When searching for cleaning services Tampa you probably were not just looking for a clean house but also looking to relieve yourself from the overwhelming sensation of continuous disarray, the stress of existing in a home that feels cluttered, as well as a sense of unfinished organization throughout the home. This cluttered feeling is magnified in Tampa because of the humidity that is prominent in Florida which contributes to how we experience and function in our homes. More specifically, it creates a sticky dust issue causing dust to adhere to surfaces more so than elsewhere, moisture exists in hidden places, and rooms overflowing with too many items become increasingly difficult to keep tidy.
Through my experience working within hundreds of different homes in the Tampa Bay area I have made an observation regarding how most homeowners tend to misunderstand the amount of cleaning they actually require. In other words, what they need to do before getting a cleaner is to begin decluttering their homes. Once you fill your home with excess stuff it becomes almost impossible to do many of the required cleaning tasks of wiping down surfaces, vacuuming areas, and organizing things, simply because you now have too many items interfering with the flow through the room or gathering dust or accumulating in hidden places.
Decluttering isn’t just about creating the “perfect Pinterest house.” What decluttering represents is creating a home that is easier to live in, easier to clean up after, and one that has the ability to support a healthy lifestyle for your family in the future.
Why Decluttering Matters in Tampa’s Humid Climate
There are challenges Florida residents face that aren’t apparent to people living in dry states. Inside of a Florida home, the humidity in Tampa influences the conditions of almost every surface. Over time, as clutter accumulates, trapped moisture and trapped dust can become difficult to find from the owners that never check them.
The combination of all of these (moisture and dust accumulating) creates several issues:
- Dust will accumulate much more rapidly,
- Musty / mildew odor will build up,
- Surface of things becomes extremely sticky,
- Air flow will become less and less,
- Hidden mold growth,
- Cleaning tasks become more difficult.
When clutter accumulates inside many Tampa homes, it also blocks airflow/ventilation around furniture, closets, storage bins, and areas through their walls. This will create an area to be warm and stagnant where the trapped humidity stays trapped for an extended period of time.
Homeowners sometimes think that it is their fault for not being good at cleaning, when in reality, the issue stems from clutter inside the house being too much to clean quickly.
Cleaning a cluttered house naturally takes more time, effort, etc., to clean / organize, as well as doing deeper cleaning. A tidier / more open area will make it easier to clean after every cleaning task.
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The Connection Between Clutter and Cleanliness
Most people confuse cleaning with decluttering; although they both involve clearing out an area, they are two very different things.
Cleaning is defined as removing things like:
- dust,
- dirt,
- bacteria,
- grease,
- and stains.
Decluttering is defined as removing:
- obstacles,
- unwanted items,
- visual distractions, and
- areas where dust will accumulate out of sight.
Often times, clutter prevents you from being able to clean properly since there is too much stuff in the way. Here are just a few examples of how clutter can interfere with cleanliness:
- It’s hard to disinfect a messy bathroom counter.
- A full closet creates too much humidity and causes odors.
- Storage piles under the bed collect dust for months.
- Cluttered garage makes it impossible to keep up with maintenance.
Additionally, in Tampa homes clutter adds to humidity by preventing airflow from circulating properly throughout the entire house.
That is why so many professionals recommend that homeowners declutter before hiring a professional deep cleaner. Once the surfaces are free from obstruction, the results of cleaning will be much more successful and have longer-lasting effects than they would if there were still obstructions present at the time of cleaning.
Many deep cleaning services also become far more effective after decluttering because cleaners can properly access hidden areas, baseboards, corners, and surfaces that are normally blocked by excess items.
Room-by-Room Decluttering Guide
Living Room Decluttering
Typically, the living room is the area where clutter develops gradually and continuously without anyone noticing. There are many everyday items that will start to pile up over time, including throws, chargers, unopened mail, toys, decorative items and numerous random items.
Instead of trying to declutter the entire room all at once, try to focus on removing categories of items first.
