“What’s that, honey? Your parents are coming over tonight? Great!”
You hang up the phone and look out over your messy living room. It’s a battlefield of laundry, trash, toys, papers, and wadded blankets. What will you do?
A) Light a match and burn it all.
B) Change your name and move to Jamaica.
C) Both.
Don’t panic yet. You have another option.
Check out these essential tips to declutter your living room in 30 minutes or less.
How to Declutter Your Living Room
Before jumping into decluttering, it’s important to define “clutter.” Clutter is anything that doesn’t have a specific use or place in your living room. Clutter can be anything from scattered shoes to piles of junk mail and nail clippers.
What defines clutter is up to you, but having a clean, cohesive space is important to your mental health. Research has shown that cluttered rooms make us feel stressed and unhappy. We spend so much time together in our living rooms; why not try some decluttering tips?
1. Relocate Out-of-Place Items
A clean house should have a place for everything and everything in its place. Still, it’s easy for items from around the house to be left in the living room.
Did your daughter paint her nails on the couch? Did you leave a pile of clean towels in the chair? Pick up lost items and return them to the rooms where they belong.
2. Clear Out Your Drop Zones
Every family is guilty of developing “drop zones.” Drop zones are places where you throw down your belongings after walking in the door. We usually drop our wallet, keys, mail, and phone chargers near the front door or living area.
You don’t have to completely eliminate your drop zones, but sift through the piles and throw out any trash, old receipts, or junk mail. Return purses and wallets to their place in your closet or dresser. Hang keys on their proper hooks or lay them in a key tray.
Add a small basket or bowl to keep drop zone items from cluttering up your living room surfaces.
3. Straighten Up
This is one of the most important cleaning tips. Simply straightening up your space can have a huge impact on how your living room feels.
Pick up the items that belong in your living room but aren’t in the right place. TV remotes can go in a drawer or on the coffee table. Books should be returned to the bookshelves.
Fold throw blankets, fluff couch cushions, reset your tabletop décor, and stack your coffee table books. Ensure that everything is neatly tucked in its place and turned to right angles.
4. Play Keep, Store, or Toss
Now that your living room is free of clutter and straightened up, you can really see what you’re working with. Are there any elements that look out of place or don’t match the vibe? Do you still have old seasonal décor on the mantle?
It’s time to play a quick keep, store, or toss game. Enlist your family to help you decide which items you love and which are no longer serving you. If it doesn’t make you smile, you don’t need it in your living room.
Decide to refurbish old throw pillows or move them to another area in the house where they fit in. Store seasonal décor items for next year. Donate items that simply don’t fit into your home anymore.
5. Invest in Organization
Find some functional storage pieces to keep in your living room if you have the time. Baskets, boxes, and drawers blend seamlessly into your home and give your family more places to stash clutter out of sight.
Cleaning the living room can feel like a never-ending chore. Because of this, modern families are relying more and more on recurring maid services. Invest in professional service to clean your space and your preserve your sanity.
A Clean House is a Happy House
There’s nothing better than stepping into a clean, clutter-free home, especially when it’s your home! Next time you need a refresh, remember these five steps to declutter your living room in 30 minutes or less.
Feeling motivated? Check out our other articles on cleaning, home decorating, wellness, and more!
