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11 Simple Tips to Declutter Your Living Room

declutter your living room.This post offers 11 simple tips to declutter your living room and keep it clean.

Decluttering your living room or any area in your home may initially seem like a never ending task. However, keeping your home free of clutter should be a priority so we can create a home we truly enjoy. 

As someone who started their decluttering journey years ago, I know how difficult it can be to stay motivated and let go of belongings. Now, I enjoy a clutter-free home that takes me little to no time to clean.

Benefits of decluttering your living room

Imagine the feeling of walking into a clean, clutter-free living room. Decluttering your living room has benefits beyond aesthetics. It creates a welcoming space for you and your loved ones to relax and make memories.

The living room must be clean and free of clutter, as it is the first room people see whenever they walk into your home.

  1. Create a clean and cozy room—You can create a clean and cozy living room by decluttering items you no longer use, love, or enjoy. This will leave you with only items you use and love, inspiring you to spend more time in your living room and maximize your space.
  2. Easy to keep clean—Decluttering  your living room will reduce the number of items, making it a breeze to clean. Say goodbye to hours of tidying up and hello to more time for yourself. Maintaining a clean living room will be much simpler, with fewer items to dust and rearrange.
  3. Enjoy time with your guests—Your clean, cozy, and uncluttered living room will make it more enjoyable when you have guests. You will no longer have to speed clean at the last minute before your company arrives.
 

11 simple tips to declutter your living room

  1. Take photos of your living room

These photos do not need to be perfect. A few pictures so you can see your whole living room is all you need. I recommend taking pictures of your living room so you can see your progress, making this process easier.

  1. Declutter bulky furniture

If you have had your furniture for many years, you may have bulky furniture you no longer need or enjoy. Consider selling or donating these items. By removing the bulky furniture, you remove a drop zone, decorations, and nicknacks that may look cluttered. Also, you are removing one less item to clean.

  1. Furniture you do not use

You may have three-piece furniture with two side tables and a coffee table. If you do not use your side tables and are only using them to put decorations, you should declutter. The furniture you no longer use or need can be bookshelves, ottomans, consoles, or accent chairs.

  1. Decorations/ wall decorations

Now that you have removed bulky furniture and furniture you do not enjoy or use, you may have items on the furniture. Declutter the items that do not have a place or a home they will stay in. Items you no longer enjoy. Items that make your living look cluttered and messy.

  1. Throw pillows and blankets

Throw pillows or blankets can make your living room look and feel cozy. But having too many will make your living room look messy and take more time to tidy up at the end of the day. I suggest you only have one throw blanket and a few throw pillows and declutter the rest.

If you need more throw blankets, consider putting them in a decorative basket or closet. As for throw pillows, only purchase ones with a zipper so you can easily remove, wash, and store them when seasons change.

  1. Board games or video games

If you have board games you have not used, now is the best time to declutter them. You can also declutter any board games that may be missing something. Video games not used in six months can also be removed.

  1. Electronics

This can be an old VHS player or a DVD player. Nowadays, we can see many movies on television without renting DVDs. Since you are decluttering the electronics, also remove DVD movies.

  1. Picture frames

Old pictures displayed for many years can be removed, and the picture frames can be donated. Donating any picture frames that do not match or are not your style would be best. If you want to keep a few picture frames, keep them minimal.

  1. Everything off the floor

Remove everything that you have on the floor. By removing everything off the floor, it will be easier to clean your floor. This can be duplicate decorative baskets or items left on the floor once you walk in.

  1. Everything that does not belong

Items like shoes on the floor, clothes left on the couches, work bags, toys, dog toys, etc. If you have a small space and need kids’ toys, ensure they are in a corner and in a bin. The same goes for dog toys.

  1. Decide what to donate and sell

It may be a little difficult to declutter items since you spent money on the items. Try to sell items that have more value and give them an expiration date to sell the items. 

If you have not sold the items by that date, you can find a nonprofit in your area to pick up the items you place on your front porch. The goal is to get the items out of your home as soon as possible to avoid clutter.

A book on the table. The Minimalist Home by Joshua Becker.

I highly recommend the book The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua Becker. 

Tips to keep your living room clean and tidy

Decluttering can take some time, depending on how many items you owe. To make progress and avoid losing motivation, take the time to do as many decluttering sessions as you can. 

If you share your living space with family members, consider involving them in decluttering. This will lighten your load and ensure everyone’s needs and preferences are considered. 

After you declutter your living room, it is time to keep your space clean and tidy. 

  1. Everything has a home

Every item in your living room should always have a place in which it belongs in a home. The throw blanket should be nicely displayed on the sofa when not used. Remote controls belong in the same place after each use, and so on. If you have items that do not have a home, then find one for them or declutter.

  1. Instead of putting it down, put it away

Breaking habits like walking in and leaving your work bag on the couch can be hard. But instead of putting it down, put it away where it belongs. For example, your work bag can be stored in the entry closet as soon as you walk in. Your keys must be placed in a drawer, in a bin on top of a console table, or in a key holder on the wall.

Making this a habit will save you time when you need to sit on the couch or find your keys.

  1. Five-minute reset

When you are done with the living room every night or evening, you should do a five-minute reset—putting items where they belong, like toys, inside a bin. Any glassware or dishware should be washed in the kitchen. Fix the throw pillows and throw blanket. 

Doing a five-minute reset every night will have you waking up with a clean and tidy space.

Final thoughts

Applying the tips above to declutter your living room can help you create a space you and your family can enjoy. One of my favorite tips is taking before-and-after pictures. You may be clutter-blind, so looking at the photos will help you see your progress.

Comment below and let me know if you are on a decluttering journey and your end goal. Need more ideas to declutter your home? Check out the related posts below. 

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