge to tidy things up in our house and declutter. We want to get rid of everything that we think we don’t need anymore. But when you already have that specific item in your hand, you suddenly think twice. Should you throw it out? Would you need it again in the near future? What if you suddenly need to use it ASAP and it’s stored somewhere? Maybe you should just keep it? These are the things that will be running around in your mind once you start decluttering. To make your life easier, here are 10 questions that you may ask yourself and hopefully will make it easier for you to decide which to keep, to store, and to throw.
- Do I need it?
Define what is important to you, how much do you need it? Do you need it because you really need it or because you cherish it for some emotional reason?
- Do I like It?
You may have loved that piece of furniture a couple years back, but do you still like it now? Your taste or preference may have changed. You may have changed the theme of your room and that certain furniture doesn’t feet the theme anymore.
- Is it working?
It has become our habit to keep things that doesn’t work and plan on repairing it. If you don’t rush on getting that thing fixed, then maybe it’s not that important to you, then you may get rid of it completely.
- Is it dirty?
When you don’t use something for a long time, it accumulates dust over time therefore making it dirty. Sometimes it’s a stain, sometimes not. You may ask yourself if you still want to keep it despite being nasty. But take note, that dirty, especially old, items could cause more critters to stay in the area.
- Do I have something like this now?
If you have something similar to that now, you can get rid of the other one. You may compare which you like best, whether it be the old or new one. Just get rid of the one that you wouldn’t choose.
- Is this mine?
Sometimes we have relatives or family members who would ask for a favor for you to keep some stuff for them until they find the perfect place to store it. It ends up in your house longer than expected. Set the line, don’t let your house be a storage unit for other people.
- Why am I saving this or to whom should I be saving this for?
We love to keep our things and leave it to the younger generation of our families. To help you decide which to keep, choose smaller items, a box full of smaller memorabilia is far better than an attic full of unlabeled boxes. Also make sure that you label them, who will receive it when time comes, putting a short story behind that precious item, so you can be confident that the story will be passed on the future generations.
- Am I using the right container?
Do not buy a container right away. Declutter first, then after decluttering, buy a container which fits perfectly to the items that you wish to keep. Avoid buying or using a container that is too big, the empty spaces will only tempt you to put more stuff in it.
- Is that the right place to store it?
Think about how often you will use the things that you decided to store. Do you only use annually?  Then consider putting it at the back of the closet, If it’s something that you will be needing ounce a month, then put it somewhere you can easily find it.
- Will I easily find it when I need it?
This will fall under organization. Put same things together in a box and label it. That way even if it’s in a storage unit or in your attic, it will be a whole lot easier to look for that thing that you need to use as soon as possible.
Remember, decluttering wouldn’t only make your house seems cleaner and bigger. It will also promote a healthy living environment. So check your calendar now and look for the first available time that you have to declutter your home.