Do’s and Don’t of Decluttering Under the Stairs
You need to pop out for a wee snackie after a hard day of emails (and meetings the could have been emails) and as you go to grab your bag from under the stairs, the strap latches onto the hoover and three coats and they all tumble to the ground. Sigh. It’s always a next time problem - the bags for the charity shop, the broken blender, the mop you haven’t used in three years - taking up your precious storage space and making you mildly miserable multiple time a day.
Well, I finally tackled mine with the help of my saintly Dad who took away a lot of strange stuff from our mystery closet - there was a wine rack, a slow cooker, entire planks of wood and an enormous curtain rod amongst recycling and donations. And dust… bleh
Like me, you need a fresh space and despite the heat, you have another long summer at home you could use on some home task that swirl around your head making you anxious.
That’s why I’ve got 6 tips for clearing out the under-stairs dumping ground you to get you a snug spot the hoover deserves - a great weekend project!
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
1. Do deal with it in manageable chunks
You may have started this decluttering session borne out of a “OK, FINE I’ll DO IT” moment of fury that made you want to toss things into the hallway in a great triumphant swoop. But in my experience, a bit at a time is the way to go. Clear out one shelf, bag or category of things. Once that is finished, try another. This way when you reach your energy limit you can grab a cold drink after a 5 min cleanup (rather than a 45 minute one).
This technique is helping me get rid of our chest freezer at the moment - chunk 1: eat up foods in date, chunk 2: throw out expired food, chunk 3: defrost, chunk 4: list online. I haven’t gotten overwhelmed yet!
2. Don’t open any bags for the Charity Shop
“Nooooooooo” is the cry of a Professional Organiser witnessing this tragedy (it’s akin to Isildur not throwing the ring into the lava at Mount Doom). You will feel feelings, you will want to keep things… but right now in this moment you don’t miss them, you don’t know they exist and your life is fine! Keep the bags knotted and trust your past self.
Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels
3. Do keep a matching set
Sorting through coats, bags and winter accessories in one go is a great way to see what goes together as a set and to just that. Think one or two sets of gloves, hats and scarves per person in the colour that suits them the best. Give up the chase for the missing glove, get rid of the novelty hat that was a gift and donate the scarf that does really match your good coat.
Bonus Tip: Consider a single colour or neutral for accessories like these and bear in mind when restocking. I have a grey and maroon hat/scarf/gloves situation and all my summer gear (sunglasses, water bottle, sandals, cap) are all blush pink this year. Or do what my husband does and just choose black every time #emodreamboat
4. Don’t automatically keep something you’d forgotten about
“My skiing trousers! I forgot I had these - they’ll be great for snow days”… for that one snow day every 2 years after not skiing since you were a teenager. The truth is in the forgetting… you don’t need it. And under the stairs is a great place to find these long lost ‘treasures’. If you ever do need it I bet there are at least three ways you could solve the problem - buy new ones, borrow or rent them.
It’s a classic case of the choice between being ready for a rare event vs having that space back for something you use all the time. I promise you, the enormous benefits of decluttering make it worth it.
Tip 5: Watch out for dust
I’ve actually got my pom-pom Halloween spiders hung up under our stairs because it’s probably the spookiest place in the house… it’s webby and dusty! As you pull things out you’ll need to wipe them down, and it may be an idea to put an old sheet on the floor first. It’s a great opportunity to dust and hoover to refresh the space and see if the storage you have under there is keeping everything clean and safe. Watch your eyes and breathing - wearing glasses, goggles and a face covering if it’s particularly sneeze-inducing.
Tip 6: Do you research first
Things go under the stairs for many reasons, but a common one is that it is broken or is hard to get rid off. To avoid being stuck with them you need to do your homework and make a plan.
Make a list of the kinds of things that need to be discarded and how to do so in your local area. Some important ones to note are that liquid paint, housing materials and metal must be disposed of at a recycling centre and electronic items can be recycled for free in many hardware and electrical shops under the EU mandate.
Try MyWaste.ie and get hold of my ‘101 No Brainer Things You can Declutter Right Now’ Action Pack for 15% off (discount STAIRS15 just for you!), where you’ll have a full decluttering guide for different materials and creative ways to reuse and recycle what you can from the pile.
Photo by Polina Zimmerman from Pexels
Well, there you have it - six things to keep in mind when you tackle under the stairs. I hope you feel the rush of satisfaction that I did and it makes your house feel like home again.
Stay Safe,
Suzy xx
