Expert says decluttering can make you money, boost mental wellbeing and stave off allergies this spring

Keeping your home in order can be difficult if you are juggling work, life and family responsibilities. It can be easy to let clutter accumulate and build up. In fact, did you know that clutter in your home could be detrimental to your health and wellbeing?

Mark Simpson, a storage expert from Extra Room Self Storage, has shared the below advice highlighting the benefits of decluttering your home this spring.

“We know keeping our home free from mess makes us feel good, but what are the additional benefits of decluttering? Take a look below:

Boost mood and productivity

Numerous studies have linked decline in people’s mental health to excess clutter in their homes. According to people surveyed in a study, having more clutter increased their likelihood of experiencing fatigue and low mood. Across therapy practices, cleaning and organising is classed as a form of self-care for those experiencing mental wellness decline. Even completing the simplest of tidying tasks can give our mood a boost as it triggers a sense of accomplishment in our brains, making it well worth doing any tidying you can, however small the task.

Create space in your home for activities

If you live in a city you are much more likely to have a smaller home space to live in, so it is all the more important to be efficient with the space you have. Holding onto excessive items can mean a huge reduction in the space you have for activities at home, such as exercise or recreational habits. If you have items you want to keep long-term but don’t have immediate use for, you should consider renting storage space to keep things for later without it impacting your quality of life in your home.

Make money by selling old things

The internet has made it much easier to discover if your antiques and inherited items hold any value. Many unexpected items such as toys, books or furniture could be worth more than you would expect so you should do your research before throwing things away that could bring in some money when sold. For specialist items, look for local experts you can visit to have your item appraised.

Reduce risk of allergy triggers

As hay fever season has kicked in, reducing any risk of triggering seasonal allergies is welcome to sufferers. Pollen, dust mites and pet dander are some of the most frequent causes of hay fever in homes, these can build up quite substantially on items which have been left uncleaned for some time. Decluttering your home means less idle items to gather dust or pollen and in turn reduces triggering allergies.

Reduce home cleaning time

Cleaning can be a long chore for most of us, as the cycle can seem to never end as we try to keep on top of our home routines. Finding ways to reduce cleaning time taken is a welcome addition to daily routines, so you should seriously assess the clutter you are storing to see if it needs to be kept. The less you have, the less to clean, it really is as simple as that.

Make it easier to find needed items

When you need to find something in a hurry and you have a mountain of clutter to tackle it is less than ideal, meaning you should certainly consider decluttering your home for the small improvements it can add to your daily life. Less clutter equals easier access to your storage areas, such as wardrobes or drawers. Decluttering also means easier visibility of your rooms, making it faster to see what you are looking for and find it in a rush.

Improve your sleep

Research has shown that sleeping in a cluttered room has a significant impact on not only sleep quality but also the ability to fall asleep in the first place. Clutter is linked to an increase in stress hormones in our body, impacting the brain’s ability to switch off and have undisturbed sleep. If you struggle to drift off, try changing your surroundings into a less cluttered room or have a tidy up in the day to see how this impacts your sleep.

Make your home hospitable for guests

When welcoming guests it can feel embarrassing to have a home full of clutter, making you less likely to want to invite friends and family over. Not only does decluttering mean you can host loved ones and feel house proud, but you can also be free to invest in your decor and get the home interior you desire with less clutter to worry about.”