You should begin with the following:
- Items that are outdated and/or no longer useful as decoration;
- Old magazines;
- Items that are broken/electronics;
- Duplicate items that you no longer use;
- Unnecessary pieces of furniture.
Another common mistake that I observe is homeowners holding onto “temporary” items that are located in shared living areas. Over time, the temporary items will begin to become permanent additions (or excess) to the living space.
A decluttered living room is more open, airy, and has an atmosphere that is easy to keep organized and clean, as opposed to feeling crowded.
As you go step-by-step through this process of decluttering your living room, use the following approach:
- Clear all rubbish;
- Create piles for items to donate and store;
- Clear all surfaces from sight;
- Vacuum hidden areas behind furniture;
- Remove decorative items that you no longer want or use.
Kitchen Decluttering
Kitchens can easily be cluttered because they’re made up of:
- Food
- Moisture
- Grease
- Storage
- Daily usage.
Along with the previously stated reasons for kitchens being so cluttered, in humid areas like Tampa, the build-up of all these items also leads to more build-up of dust and other debris.
One idea I personally suggest is to declutter your cupboards, or at a minimum, clean them out first, and only then start to wash them out. Many homeowners clean around things they aren’t even using anymore.
Your first focus should be:
- Expired food
- Duplicate containers
- Unused appliances
- Damaged pans, and
- Overcrowded storage shelves.
The purpose of decluttering your kitchen is not to totally empty it; instead, your aim should be to create enough room for you to keep your countertops organized, and usable on a daily basis.
If you create an area that has been decluttered, you will have an area that will be much easier to sanitise and keep clean.
Bedroom Decluttering
People don’t understand how much bedrooms influence stress levels.
Once the bedroom is cluttered with clothing piles, random bins for storage, and extra furniture, it becomes very mentally tiring to be in the bedroom even though physically it looks “fine.”
My opinion is that when homeowners start addressing what is visible from their bedrooms and then their bedrooms will improve much faster.
I recommend starting your bedroom improvement by cleaning out:
- Clothing piles
- Nightstands
- Underneath the bed
- Dresser tops
- Unused blankets
Also, a closet is an area of a home that can easily trap humidity from Tampa Bay weather if airflow is not available so as a result can cause musty smells and wet materials.
Bathroom Decluttering
Clutter-based on a suit are smaller spaces than most and therefore grow larger. Clutter grows rapidly if there is nowhere else for clutter to be stored.
- Half empty bottles of body wash or shampoo.
- Make up that has expired.
- Skincare products that are very similar.
- Towels that are 15 years old.
- Storage boxes that serve no purpose.
Due to the large amount of clutter in your bathroom, it will be much harder to coordinate a thorough cleaning regimen.
In addition, there is a constant humidity problem in bathrooms located in Tampa because of the weather there so keeping areas easy to store products will not help with preventing mildew or mold growth.
Garage and Storage Areas
People generally utilize garages as overflow areas for things that don’t originally belong inside the house. Garages in Florida, however, are also very risky scenarios when it comes to humidity. Moisture can build up inside cardboard boxes, old curtains, vintage clothes or other types of fabric and/or paper that have been stored away. This moisture can cause mildew type odors to develop.
One of the most effective techniques for decluttering your garage is to categorize all of your items into 4 separate groups:
- Keep
- Donate
- Sell
- Dispose Of
If you have not touched an item in years, there is usually a very good reason for that.
Decluttering Techniques That Actually Work
The majority of decluttering attempts fail due to attempting to tackle everything in a single effort.
The most effective results from decluttering come from making it into a series of processes instead of only completing a one-off project.
The next method uses an ‘one room at a time’ technique.
Trying to declutter an entire home in one weekend can result in overwhelming feelings associated with thousands of items cluttering your view.
So rather than attempting to do everything at once:
- completely finish one room,
- thoroughly clean that room,
- and then go onto the next area of your home.
You will begin to see visible living space sooner, which will ultimately help you to be less stressed out.for options to receive an estimate quickly, which allows for the avoidance of unexpected costs and misunderstandings later on.
