Whether you’re a minimalist or not these are some cleaning and decluttering tips you might find very useful. I adopted minimalism a couple of years ago after having learned to love living out of a very small backpack. While I was traveling for six months and when I returned for my travels I was eager and determined not to fall back into my old ways of living. This was essentially a life filled with excess stuff and a life driven by my material needs.
So I started to look online for some inspiration that would help to support me in my new way of living and this is when I came across the videos of Jenny mustard. Not only did she and her partner David inspired me to continue to live a minimal and simple life, but she also inspired me in the way that she creates captivating content and the fact that she follows a plant-based lifestyle was a bonus to top it all off. So you can imagine how excited I am to say that this article is in collaboration with a dear Jenny Mustard. She’s also made a video on how to clean like a minimalist on her channel so I will link that for you here. For now, let’s just dive right into those tips, shall we?
I keep a small box tucked away in my closet or storage room that serves as a donation box. So instead of keeping a mental note of the clutter around the house that needs to make its way to the thrift shop I just grab those items and add it to the box actively and on an ongoing basis. When the box starts to get full I swing by your local donation store to drop them off and then rinse and repeat. This helps to keep the home clean and tidy with only those items that you really truly need or appreciate and, in my opinion anyway, it’s better to donate than accumulating when cleaning out our items like clothing, for example. We usually put these items into three different piles, the no pile, the yes pile, and that anxiety causing and lows may be piles.
So what do you do with those items you don’t feel ready to toss but aren’t fully sure you want to keep? Here’s a simple solution. Place all the items from the maybe pile in a bag and store it away for two to three months. After this time is passed and if you haven’t found the need to dive back in to get something then your answer is to donate it. Here is a challenge, before you reopen it, try to see if you remember what was even inside. If you didn’t miss it or forgot what was in there entirely, then it should be easier to let it go. This activity can help us to detach some of our emotions from those items you realize that we didn’t really need it after all that time. Plus if it can bring some happiness to the life of somebody else, if you’re giving it to a donation or a charity, then it’s a win-win.
Create and use a drop zone, this is an area of your home, for me, it’s by the front door where you drop off certain items that need to leave the house. For example, if I finished reading a book that I borrowed from a friend I’ll take it immediately to my drop zone. Instead of letting it clutter the kitchen counter or dining table. If it’s an article of clothing that needs to be exchanged or returned, I’ll take it immediately to my drop zone. Instead of letting it linger around my bedroom or in my closet.
Then each time before I leave the house I’ll quickly glimpse inside the drop zone and see if there’s something I could drop off return or deliver that’s not too far out of my way. This method not only helps to keep me more responsible for returning things in a timely manner, but it also helps to keep the home free of any clutter.
Of all the things to get rid of, I think gifts can be the hardest. You know it was given to you with love and even if you never really loved it to begin with or maybe you don’t love it anymore. The last thing you want to do is offend the person by throwing it away. So here is a pearl of wisdom I learned from Jenny Mustard. The gift was given to you to make you happy and if it doesn’t make you happy then it’s doing the opposite of what it was intended to do. So one tip might be to pass it along to someone whom you know will derive happiness from receiving it. In that way, the gift goes on fulfilling its purpose as a happy maker. For future reference, if it’s your birthday, housewarming, or other celebration, and if you feel comfortable, go ahead and just ask for what you want. If you don’t feel comfortable, or if you don’t want to ask for material things, then you can always ask for an experience instead like quality time spent grabbing a bite to eat or doing something else that feels meaningful. Something that doesn’t require any money at all. I mean what better gift to give somebody than your time?
When all is said and done sometimes we need to remember that the simplest solutions can be the best. So to keep your home clean and tidy never leave a room with an empty hand. If you’re getting up from watching the television to go to the washroom maybe you can drop off the dirty dishes on your way. If you’re going from the kitchen to the bedroom scan the room for any items that can tag along. There’s nothing quite like a minimal solution when it comes to keeping a minimalist and clean home. So those are all the tips I have to share with you today. I hope that you enjoy this article. If you’re eager to learn some more tips on how to clean like a minimalist be sure to head on over to Jenny Mustard’s channel and watch the video she’s posted on the same topic.
