The Ultimate Decluttering Guide - Start the Year Off Right

It may seem strange to start talking about ‘decluttering’ and getting rid of unwanted possessions immediately after a period when we’ve all been giving each other gifts! But at Crate and Barrel, we know that a tidy, well-organised and uncluttered home is a happy place to be. Decluttering can be an incredibly liberating experience, and it doesn’t just mean throwing everything in the bin. You can declutter by searching through our clever storage solutions to help you organise things more efficiently.

So, if you want to start the New Year off right, here are some handy tips from the Crate and Barrel team to help you declutter and organise your home.

Setting goals

Before you break out the bin sacks and start throwing your clothes into a bag to take down to the charity shop, identify your problem areas. Which parts of your home need the most attention? Are your kitchen cabinets full to bursting with unwanted and unused crockery? Or do you simply have too many clothes spilling out all over the floor in the bedroom? 

Set your priorities and organise a plan for each space. Breaking it down into smaller chunks will make the process seem less daunting, meaning you're more likely to stick to your plan.

Get ready to declutter

Once you're ready to start, get your essentials in order. Check out the storage solutions at Crate and Barrel for the things you want to keep but don't want on show. Have plenty of rubbish bags for anything that's getting thrown out, and remember to recycle as much as you can, such as plastics, paper, clothes, and magazines. And while you’re blitzing each room, make sure you’ve got plenty of cleaning supplies so you can do a deep clean as you go.

Work room by room 

Don't try to do it all in one go—you'll end up feeling overwhelmed and possibly even giving up on the whole process. Take it room by room.

In the living room, the most common things that need decluttering are magazines, books, and decorative items. Magazines can be recycled, and items like trinkets and books can be donated. Keep what you love and what has a special meaning for you, and be brutally honest with the rest.

Bigger items like furniture don’t get a free pass, either. If it’s not functional or doesn’t fit in with your room’s aesthetic, consider ditching it or upgrading to something new and more in keeping with your style.

The kitchen is a treasure trove of forgotten gadgets, odd mugs and unusual utensils that you’ve never used. Duplicates can be donated, and you can trim your collections of flatware, dishes and glasses to just what you need. 

It’s worth giving the pantry a good clean-out, too—seriously, how long has that tin of soup been lurking at the back of the cupboard? If it's out of date, it goes.

Bathrooms can end up filled with potions and lotions, half-tubes of toothpaste and some very sorry-looking towels. A New Year declutter is the chance to get rid of what you don’t need and replace those raggedy towels with some new ones from Crate and Barrel.

Finally, the bedroom is ripe for a declutter. Go through your clothes - if you haven't worn them in a year, consider donating them and clearing out all those old, unwanted clothes. Try the 'Hanger trick' – make sure all your clothes hangers face the same way. As you wear an item, turn the hanger around. After a few months, donate anything that's still facing the original direction.

Decluttering isn't something you do in a day, so stick with it and stay motivated. And remember, Crate and Barrel are here for all your storage solutions and to replace that cushion you decided to throw out but now can't live without!