Often you don’t need to buy anything to update your interior! You just need to get rid of unnecessary things that accumulate over the years and are not used by the owners. Following the rule “To have a place for the new, you need to get rid of the old”, Our tips site is ready to give you tips on getting rid of the trash.
Most of us are a little Plyushkin. Like the hero of the famous novel by Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol, we carefully keep things that we don’t actually use in any way. Very often, as a result of such hoarding, an apartment or house turns out to be cluttered, the interior looks unkempt and uncleaned even after cleaning.
Let’s figure out which categories of things you need to get rid of in the first place:
- Everything is broken. Well, why do you need an umbrella from which the needles stick out? Or a lopsided hanger in the hallway, which the owner of the house has been promising to renovate for three years? Or a washing machine from the 90s, which for some unknown reason takes up space on the balcony? All these items must be removed mercilessly. Yes, a beautiful and expensive broken vase can be repaired using the Japanese kintsugi method, which the portal introduced you to. But in general, all broken things that are easy to replace with something new must be immediately disposed of..
- “Grandma’s Story”. It’s one thing if you inherited a really retro thing, an antique rarity, which can also be used for its intended purpose or for decorative purposes. Such items can easily fit into a modern interior. Quite different are things that simply take up space, although they have history. For example, a beautiful screen that stands in the corner and never moves apart. Or a boxed service that you never got. Is it a pity to just throw it away? Present inherited items to relatives who can use them. Or take a photo and put it up for sale.
- Surprisingly, we often store a lot of unnecessary things not on the mezzanine or balcony, but in the kitchen. Admit it to yourself, do you use this pressure cooker for rice? Not? Well, why does it take up space? How long have you used a bread maker or ceramic tray set? That’s just it. Get rid of things that are taking up valuable storage space in your small kitchen. In the end, if you have a summer cottage, maybe something will come in handy there. No, again – just sell.
- Be sure to clean up your bookshelves, stacks of magazines, and your desk. Children have grown up and no one reads fairy tales? Present to friends who have babies of the right age. A selection of magazines about football, which the owner of the house has long ceased to get involved in, can also be donated to someone or simply turned over to waste paper. Old newspapers are useful for kindling the stove in the country or in the bathhouse, or maybe you use them in the old fashioned way for washing windows. Some old textbooks or classics that no one reads in the family can be taken to the nearest library. Or use books to create unusual things, such as shelves and an armchair, similar to the one shown in the photo above..
- Items that we did not choose. All kinds of souvenirs from work, gifts from the conference, free samples, advertising brochures … You did not need all this initially, they took it simply because it was free.
- Things brought from vacation. It’s good if it’s just a fridge magnet. It did not take up much space, and it looks beautiful. And what if it’s a bust of Nefertiti or a handmade rug, which simply have nowhere to stick, and they gather dust on the shelf and on the wall? Think, maybe the best memory of a trip is photos and videos, and the rest of the objects just clutter up the apartment..
- Short-lived items. Yes, this ikebana of yellow leaves and dried flowers was beautiful. But it has already started to crumble! The same fate awaits, for example, a pasta tree that you made with your child. It is better to take a picture of this item once in order to preserve the memory of the craft than to keep something that has already served its life..
Recognize that there are a lot of unnecessary things in your apartment or house. Gather your strength and deal with everything accumulated over the years! Experts advise that such audits be carried out regularly, for example, in conjunction with general cleaning. For truly memorable items, set aside one box to store in your pantry or wardrobe. Get rid of the rest of unnecessary items to open your interior to something new. Become a little adherent of minimalism, so that your interior meets the chosen concept and does not become cluttered with unnecessary details.
One effective way to rid your interior of unnecessary things is to follow a systematic approach. Begin by assessing each item individually and ask yourself if it brings value or joy to your life. If not, consider donating or selling it. Another approach is decluttering one room at a time, grouping items into categories and deciding what to keep, discard, or donate. Additionally, developing a habit of minimalism can prevent accumulation of unnecessary items in the future. How do you plan on tackling this task?
To tackle the task of decluttering, I plan to start by assessing each item in my interior and ask myself if it adds value or joy to my life. If an item doesn’t meet this criteria, I will consider donating or selling it. I will then proceed to declutter one room at a time, organizing items into categories and deciding what to keep, discard, or donate. Lastly, I intend to develop a habit of minimalism to prevent unnecessary accumulation in the future.
Can you provide some practical tips or strategies on how to effectively declutter and remove unnecessary items from the interior of a space?
One effective way to declutter the interior of your space is to first assess each item’s necessity. Ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” and “When was the last time I used it?” Secondly, consider adopting a minimalistic approach by organizing belongings into categories and getting rid of duplicates or items with little sentimental value. However, I’m curious to know, what’s your biggest challenge when it comes to letting go of unnecessary things?