Decluttering is a natural impulse at the start of the new year, but even if you declutter on a regular basis, there are bound to be areas you overlooked. When it comes to decluttering, most of us focus on obvious areas such as closets, garages, and overflowing junk drawers. But some of the most impactful areas you should declutter are hidden in plain sight.
These forgotten areas may appear insignificant at first glance, but a closer look reveals a surprising amount of clutter that weighs us down more than we realize. Shifting our focus away from the obvious and toward these hidden zones can transform both our physical space and our mental load, allowing us to live with less baggage and thus more fully in the present.
The process of decluttering forces us to make hard decisions and evaluations about the items we possess. It can be a difficult but rewarding process that greatly improves our daily lives. To avoid the accumulation of overwhelming clutter, try to maintain a regular schedule of decluttering in all of these overlooked areas.
Under-the-Sink Storage
The area beneath the kitchen sink can become a black hole for clutter, sucking in everything from cleaning supplies to old tools. This is an area that makes your kitchen feel more organized once it has been decluttered.
Remove everything, if possible, so that you can clean the surface of the cabinet. Examine everything that you have and decide if it belongs under the kitchen sink. Remove duplicate items to another location. Use bins and baskets to organize similar items like sponges, cloths, and cleaning supplies. Consider using stackable shelves so that you can use the vertical space in the cabinet.
Refrigerator or Freezer Shelves
Clutter in the refrigerator is easy to overlook because items are easily hidden and half-used items sit for an extended period of time before going bad. Food rarely spoils in the freezer, but when left unused, it can sit for extended periods of time, taking up valuable space and deteriorating in quality.
Take two sessions for decluttering these areas, one for the fridge and another for the freezer. Take everything out of each compartment. Wipe down the fridge. Check for areas of spilled food or crumbs in the freezer. Remove any shelves necessary to wipe or wash them down. Check the expiration date for the food in each area and discard any that is expired or spoiled. Consider throwing away food items like sauces that you won’t use again before their expiration. Group similar items together to make it easier to find things and to plan and prepare meals.
Kids’ Toy Bins
Toy bins for kids are a common place for clutter to accumulate because they hold broken parts, toys that are missing pieces, and things that the kids have outgrown. This creates a more chaotic and messy play environment than is necessary.
Empty the toy bins and separate the toys into piles of keep, discard, and fix. Organize what is left into bins that your child can easily access. Get your child’s help when decluttering their space so that you don’t get rid of something they truly treasure. This will also help them learn the first steps toward organizing their own space.
Medicine Cabinet
Expired medications, empty packaging, and unused remedies quickly accumulate in our medicine cabinets or bins. Decluttering this space will make it not only more usable, but also safer.
Remove all contents from the cabinet or storage container. Check the dates and the amount of everything. Expired medications should be properly discarded by taking them to a pharmacy or local waste programs that accept medications. Separate the items you are keeping into smaller containers with items like cold medications, pain relievers, and first aid supplies, and label them. Organizing these items will allow you to retrieve what you need quickly and avoid buying duplicates.
Hobby Supplies
Craft paper, yarns, stickers, thread, and beads are all useful for specific projects, but if not sorted on a regular basis, they can become unnecessary clutter. You don’t have to get rid of all your craft supplies, but it is helpful to go through your supplies to organize them and discard items that you will not need again. This can free up space for supplies that you will use. Sort the supplies you want to keep into clear containers and bins that are labeled. Put similar items or those used for a specific project together so that you do not have to disrupt all your supplies just to work on one task.
Home Work Area
A home work space, like a desk or home office, can quickly become a mess of paperwork, unused office supplies, and personal items that can distract you and make work more difficult. Decluttering this area will not only improve the appearance of your office, but it will also increase your productivity.
Start by sorting through piles of paper. Shred documents that are no longer relevant and file or digitize any papers that you still need. Clear out office supplies that are broken, not necessary, or duplicates. Use drawer, bin, and file organizers to store the items you want to keep. Minimize the items on your desk, as this will remove visible distractions and give you the most space for working.
Bookshelves
Bookshelves are full of old textbooks, impulse purchases, and novels that will never be read again. We would all benefit from a more carefully curated and edited collection of books that we enjoy and want to read again. Decluttering bookshelves also frees up valuable physical space, allowing us to create more appealing bookshelf arrangements.
When you are decluttering bookshelves, you must be realistic about the books you will use again. Examine each book and determine whether it has informational, entertainment, or sentimental value for you. You can sort the books you keep by genre or size. Arrange the books back onto your bookshelves. To add interest and texture to your bookcase, mix in porcelain figures, vases, or small pieces of art.
Laundry Room
The laundry is one of the most frequently used spaces in the house and can easily become a repository for all your household and cleaning supplies, unfolded clothes, and piles of items waiting to be matched or mended. Decluttering the laundry room will not only make it feel more spacious and clean, but it will also improve its functionality and efficiency.
Sort through excess bottles of detergent and cleaners, discarding bottles that are empty. Look for ways to add more storage to the room, including higher shelves, better bins, back-of-the-door racks, and carts to organize the laundry that is there.
Outerwear Station
During the cold winter months, outerwear racks, hooks, and shelves can become overwhelmed by the amount of winter gear piled on them. When clothing storage areas become disorganized, it becomes difficult to find what is needed, forcing people to rummage through the clothes, perpetuating the cycle of disorder.
Remove everything from the outerwear station, removing items that are not worn or do not fit anymore. When you are putting the items back, consider the amount of storage you have to determine if you need to add more. Think about adding more hooks or shelves if the space allows. Hang coats, scarves, and bags so that they are readily accessible. Use baskets to organize gloves and hats.
Pet Supplies
Over time, pet clutter can accumulate in every area of your home, especially if you have multiple pets. Items like toys, leashes, food bowls, medications, and treats can build up without your being aware.
Begin by gathering all your pet items into one area to make evaluation easier. Dispose of worn-out or unused toys, expired food, or old medicine. Donate pet gear that your pet has outgrown. Organize the items you are keeping in baskets or bins and place them in areas where you need them. For example, place your leashes in a front console if this is the way to take your dog on a walk.
Electronic Supplies
Your drawers are most likely full of electronic equipment that you keep “just in case” you ever need it. Most people have drawers full of tangled cords, outdated chargers, and old laptops that have accumulated over time. These can be difficult to discard because they were expensive or served an important purpose long ago. However, old electronics create both visual and physical clutter, and getting rid of them will result in a more streamlined and efficient tech setup.
Examine each item and consider its usefulness in light of new technological advancements. Dispose of broken items and look for ways to recycle or donate items that you no longer need but can still be useful. Similar items should be grouped together and organized into bins or baskets. Consider using cord clips or organizers to keep your cords accessible and neatly coiled.
