New Year's resolutions don't have to be grand or out of reach. In fact, they can be simple home-related tasks you just haven't gotten around to yet. Whether it has to do with cleaning, organizing, or refreshing a space, these are some of the achievable New Year's home resolutions we're suggesting for a smooth-sailing 2024.
1. Clean out the junk area.
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Everyone has that one spot in their home that accumulates all the rubber bands, receipts, and other random items that don't have a designated place. Why not take this year to clean out that spot and find a proper location for everything? Since it's just one area, it can feel a lot less intimidating than resolutions like "clean out the entire bedroom closet."
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2. Refresh your mattress.
Did you know that you should be cleaning your mattress every six months? If you had no clue (why don't they teach this stuff in school?), 2024 is the perfect year to start. Fortunately, cleaning a mattress is incredibly easy and you likely have all the tools you need around the house. Just imagine how refreshed your bedroom will feel once your mattress is clean.
3. Fix that one piece of hardware that’s always bothered you.
Nothing is perfect and odds are, there is something in your home that has been annoying you. Whether it's a missing outlet, a wobbly door knob, or a crooked sconce, make it your mission to fix that it this year. Again, it doesn't have to be a laundry list of tasks — it can be just one thing.
4. Donate everything you never use, room by room.
Go through each room in your home with a bag and fill it with everything you never use and no longer want: clothes, shoes, sheets, books, trinkets. Then, take those bags and donate them, freeing up space in your home. Just imagine how happy these items might make someone else.
5. Make as many sustainable swaps as you'd like.
When it comes to making your home as sustainable as possible, you don't have to do everything at once. In 2024, pick a number of sustainable swaps you'd like to make and then make them over time. Or, perhaps you'd like to partake in a single, year-long sustainable project like starting and maintaining a compost pile.
6. Create a filing system for all your papers and receipts.
If you don't already have one, consider creating a filing system for all the papers you have around the house. It doesn't have to be an entire filing cabinet — an accordion file folder will do the job, ensuring that everything's organized and accessible.
7. Save up for one item that will bring you joy.
It's always good to have something to look forward to in your home space. Maybe it's a weighted blanket, a fancy candle, a Dutch oven, or a new plant — whatever it is, make 2024 the year to save up and get it. This could even serve as a reward for completing one of your other home resolutions.
8. Create realistic cleaning reminders.
If you want your home to be cleaner and more organized in 2024, consider creating reminders that realistically work for you. Perhaps it's an alarm on your phone saying, "Clean sometime this week!" or a friendly Post-It on the fridge. It could even be putting your cleaning supplies in a more visible place. Either way, find what actually works for you.
9. Clean the dirtiest area in your home.
Speaking of cleaning, 2024 is the perfect time for you to clean that one area of your home you've been avoiding. Is it the outside of your windows? Your walls? The tile in your shower? Resolve to clean it this year and as you do that, imagine how amazing you'll feel once it's done.