How to declutter for that house-proud feeling
You may not want to do it, but it’s time to start thinking about getting the house sorted and having guests over. A good declutter now can save you a lot of time later. Your future self will thank you... we promise!
Start your declutter with a tidy up
It’s so easy to let clutter build up without even noticing! We understand, we’re exactly the same and if you’re anything like us, you’ll feel so much better after a good declutter.
So, to get started have a good think about what you need and use regularly and what things you plan to use.
Follow our best tips for a quick and easy tidy up:
- A great general rule is, if you haven’t used an item in the past 18 months, then it’s probably time to think about rehoming
- Recycle and repurpose where you can, for example an old craft table can be covered with black chalkboard paint and turned into a notice board for the kids
- Stuff you no longer need can be passed on to charity, friends and family or sold at the local car boot sale
Once the initial clutter has been dealt with, you’ll have more space to organise the larger items.
Store large and seasonal items
There’s always going to be those things you need but don’t use much; we get it. They still need somewhere to live that’s not going to be in the way or create an eye-sore!
Things such as:
- Christmas decorations
- Artificial Christmas tree
- Halloween costumes
- Other seasonal items
- Clothes the kids have grown out of but have sentimental value
Use lidded cardboard boxes or large plastic storage and pop them safely in the loft
Organise the kitchen
The kitchen usually has the most storage space with lots of items, so rather than get overwhelmed it may be best to tackle one area at a time. We've got lots of clever kitchen organisation ideas so read on for all the inspiration you need.
- Make the most of your drawer space and opt for a smart cutlery tray to keep everything in place and easy to find.
- If you don't want your cutlery in the drawer, go for a cutlery holder or caddy instead which can be quickly put on the table ready for your meals.
- Our wilko corner plate rack is a great space saving solution and you can easily get to all your plates... that's a little win!
- Check out the wilko multi-purpose storage stand for stacking all your pots and pans neatly.
- An over-door hanger is great to add extra storage behind a door. It's particularly useful for items which aren’t used that often and with four racks it has plenty of extra space.
- Our wilko over-door wire rack does the same job but for smaller doors like kitchen cupboards meaning you can get the most out of every inch of space!
Bonus tip: If your cupboard doors don't go right up to the ceiling and you pile items on top of the cupboard (we do this too!) use some of our sleek storage totes and boxes to tidy them neatly away.
Sorting the bedroom
We know it's easy to pop something in the spare guest bedroom with a promise that you'll put it away properly when you have time. Well, now's the time so imagine how good you'll feel when it's done!
Add stylish shelving such as a floating shelf for all your essential health and beauty bits. You can display items like pretty perfume bottles or arrange your hairbrush, combs and make-up brushes in a small vase. A trinket dish is perfect for smaller bits and pieces like hair bobbles and clips.
Vacuum pack clothes you don't use that often and store away big coats in summer and all your summer clothes in winter. They take much less space than just folding and also keep clothes fresh.
Our wilko accessories hanger is perfect in the bedroom for space-saving when sorting through clothes. Keep your scarves, belts and ties together in the wardrobe and make use of the extra drawer you have freed up.
Use the wilko Trouser hangers with three slots to store three pairs of trousers or jeans on one hanger, so you'll have even more free space!
If you need more room for items such as extra bedding or towels a stylish ottoman is perfect. They can be placed at the end of the bed and come in a variety of colours to match every room.
Tidy and sort paperwork
Everyone has that drawer that’s crammed full to bursting with paperwork. Things like manuals for all your electrical items including at least a few that have been replaced twice over! Then there’s the old insurance documents, paper bank statements (remember those) or birthday cards you keep meaning to recycle. So, take a deep breath, dive in and let’s get it sorted! We know the home has been the home office for some of us as well as a home learning hub for the kids. So, of course this has meant it has built up lots of clutter. Here’s how to tackle it:
- Set aside an afternoon to sort through it
- You may need more than one session
- Again, think about what you need
- Separate the important documents that you will want to keep a hold of
- Shred or blank out any personal information before disposing of unwanted documents
Add finishing touches with storage
Now with all that spare room you can start to arrange your stuff and add in some space saving storage.
Use our Oslo storage units and add a stylish tote to keep your bits and bobs tidy and neat.
You can put our flat pack drawer towers next to each other to make a larger storage unit that looks fab.
Whether you need to declutter the kitchen, bathroom or bedroom, we’ve got a huge range of storage in designs and sizes to suit all rooms.
We hope our ideas have helped you organise your home ready for guests. Have you got any tips for storage and decluttering? We’d love to hear about them on our social media channels. Facebook, Instagram or Twitter