The “Visibility Rule”
One declutter checklist I recommend consists of simple items:
If your important surfaces cannot be seen any longer, then chances are good that you have too much clutter.
The surfaces are:
- the counters in your kitchen
- your bathroom sink
- the dining table
- the floors
- your nightstand
The fewer visible surfaces you have, the easier it will be for you to clean after decluttering.
The “20-Minute Reset”
One of the most realistic decluttering habits is spending just 20 minutes daily resetting key areas.
This prevents clutter from reaching overwhelming levels again.
Small consistent habits usually work much better than occasional extreme organizing sessions.urfaces you have, the easier it will be for you to clean after decluttering.
The “Remove Before Organizing” Rule
Many homeowners buy containers before actually reducing clutter.
This creates organized clutter — not true decluttering.
Always remove unnecessary items first before purchasing storage systems.
Maintaining a Clutter-Free Home
In order to keep your home clean, you need to develop habits that prevent clutter from returning after you’ve decluttered. There are many different methods for maintaining your home after it has been decluttered; here are some examples:
- Don’t bring things home that are not necessary;
- have a donation box set up and ready at all times;
- reset your rooms every night;
- avoid overcrowding shelves/closets (it’s possible to have too much stuff in any one place); schedule regular professional cleaning services if needed.
I have learned this through my work with families from the greater Tampa Bay area: The majority of clean homes do not require constant cleaning by their owners. Rather, they have established systems which prevent the accumulation of messes in their lives in the first place. This is an incredible difference!
When to Hire Professional Organizers vs Cleaners
Many homeowners are quite confused if they require organizers, cleaners, or both.
Professional organizers focus on systems, storage structure, decluttering, and functionality.
Professional cleaners, on the other hand, focus on sanitation, dust removal, deep cleaning , and maintenance.
In many cases, the best results can happen when decluttering and professional cleaning are done in that particular order.
For cluttered homes, reliable house cleaning services in Tampa will recommend reducing the clutter and then doing the detailed cleaning work so that cleaners can reach surfaces correctly and deliver longer-lasting results.
If the home has not been cleaned thoroughly in a long time, thereafter, combining decluttering and deep-cleaning services is hence a resetting act for the environment and makes ongoing maintenance very easy going moving forwards.
Why Decluttering Reduces Cleaning Costs Over Time
Many homeowners may not understand how their clutter contributes to the cost estimate of house cleaning services in Tampa. The more clutter there is in your home, the greater the amount of labor (time) it takes to clean; thus, it also slows down the cleaning process, makes it harder to reach surfaces, takes longer to complete an appointment, and causes a greater buildup of dirt and grime.
If you organize your belongings properly on a regular basis, then your house will generally take:
- less time,
- less intense deep-cleaning, and
- lower long-term maintenance costs.
This is one of the reasons why professional cleaners generally advise homeowners to reduce clutter before starting a regular cleaning schedule; because, the more organized the home is, the easier it will be to maintain, and the more effective the service will be in the future.
Final Thoughts
The aim of decluttering isn’t to be perfect but to create a place that is less stressful to live in and easier to keep clean every day.
Humidity in Tampa often causes problems indoors, including the accumulation of dust, moisture, and poor airflow due to the clutter.
In my experience, the first major change you can make in your home doesn’t happen on the day you buy storage bins or spend hours one weekend organizing your junk, but rather occurs when you simplify your space over time and implement long-lasting systems for organizing.
A decluttered home:
- is easier to maintain;
- feels cleaner;
- reduces anxiety;
- enhances airflow; and
- makes cleaning easier.
Owning less is not a goal of decluttering; the objective is to enhance the functionality of your residence.
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Hey everyone, I’m Khrystyna! I’ve got experience in all sorts of cleaning, which I gained at Wow Now Cleaning. Now I’m sharing it with you all! I’d appreciate any comments or feedback on my tips, so feel free to write!