Where do I even start? There is so much clutter I am completely overwhelmed.
If you have thought or said that before, then you are not alone. One of the biggest hurtles of decluttering is just getting started.
Once you've started though, the next big challenge is making enough progress, fast enough that you can actually see some positive change and therefore, keep up the momentum.
With these two issues in mind, let's talk about why you should start in the kitchen.
Most importantly, just having a specific room that's your go-to, will make starting so much easier. Whether you've got mountains of clutter everywhere, some mild disorganization, just moved to a new house, or want to do some deep cleaning, try to get into the habit of always starting in the kitchen. That way you don't have to think about where to start. You just start in the kitchen. Simple. Easy. Done.
Okay, but why the kitchen?
1. We have to eat and prepare food multiple times a day. Therefore the kitchen is arguably the most important room in the house for our survival. The bedroom and bathroom are arguably high on the list too, but you can get by a few days or weeks with a cluttered bedroom or bathroom as long as you can get to the bed and the toilet. However the kitchen is another story. In order to be able to cook a semi-healthy meal, you have to be able to get to the sink, stove, dishes, AND fridge. If you can't access all those things, or they are covered/filled in clutter, you will not be able to give your body the fuel it needs.
2. Let's talk about sanitation, shall we? A dusty, grimy, dirty kitchen is not a safe place to be preparing food. You could definitely make yourself sick. So although a clean bathroom is probably number two on the list, start with your kitchen, please. Declutter it so you can clean it. THEN move on to other rooms in the house.
3. Energy is vital to you, your relationships, and your continued decluttering. As mentioned in point one, if you can't cook in your kitchen, you won't be able to fuel your body. If you can't fuel your body, you won't have the energy to declutter or do, well... anything. And if you live with other people, everyone else will be hangry as well as you. No one will want to cook. No one will want to clean. No one will want help you declutter. No one will want to do anything. So to save your energy and mood as well as everyone else's, prioritize your kitchen first.
4. The kitchen is a place to gather. If you have a cluttered house, you need to make at least one communal room as decluttered as possible, as quickly as possible. Your living and dining rooms might be filled with boxes and junk, but if your kitchen is neat and organized at least, you and your loved ones will have a place to cook, eat, and chat together.
Pull a couple chairs from the dining room into the kitchen if needed until another communal room get's tidied up.
Once your kitchen is decluttered, decluttering everywhere else will get easier. If you start decluttering in the dining room and find dishes, you'll already know what you have and where to put things away. If you are decluttering in the garage and find a box of canned goods, you'll know what you have in your pantry and where to put things. If you find a random kitchen item under your bed... you get the idea. Having one room decluttered and organized makes each following room easier to tackle.
And once you've seen how simple, beautiful, and functional your kitchen has become, you'll have the motivation to work hard on the next space you choose.
Although starting with the kitchen may be a great rule of thumb, it may not be the best place for you to start depending on your circumstances. Don't take this advice as fact if you're gut is telling you another space is WAY more important right now. If you don't know where to start though, starting in the kitchen is better than starting nowhere.
Feel overwhelmed by your home or kitchen?
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Read the whole series:
1. Where to Start Decluttering: The Kitchen (this post!)
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