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It's day 12 of neatntiny.com's 30-Day Spring Tidying Challenge! If you're just joining us, check out the link above explaining how it works and the links below for what we've covered so far:
WEEK 1
Day 1: Kitchen Counters
Day 2: Under the Sink
Day 3: Dining Area
Day 4: Cutlery & Utensils Drawers
Day 5: Tupperware Drawer
Day 7: Fridge & Freezer
WEEK 2
Day 8: Front Entryway
Day 9: Mudroom/Back Entry
Day 10: Catch Up
Day 11: Powder Room
Today we're decluttering the living room!
If you haven't already, please subscribe for a free, printable 30-Day Spring Tidying Challenge schedule!
Below are my suggestions for how to declutter the living room:
1. Clear off all flat surfaces (shelving, TV console etc.) and empty all cabinets, baskets and other forms of storage in the living room.
2. Clean. Sweep or vacuum the floor. Wipe down flat surfaces.
3. Decide what you want to keep in this room.
Living Room Decluttering Tips
- Consider what might be superfluous. Do you need every single pillow on the couch?
- Are there too many kids' toys around? It makes sense to allow a small amount of toys in here, as long as they're contained in baskets or bins, and preferably out of sight!
- Play around with removing decorative items that don't serve a purpose to see if your space looks fresher or tidier without them.
4. Divide everything from the living room into four groups/bins:
i) belongs in the living room
ii) belongs elsewhere in the house
iii) fit to donate/sell used
iv) garbage/recycling
5. Return the items you've decided to keep in the room. Organize.
Living Room Organization Tips
- One word: baskets. They're a great way to keep clutter contained and add texture/visual interest.
- If you're short on storage, consider adding a storage ottoman, some shelving, or a credenza.
Shop This Idea
Foldable Hyacinth Storage Baskets - Set of 2 ($38.99, Amazon.com). I got these for added storage in our family room. They'll be making an appearance in my upcoming One Room Challenge makeover!
Large Cotton Rope Storage Basket ($23.79, Amazon.com).
See this post for more living room storage tips:
6. Redistribute the items that belong elsewhere in the home.
7. Donate. Take the boxes designated as 'to sell/donate' and put them somewhere out of sight, but accessible (i.e. mudroom or basement). You'll continue to add to these each day for the rest of the month, with the casualties of each day's tidying task. At the end of the month, you can make a trip (or several) to your local donation bank and/or go on an online selling spree.
8. Dispose of and/or recycle items from the designated garbage/recycling bins.
That's your task for day 12! Join us tomorrow for day 13, when we'll work on the bedroom closet/walk-in closet!
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