There’s nothing quite as fulfilling as transforming a clutter-filled room into something more livable and minimalistic. However, doing that can understandably be tough; especially as homeowners tend to hold strong attachments to their belongings. Furthermore, the idea of throwing away perfectly usable items may be too much for green thumbs to bear, especially if said items will just wound up in landfills. Fortunately, there is a solution that can help these environmentally conscious homeowners: adopting eco-friendly decluttering practices.
Eco-friendly decluttering is a sustainable approach to removing excess items from your home. It’s a mindful approach to keeping your space tidy while simultaneously helping the environment. Many “convenient” disposal shortcuts can cause great devastation to the soil, plants, trees and local wildlife. This can bring about changes to the climate and livability of the place—causing hardship for future generations. As such, striving to go eco-friendly is a great alternative to reducing your ecological impact on the local environment. The good news is that it’s not hard at all to get started.
Here are six ways you can sustainably transform your home.
1. Formulate a Game Plan
Let’s face it: the idea of decluttering an entire home can be overwhelming, to say the least. From clearing shelves to sifting through boxes of stuff unopened in years, you’re bound to spend hours, if not days, going through all your belongings. Given this, it’s important to be as efficient as you can when you start the decluttering process. And in order to do so, you need a plan.
When you’re refreshing your space and tackling deeper cleaning as part of an eco‑friendly declutter, it’s handy to have a solid seasonal plan to follow. This guide on spring home reset cleaning tips offers a room‑by‑room approach to help you organise, refresh, and clean with purpose.
Then, as soon as you have a list of places to declutter, create a timeframe in which you can fulfil each task in each section of the house. Give yourself ample time to complete the decluttering of each room, prioritising and spending more time in areas with the most clutter.
Make micro-tasks for each room or category. For instance, if you need to disassemble a play set or furniture and expect it to take time, create a checklist for that specific task.
Lastly, as much as possible, stick to the schedule. In doing so, you can systematise your decluttering approach and make it more likely that you will see it through to completion.
2. Sort Your Belongings
Being organised is crucial for a successful, eco-friendly decluttering process. By the end of your tour around the house, you’ll likely end up with a wide range of items, from vintage finds to old, broken junk.
As you go through each room, make it a habit to categorise items into different groups. You can sort items in different boxes or sorting bins based on their final destination. The categories are: keep, sell, repurpose, donate, and bin.
Remember, the purpose of decluttering is to remove rubbish from your house. While it may be tempting to keep an item that you haven’t seen or used in two years or so, always be honest with yourself about what item is truly worth keeping. Keep only a few sentimental items and discard the rest.
It’s easy to get too busy to sort, as sorting can take hours. If you don’t want to do the sorting yourself (or the cleaning, for that matter), consider hiring services like 1300RUBBISH to do the cleanup for you.
3. Sell Instead of Discard Items
Want to earn a quick buck and dispose of clutter at the same time? Then don’t be afraid to sell your old belongings. It’s natural for us to move on from things that we once loved. Whether it’s a mountain bike, a deck of playing cards, or an old perfume bottle, there are many items of value that you no longer use that you can potentially profit from. By selling these items, you can increase your capital to help you pay off future expenses or replace older items with newer ones.
There are many ways you can sell your stuff. The easiest way is to utilise digital marketplaces—list items on eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace, and negotiate deals with buyers there.
Alternatively, you can host a garage sale and distribute posters promoting your ongoing sales venture. This can be a fun activity that helps you sell multiple items at once.
And once you’re done with the garage sale, you’ve got boxes of stuff ready to go to its next destination; ideally, a respectable charity or a person in need.
4. Donate to Responsible Organisations
Instead of discarding unsold items such as old books, school materials, and worn-out clothing, consider donating them to reputable charities and organisations. Donating old items is one of the most meaningful things you can do for your community. Not only are you reducing the amount of unsightly items in your household, but you’re also giving things to people who would actually use them.
Unsure where to donate old stuff? The local church, animal shelter, and hospitals are a good start.
Giving to organisations is also a great option, there are many highly rated local charities, such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries, and Habitat for Humanity.
By donating old items, you’re essentially breathing renewed life into them. This can help make the world a happier and less wasteful place.
5. Repurpose and Upcycle Old Items
Are you a creative person at heart? Does doing DIY projects strike you as interesting? If so, you should consider repurposing old items and transforming them into something new and useful.
While you don’t want to forget the main goal of de-hoarding, if there’s an opportunity for you to flaunt certain items in your possession, then don’t just throw them away. Give them a new lease on life.
Need examples? There are plenty! Old clothes can be sewn into tote bags or rags. Excess planks and hardwood can be made into furniture. Glass bottles can be used to store spices and kitchen materials.
There are countless DIY projects you can consider. By going this route, you’re reducing your environmental impact and making your space more creative and unique, too, all while upholding sound sustainability practices.
6. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Materials
As you declutter, you’ll inevitably be left with patches of space that have accumulated dust and grime over time. Instead of buying traditional cleaning products laden with harsh chemicals to deal with the dirt, consider using natural and eco-friendly cleaning solutions as an alternative solution. For example, if you want to scrub the floor and make it spotless, you can use a combination of vinegar, baking soda, and lemon to get the job done.
Furthermore, instead of using tissue, use a reusable cloth to reduce waste.
If you have no other option but to buy cleaning products, prioritise those with an environmentally friendly certification and minimal packaging.
When you’re choosing more natural and eco-conscious products for your home, you might also want to consider what you use on your body. I found this natural deodorant review really helpful for discovering an aluminium-free, eco-friendly option that’s great for sensitive skin and everyday use.
These natural cleaning materials are less harmful than other household cleaning agents, making them a better choice if you want to reduce your environmental impact.