By Shelina Jokhiya on June 27, 2022
After many years, if not decades of over-consumerism, it has now got to the point where we must declutter the items we’ve bought over time and start changing the way we consume to create a more sustainable lifestyle. Overconsumption is one of the main contributors to climate change. When we start by reducing things we already own, we can also establish new habits by committing to buying less in the future. Once you decide to live more sustainably, I always suggest decluttering first, so you can see what you actually have, then what you need or want, moving forward.
First, start with a mini-declutter. Spending 15-20 minutes each day or every other day focusing on an area in your home that is causing you pain due to too much clutter. That could be the coffee table, a shelf in your pantry, or hanging space in your closet. Don’t take everything out, as that can be overwhelming, but just declutter those small areas. Once you have mini-decluttered your space, you can organise your items for easy and quick access.
When decluttering clothes in your closet, donate the items to charities and initiatives such as Thrift for Good and Dar al Ber. Or you can do a clothes swap with your friends. Something you might not love may be perfect for a friend or family member. Make sure you donate whatever is decluttered. Even if it’s in a terrible condition, Thrift for Good is in partnership with Kiswa to recycle these items into furniture in Turkey. At Thrift for Good, nothing gets wasted; everything will be rehomed and raise money for children’s charity. That is their promise to their donors. If it is too damaged to donate, put it in a suitable recycling bin.
After you have done a big wardrobe declutter, you can continue the exercise easily by putting a paper or organic bag in your closet. Every time you see something you don’t wear, like, fit into or use, put it in that bag. Once the bag is full, you can donate it to your chosen place.
By doing this, you’re following my other great mantra, “buy 1 get rid of 2”. This way, you make more space in your closet and naturally become more conscious when buying something new. And by filing the bag, you can reach the “get rid of 2” point even sooner.
Decluttering will also show you how much money you have wasted on items you don’t wear (it’s even more of an eye-opener when the tags are still on the items). I always found my clients to be more aware when shopping for new items after seeing how much they have spent on things they have gotten rid of.
If you’re a fan of decluttering home shows, you may have seen them use lots of plastic boxes to organise people’s items. But buying new storage gets expensive and feeds into the habit of buying more. Instead, you can always repurpose boxes you have in your home, including shoe boxes. They are usually quite hardy and a good size to store items.
Remember to start small with the mini-declutter when decluttering and organising. Get rid of the items you don’t use or want and repurpose what you can, whether it be clothes, boxes, or even hangers (as long as they are not those awful wire ones).
About Decluttr Me
DeCluttr Me, the UAE’s only licensed professional organising company.
DeCluttr Me provides decluttering and organising services for the home and office throughout the UAE and works with each client to understand their particular requirements and desired outcomes. Once the initial organisation has been tackled, an innovative simple system tailored for each client is introduced in order to make organising on a continuous basis easy and hassle free.
Shelina Jokhiya, Managing Director of DeCluttr Me said, ‘Keeping on top of clutter and living an organised hassle-free life are constant processes. In order to make them as easy and smooth as possible, we implement simple and innovative storage and organisation tools to enable you to get on with the important things in life.’
Image: Shelina Jokhiya, Managing Director of DeCluttr Me
Find out more about DeClutter Me here:
Website: https://www.decluttrme.com/
Instagram: DeCluttr Me
Contact: +971 55 8890751
