{"id":2128,"date":"2018-02-05T20:48:29","date_gmt":"2018-02-05T20:48:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ssdcmoving.local\/?p=2128"},"modified":"2025-08-25T18:59:25","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T18:59:25","slug":"how-to-declutter-your-apartment-in-two-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.selfstorage.com\/blog\/how-to-declutter-your-apartment-in-two-weeks\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Secrets from the Pros to Declutter Your Apartment in Two Weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A recent study showed that 82% of Americans are overwhelmed by hobby clutter<\/a> alone. So, it’s no wonder some of us are feeling stressed out at the very thought of straightening up our apartment<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you’re too busy, too creative, or just too overwhelmed for tidying up, decluttering your apartment can seem like an impossible task. But if you take an organized approach and know what you\u2019re doing, it can be an easy and oh-so-rewarding thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This guide dives into 5 secrets from the pros on how to de-clutter your apartment in just two weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll also reveal how SelfStorage.com can help you use self-storage to reduce your expenses<\/a> and declutter your home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Identify What is Actually Clutter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you start organizing any room, you have to ask yourself a key question. Is my apartment full of clutter, or are things just out of place?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To know the answer to this question, you first have to answer the question of what clutter is<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is clutter?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Dictionary.com defines clutter as \u201ca disorderly heap or assemblage; litter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, is your junk drawer just an unorganized assemblage of things you use? Maybe it just needs a little organizational spring refresh. But if the contents of your junk drawer are a combination of things you never use and actual trash, you need more than just a little bit of spring cleaning<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we know what clutter is, it’s time to ask ourselves…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is decluttering?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Decluttering means going through your belongings and using the Core 4 Method. Everything you own gets put into one of these categories: sell\/donate, throw away, keep it where it is, or relocate into dedicated spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To start the decluttering process, take a picture of a messy area and analyze it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is that a pile of old magazines, or are those books that you can organize on a bookshelf? Is that a stack of old, expired coupons, or are those important papers that you need to file away? That notebook on your coffee table\u2026are you ever going to use it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve analyzed your stuff, go room by room, pile by pile. Determine what you can organize, what you can trash, and what you can donate<\/a>. Reuse and recycle as much as possible, but don\u2019t let things pile up simply because you don\u2019t know what to do with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let Things Go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you want to live clutter-free, you\u2019re going to have to learn how to get rid of things. \u201cThings\u201d can easily take over your life and your space if you don\u2019t know how to part with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The laundry basket is full of clothes<\/a> that no longer fit you. The birthday cards your friends gave you last year. The random papers that have been collected in a pile on your coffee table. Do you need those things? The answer is probably no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t allow yourself to get attached to meaningless things. Chances are, your elderly aunt isn\u2019t going to stop by to make sure you kept the card she gave you last Christmas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep things that are sentimental, but don\u2019t be afraid to trash what\u2019s not. Grab a trash bag or two and work on one pile at a time. Create a trash bag and a \u201ckeep\u201d bag. You can worry about organizing your \u201ckeep\u201d bag later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Rid of Things Before You Hit the Container Store<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t stock up on storage containers until you know how much stuff you have to contain. There\u2019s no need to buy storage boxes to organize books<\/a> that you don\u2019t plan on keeping, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you know what you need to organize, you\u2019ll know how many storage bins you need to buy. Otherwise, you\u2019ll end up with extra storage bins that will become more unnecessary clutter!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figure out an apartment organization<\/a> system that works for your specific apartment. Do you have lots of papers that need filing? Magazine file boxes that stand upright on a bookshelf may be your solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do you have bulky items or an excessive amount of shoes that you\u2019re not ready to get rid of? An under-bed storage box<\/a> might be the thing you need. Think about what you need to organize and where you can put it before you ever go shopping for a storage bin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Focus On One Room at a Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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It\u2019s natural to want to clean your entire apartment in one afternoon. But if you have lots to organize, you\u2019re only setting yourself up for disappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a plan and focus on completing one room at a time. When you tackle one room at a time, you\u2019ll get to enjoy real results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rate the priority of which room you should organize first. We often recommend starting with the living room, as it\u2019s usually the easiest room to de-clutter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re done in the dining room, step back, take a good look, and enjoy the work you\u2019ve done! This should only inspire you to move on to the next room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some organization tips for a room-by-room declutter plan:<\/p>\n\n\n\n