The Must-Have Tools To Make Decluttering Less Overwhelming

Unless you're a type A person who lives by their label maker, you probably hate decluttering. It's a difficult process to undertake, forcing you to take a hard look at the items you've accumulated, sort through them, and make the difficult decision to let some go. Because of this, it can be challenging to start the hard process of pruning, but if you have some must-have tools for decluttering ready when the inspiration strikes, you'll be more likely to succeed.

Think about it: If you feel like cleaning out your closet, but don't have any donation boxes handy or organizers at the ready, you may quickly lose steam. Or, perhaps you simply don't have a safe way of reaching those top shelves that have long needed your attention. This can result in you abandoning the project all together, shoving all the items back where they originally were. To set yourself up for success, have these must-have tools ready to help you on your next decluttering endeavor. 

In order to properly declutter, you need to remove all the excess stuff from your house. It's not enough just to organize it neatly. If your cabinets, closets, and drawers are to the point of overflowing, no amount of organizers can help make it look less messy. Some things simply need to go. Since that's the first step in decluttering, make sure you have heavy-duty trash bags ready for when the mood hits. You can put items you plan to donate in one and things you need to toss in another. You want to choose the thicker and stronger variety to ensure the bag doesn't rip, derailing your momentum. Such an example is the Hefty Ultra Strong Tall Kitchen Trash Bags, which have flex strength and a strong drawstring, allowing you to pack and carry them without worrying about tears. 

To ensure you have as little friction as possible to access these, store them in the places you want to declutter the most. That way, when the mood hits, you will have your receptacle waiting for you. You won't need to leave the room to access it, during which time you can lose your drive. For instance, if your bedroom closet hasn't been decluttered in over a year, leave one to three bags in a box on the floor. 

One of the biggest hurdles people have when decluttering is worrying whether or not they'll regret donating something. What if those pants come back in style, what if you miss that lamp, or what if you rue the day you ever got rid of that extra travel cup. To remove that hurdle, place those things you're not in love with but aren't ready to get rid of in a separate box and store it somewhere out of the way, such as in the basement or garage. If you don't find yourself thinking of or needing the item after a few months, you'll be more ready to let it go. To do that, make sure you have a few large plastic storage bins ready. 

Similar to the trash bags, you want to leave these bins in or near the spot you need to eventually declutter. Since you want to leave it out and eventually put it in storage, consider skipping getting a robust one and get a more compact bin, such as the Sterilite 66 Qt Plastic Latch Box. It's large, but it won't take up your entire closet space or stick out like a sore thumb in your living room. In addition to using them to declutter items you're not sure about letting go of yet, you can also use such bins to organize your closet. Have them handy to store away any seasonal clothes that are taking up space, excess items you don't need access to at the moment, and things like vacuum-sealed duvets and pillows you don't need until guests come. 

When it comes to your house, you know which areas you have the most trouble keeping organized. Maybe you have 80 food storage containers, so that cabinet is also in a state of chaos. Or perhaps you have more belts than you know what to do with, so they keep littering the floor of your closet after a rushed attempt at dressing. Keeping this in mind, prepare for your next decluttering session by buying specialty organizers that will help solve these trouble areas once and for all. 

For instance, if you get a Resovo Belt Hanger that holds 42 belts or an acrylic box with compartments like the NIUBEE Belt Organizer ahead of time, you will have it handy when you're in the mood to declutter that part of your closet. Not only will you be able to toss the weathered and old belts you no longer want, but you will be able to properly organize and give a home to the ones you keep. After decluttering and reorganizing these problem areas, you should be able to breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Not everything that has to be decluttered is at eye level. A lot of times, you need to get to the top shelf to finish the job, but dragging a chair over can break your concentration and make you abandon your task. Or, when the chair isn't tall enough for you to reach what you need to, you might end up putting the task off for another day. To avoid that, make sure you have a tall step ladder available. 

Sometimes, three rung ladders aren't quite tall enough, so invest in a four step one to ensure the best success. Something like the JungleA 4 Step Folding Step Ladder is a great pick. It's made from steel, has an anti-slip design, and is only 16 pounds, making it easy to carry from room to room. However, to ensure you have the most success, leave it near the area you know you have to tidy. If you have to declutter a specific cupboard in your kitchen, for example, leave it in your pantry for when you finally feel like doing it. 

Once you have pruned, organized, and put everything away, you will need to ensure you know exactly where everything is and where to return it after it's been used. Relying on memory never produces lasting results, so instead, label every box, drawer, and cabinet to remind yourself. The best way to do that is with a label maker. In fact, even Nate Berkus said a label maker transformed his closet organization.

To ensure you have lasting success with your decluttering, make sure you have a label maker ready when the idea hits. A great one is the Brother P-Touch Label Maker, which received 4.6 stars out of nearly 15,000 reviews. Of those reviews, 80% were 5 stars. It has a Qwerty style keyboard, making it easy to punch in your phrases, and it also has programmed memory that can store 15 labels, making them a breeze to print out. Once everything is stored and labeled, you'll be able to relax knowing that every item has a functional storage spot that's easy to find.