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Automate These 3 Tasks for a Clutter-Free Home This Year

Shifrah Combiths
Shifrah Combiths
With five children, Shifrah is learning a thing or two about how to keep a fairly organized and pretty clean house with a grateful heart in a way that leaves plenty of time for the people who matter most. Shifrah grew up in San Francisco, but has come to appreciate smaller town life in Tallahassee, Florida, which she now calls home. She's been writing professionally for twenty years and she loves lifestyle photography, memory keeping, gardening, reading, and going to the beach with her husband and children.
published Jan 15, 2022
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Credit: Marie-Lyne Quirion

The new year is a natural time to feel like your clutter-free dreams might be within reach. But while decluttering in bursts can make a big splash while you have all that fresh-start energy, you can’t pat yourself on the back and then let your guard down for the rest of the year.

Setting up systems is critical to making sure you aren’t overrun by too much stuff. Even better? When you can integrate these systems into your daily routines, so you don’t have to rely on inspiration to keep you clutter-free.

With that in mind, here are three decluttering tasks you can (and should) put on auto-pilot in 2022:

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Credit: Jacqueline Marque

Culling Your Clothes

When you put something on and realize it doesn’t suit your taste or lifestyle anymore, it’s easy to just put it back in the closet and forget about it. Instead, put a donation box right in your closet. Toss anything you no longer want in the box and when it’s full, put it in your trunk to drop off at the donation center. Just don’t forget to put another box in your closet!

Sorting Your Mail

Don’t put that pile of mail down on the counter! Instead, sort through it right away, while standing (or sitting) next to the recycling bin. This way, you don’t have extra paper clutter or the dreaded paper piles sitting around (and growing). Toss junk mail in the recycling right away, and then put mail you need to take action on in a designated spot. Also important: Set a time to deal with theses papers daily or weekly.

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Credit: Shifrah Combiths

Cleaning Out Your Fridge

Cleaning out your fridge feels like a big project, but it doesn’t have to be! Instead, try incorporating this task into your meal planning process. Here’s how: Before you sit down to plan out your meals, check your fridge to see what you have and what needs to get used up. If anything is looking too sad to be saved or past its expiration date, give it the heave-ho. By making this fridge check a regular thing, your fridge won’t become a cluttered mess and you’re also likely to save some money, too.