Minimalist home: How to declutter and keep meaningful items

By zoeysky // 2023-01-04

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It's fine to hold on to some items with sentimental value. But if your home is getting too cluttered, it's time to declutter and organize your belongings to make the most of your storage space. Instead of going on a ruthless cleaning spree, remember that minimalism is a mindset that focuses on quality. If you have too much stuff at home, you don't have to throw away everything. But how do you figure out which items are worth holding onto?

Seven questions that will help you determine what items to keep

If clutter is becoming an issue, start sorting out the items you know you want to keep and prepare several containers for the following purposes to sort items:

Put away – Items that need to be returned to their designated storage spaces.
Fix or mend – Items that need to be repaired before they're put away, like a shirt with a missing button.
Recycle – Items that must be recycled.
Donate – Any unwanted items still in good condition and can be donated to a charitable organization or another person.
Trash – Items you can throw away.

Next, ask yourself these seven simple questions:

Do you use this item every day?

Decluttering isn't about deprivation. If you always use a certain item, you don't have to get rid of it. You don't need several sets of dinner plates, but if you have two different sets you frequently use, you can keep those. How often do you use the item/Should you keep this item? Keep or get rid of certain items depending on how often you use them.

Daily = Definitely
Weekly = Probably
Monthly = Maybe
Quarterly = Probably not
Yearly = Rarely

If you have several items that you use every day, you can keep them around for the long haul.

Would you get rid of this item if you weren't minimalizing?

When decluttering, it's tempting to just discard as much as possible without thinking too much about certain items. But doing this means you might regret throwing something that you would rather keep. To avoid this, ask yourself if you would keep a certain item if you weren't minimalizing. If you have several items after this question, make a pile of the items you aren't sure about and come back to reevaluate once you are out of the hustle mentality.

Is this item useful for one of your favorite hobbies?

Even minimalists keep things they love, especially if these items are useful for certain hobbies. If you love to read, keep meaningful books that you often re-read. If your other hobbies include pottery or board games, keep items useful for these activities so you can enjoy them whenever you want to. But if you have yarn and knitting needles that have been untouched in the back of your closet for several months or years, it might be better to give those away or donate them. (Related: Ridding clutter from your life can make you more focused and productive.)

Does this item have sentimental value?

Even some minimalists have trouble letting go of items with sentimental value like birthday cards, photos, letters and assorted sentimental knickknacks that are often linked to specific memories. When you look at those items, you feel those memories and emotions again. It's normal to want to hold onto those memories and the feelings you associate with them. Fortunately, there are many ways to repurpose sentimental items and give them a new life outside your attic or closet. If you have a handwritten cookie recipe from your grandmother, frame it and hang it in your kitchen so it can double as decor. Alternatively, you can create a memory box or keepsake drawer specifically for sentimental items you don't want to let go of. This helps prevent these items from filling your room with clutter.

Should every item you keep spark joy when you use it?

Japanese organizing consultant Marie Kondo's Kon Mari method is one of the most popular decluttering methods. In her book, Kondo encourages readers to walk around their homes, hold their belongings and ask themselves if that item truly brings them joy. If the answer is no, Kondo recommends getting rid of the item. However, this method doesn't work for everyone. Remember that it's fine to keep things around even if they don't spark joy. While dish towels don't cause as much joy as cherished photographs, you need dish towels to dry the dishes.

Does someone else own these items?

Before designating items to your "keep," "donate" or "throw-away" boxes, make sure you're only sorting items that belong to you. If you aren't sure if an item belongs to you, keep it around until you confirm it. If you have a lot of items that belong to other family members or friends, return them to their rightful owners. If that's not possible, store them away from your own belongings so you don't accidentally donate or sell them.

Will you regret not saving this item in the future?

If you can't think of a use for an item now, you might think of one in the future. For example, you can gift the toys your children have outgrown to your grandkids in the future. Keep things around for future moments that are certain and specific, like your grandmother’s wedding dress that you want to wear to your own wedding. On the other hand, it's probably time to let go of items you haven't touched for years, especially if they're just gathering dust in the attic. Sort your belongings and determine which items you want to keep because they have sentimental value and declutter or donate other items you no longer use to keep your home organized. Watch the video below for more tips on how to declutter your home. This video is from the Counter Culture Mom channel on Brighteon.com.

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