More often than not the clutter that builds up over time is hard to get rid of. We can attribute items with sentimental value, historical value and belief that if you own it, it must have a purpose. Sometimes, being ruthless is the only way to declutter your house, here are some top tips for you – it’s time to get cracking!

6 secrets to decluttering your home quickly

1. The 80/20 rule: Generally speaking, we only wear 20 percent of the clothes we own 80 percent of the time. Although this rule was primarily used for clothing it tends to hold true for other things as well – such as games, computer games, books, DVDs, toys and more. Your mission is to be realistic and get rid of the things you don’t use 80 percent of the time.
   
2. Is it broken, or does it need fixing? Generally, if it doesn’t work – get rid of it. If you want to fix it, then please do, but don’t let it sit on the side for another month collecting dust – be realistic. Ask yourself – how long has it not worked?
   
3. Ask yourself when you used it last. If you haven’t used something in the last six months, you should probably get rid of it. If you pulled the item out and said, “I’ve been wondering where this was!” you should probably get rid of it – unless it really is useful. If you didn’t even know you still had the item, or ever even owned it you should definitely get rid of it! You didn’t even miss it!
   
4. Ask yourself if you love it. Sometimes we keep things just because we have space, not because we love them. If you don’t love it, it’s not useful and you haven’t used it in more than 6 months, add it to the rubbish pile.
   
5. If you’re worrying, sleep on it. If there are items which you can’t live without, you’ll know in the morning. You can pull it out of the bin and put it away, before it’s too late!
   
6. Forget how much you spent on depreciated items. As you go through the items in your house, most items will not be worth the money you paid for them. Technology becomes outdated, used items will not be as valuable because they are second hand ; there are of course the odd rare situations where an item may have increased in value. Since most items will have lost their monetary value, you should simply consider the value that these items can add to your life in the future. This attitude will help you rationalise your decision making about what to get rid of.

Perfect are always here if you need support with cleaning and household chores, perhaps it’s time to be more organised. If you need help getting started with decluttering you, theres a blog on that too!