IT’S time to take control of your space again.
David Hall is the chief clutter clearing office at A+ Clutter Clearing and works closely with clients to help clear out the chaos within their homes.
Hall spoke exclusively with The Sun to share how he easily tackles clutter in even the messiest homes.
“We all suffer from TMS or too much stuff,” he said.
“We’re a consumer population, we’re inundated with advertising and offers and ‘you must get this you must get that,’ or get two-for-one at the supermarket.”
“Then we end up with a home that just has TMS,” he said.
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“Typically people collect clutter because they just have no organization system.”
“They think they’re out of something they go out and buy more, and then they have five of these things, all in different places.”
To prevent this, Hall suggested that people put things back in their designated place, as well as make sure to store all of the same things together.
In order to live comfortably again, Hall created his decluttering method known as the S.M.A.R.T. system.
The expert said that the letter ‘S’ in SMART stands for start simply.
“When we’re overwhelmed with clutter, it’s daunting,” he said.
“It could be one drawer in the kitchen, it could be the laundry room, it could be a bedroom shelf, or the floor of the closet where there are a lot of shoes piling up.”
“Pick an area around the house that you can do easily and quickly so you can build on success,” he said.
“‘M’ is for mindset,” said Hall.
“I’m a firm believer that if you have the right mindset anything is possible and everything is more doable in a pleasant way.”
Hall suggested throwing on music to have fun while you clean.
“Don’t treat it like a punishment,” he said.
“This is an opportunity to enjoy your home and your possessions.”
He also advised wearing comfortable clothing while you declutter and having a drink such as coffee or tea nearby to make sure you’re comfortable.
The letter ‘A’ is for action.
“At some point, once you’ve selected the area to work on and you’ve got the right music and beverage in hand, you’ve got to do something,” he said.
“I recommend having two different garbage bags at the ready.”
Hall suggested using a black bag for items you want to discard or throw away, and a white bag for those items you plan on donating.
The decluttering expert said to make sure you have a spray cleaner, paper towels, a mop, a broom, and a vacuum handy for this step.
In Hall’s SMART system, the ‘R’ stands for repurpose, reuse, recycle.
He recommended clearing out the entire space so you can have a clean slate to work from.
Using a closet, for example, he said: “Put that rack of clothing on your bed and go through each and every item.”
To help decide what’s worth keeping and what’s not, he said to ask yourself: “Is it the right color? Do I even wear that color? What decisions do I need to make about this?”
Recycling an item can look like passing it on to a friend while reusing/repurposing it can mean finding a way to use it that differs from its original purpose.
“We’re helping out the economy and our fellow brothers and sisters,” he said.
Finally, ‘T’ stands for transformation.
“Transformation, as I describe it, is a way of being where you just feel lighter,” said Hall.
“You feel like you’ve accomplished something that’s been weighing on your mind for so long.”
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Hall described the feeling after decluttering as a “breath of fresh air.”
Happy with their new space, Hall said that many clients have even told him that they feel relieved and “no longer stuck” after having tidied up their homes.
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