Be Productive During Lockdown With A Huge Clear Out
Many people are finding the government’s lockdown has given them so much free time, they don’t know what to do with themselves. Those without dependants or who are unable to work from home have spent the last few weeks with nothing to do other than their daily exercise outside or catching up on boxsets.
This is why it could be wise to be more productive with all this free time, and use the days and weeks ahead to have a huge clear out of your home. That way you can cleanse your property of belongings you do not use anymore, and make yourself feel better for using the time sensibly.
Here are some ways you can start decluttering your home while lockdown continues.
- Start with the loft
We are all guilty of gathering old belongings, shoving them into a box or bin bag and putting them in the loft, never to be seen again. Well, now is the time to get those down from the attic, look through and get rid of any items you do not use or need.
According to Snappy Living, we should all adopt the ‘six-month clutter rule’, which means if you have not used the item in the last six months, it is time to throw it away.
It states: “Generally speaking, if you haven’t used something in six months, you’re almost surely never going to use it.”
There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, including seasonal items, like Christmas decorations; special occasion outfits, such as for a wedding; items your child made, souvenirs or sentimental possessions; and belongings you bought and have not had a chance to use yet.
The article recommends looking at each object and thinking of something to do with it over the following week, and if you can come up with three uses for it. If the belonging fails the test, it is time to put it in the ‘get rid of’ pile.
It is also important not to hoard too many sentimental items either. It might be nice to look through schoolwork from decades ago, but when are you ever going to use or need it again? Lots of things become outdated too, such as DVDs and CDs, so if it is redundant these days, do not hesitate to throw it away.
- Declutter the garage
Follow the same procedure with the garage or shed. Here you can often find bigger items that you were once adamant you were going to use – from treadmills to workbenches. However, if you never actually took up the hobby the way you intended to, the chances are you never will.
While it can be hard getting rid of bigger belongings, particularly if they were expensive in the first place, it would do you good to create more space in your storage areas and feel decluttered going forward.
So, if you never became the roller-blader you thought; didn’t go on the rowing machine every evening; have never used the DIY tools you bought; or your kids have outgrown various trikes, bikes and ride-ons, it is time to move on.
- Bathroom cabinet clear out
While we assume all our junk is kept in the loft or garage, we actually store a lot of it in our homes too.
Firstly, open your bathroom cabinet and you will find lots of creams, make-up and medication that are well past their use-by date.
Ideal Home suggests: “It’s time to do a stock check. While you’re cleaning any spills etc be mindful of what you put back into the cabinet once it’s clean.”
It is easy to keep hold of sore throat sweets, moisturiser creams or bubble bath from years ago if they have not been used yet, but these could cause adverse reactions, making them unsafe to use. Throw them away before someone in the family makes this mistake!
- Throw away old food
The same could be said for kitchen cabinets. While a lot of the public spent March hoarding non-perishable items in preparation for lockdown, the chances are they had a lot of tins and packets in their cupboards they had not touched already.
There are likely to be herbs, jars, tins, sauces and condiments that have not been used in months, if at all. Despite advice to use within a few days of opening, a huge number of people shove these back in the cupboard or fridge and neglect to finish them.
This is the time to chuck anything open away, and check whether items that have been in the cupboard for ages are even within their use-by date anymore. Once you have cleared out your cupboard, you can use the extra space to stock up on food you actually use!
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