How to Declutter an Entryway
Get rid of trash., Throw out broken, dirty or unused items., Part with old clothes and toys., Put unnecessary furniture into storage.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get rid of trash.
Grab an oversized garbage bag and fill it with whatever refuse has been cluttering up your entryway.
Food and drink packages, debris from the outdoors, out of date mail and unidentifiable odds and ends can all go.
Once the accumulated litter has been taken care of, you can move on to bigger and more important things.Place a wastebasket in the entryway to have a place to throw away trash on your way in and out. -
Step 2: Throw out broken
Anything that no longer works the way it’s supposed to should either be repaired or disposed of for good.
The same goes for clothing and gear that’s stained or otherwise past its prime.
Obsolete electronics and work boots with the soles peeling off probably aren’t worth keeping around.Don’t be tempted to hang on to an item thinking it might have some value in the future.
If you haven’t used it in months, you don’t need it.
Gather up things you intend to hang on to and put them away somewhere else, like a junk drawer or a labeled box in the basement., Rummage through the assortment of outgrown items you have lying around and see what you’d be willing to throw out.
Sort the mess into individual piles based on what can be given away to friends and neighbors, what can be put up for consignment and what should be carted off with the week’s trash.Consider holding a yard sale to offload some of your finds and make a little extra money in the process.
Donate items that are in good condition rather than throwing them out.
What seems like waste to you might be just what someone else needs., Go around the room and determine whether a given piece is doing its job.
A decorative end table or antique mirror may look great in your foyer, but if the rest of the room is a wreck, they’ll just be taking up valuable real estate.
Find another area where you can stash these pieces and put a few utilitarian storage aids in their place.Be practical about your decor.
There’s no sense in having a desk for opening mail, paying bills and carrying out other day-to-day tasks in your entryway if no one ever sits down to use it.
Find helpful ways to use the furniture you keep.
For instance, you could put a paper organizer on an empty hallway table, or reposition chairs or benches to provide seating in a spacious mudroom. -
Step 3: dirty or unused items.
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Step 4: Part with old clothes and toys.
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Step 5: Put unnecessary furniture into storage.
Detailed Guide
Grab an oversized garbage bag and fill it with whatever refuse has been cluttering up your entryway.
Food and drink packages, debris from the outdoors, out of date mail and unidentifiable odds and ends can all go.
Once the accumulated litter has been taken care of, you can move on to bigger and more important things.Place a wastebasket in the entryway to have a place to throw away trash on your way in and out.
Anything that no longer works the way it’s supposed to should either be repaired or disposed of for good.
The same goes for clothing and gear that’s stained or otherwise past its prime.
Obsolete electronics and work boots with the soles peeling off probably aren’t worth keeping around.Don’t be tempted to hang on to an item thinking it might have some value in the future.
If you haven’t used it in months, you don’t need it.
Gather up things you intend to hang on to and put them away somewhere else, like a junk drawer or a labeled box in the basement., Rummage through the assortment of outgrown items you have lying around and see what you’d be willing to throw out.
Sort the mess into individual piles based on what can be given away to friends and neighbors, what can be put up for consignment and what should be carted off with the week’s trash.Consider holding a yard sale to offload some of your finds and make a little extra money in the process.
Donate items that are in good condition rather than throwing them out.
What seems like waste to you might be just what someone else needs., Go around the room and determine whether a given piece is doing its job.
A decorative end table or antique mirror may look great in your foyer, but if the rest of the room is a wreck, they’ll just be taking up valuable real estate.
Find another area where you can stash these pieces and put a few utilitarian storage aids in their place.Be practical about your decor.
There’s no sense in having a desk for opening mail, paying bills and carrying out other day-to-day tasks in your entryway if no one ever sits down to use it.
Find helpful ways to use the furniture you keep.
For instance, you could put a paper organizer on an empty hallway table, or reposition chairs or benches to provide seating in a spacious mudroom.
About the Author
Heather Williams
Committed to making hobbies accessible and understandable for everyone.
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