Tidying up the home: 3 things we struggle to get rid of

April 10, 2023

If we consider the aptitude for maintaining order, we can divide people into two broad categories: tidy people and messy ones. Each of the two groups is in turn subdivided into gradually smaller groups, depending on the specific characteristics of each one, but there is one thing all these major categories have in common.

In the case of messy people, the common denominator is the habit of scattering objects around, postponing the time to clean up. Another common factor is the tendency to accumulate things, struggling to throw things out.

There are 3 objects that every messy person - aka "pack rat" - always struggles to get rid of, and we list them here:

1. Children's artwork

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Every parent knows how difficult it is to part with their children's "works of art". Often, these pieces are drawings that our children have brought us back from school as gifts. Keeping them all, however, can lead to the accumulation of a lot of clutter.

It is not necessary to throw everything away: just keep a few pieces which are the nicest or have the most meaning. You may find an elegant and creative way to store them, perhaps in a decorated box or plastic tub.

2. Toys

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Speaking of children, toys are another source for mess. With all the toys kids get, there is a risk of every room in the home being overrun. For this reason, it is important to regularly check our children's playroom, select the toys they still use and get rid of those that are "out of fashion".

If you don't mind doing this, you can choose to divide the discarded toys into 3 groups:

broken toys, destined for garbage or, if possible, for recycling;
toys that are heavily used but still in good condition, which you can give to some children's charity;
infrequently used toys, in very good or perfect condition, which can be resold.

Your children will be happier too!

3. Clothes

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Next, let's deal with the classic clutterer: clothes. We are sure that even the tidiest person, opening their wardrobe, will find among clothes they haven't worn for years but cannot throw out.

Closets are the first thing to take care of when we decide to put things in order, because they allow us to clean up quickly and get rid of many unused things. Clothes inevitably accumulate, especially if we always love to buy new clothes, because we simply forget what we have and what fits us. Furthermore, many old clothes are loaded with a strong emotional sentiment and we often continue to keep them despite the fact that they no longer fit us. The best thing to do is to bite the bullet and get rid of clothes in the "will-never-wear-again" category.

Other helpful tips

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Finally, we leave you some tips for a successful tidying-up effort:

if you struggle to toss out a particular object, ask yourself why you can't; usually the reasons are: money, guilt or emotional attachment. Identifying the cause will help you find the solution;
regularly take some time to take an inventory of what you have at home; in this way you will avoid feeling overwhelmed by a mammoth once-a-year (for example) task;
while tidying up, focus on the quality of what you keep rather than the quantity: remember that, by throwing away broken or unused objects, you are giving more space to the things you love, the things that make you happy.