Decluttering Tips Before A Baby

Nesting is every mother-to-be's instinctual mechanism that drives the desire to get the home ready for an incoming baby. Whilst it is common to bring up images of folding tiny onesies and stocking up on nappies and feeding bottles, 'nesting time' actually involves the whole household when you are preparing to bring a newborn home.

Dealing with stuff all over the place elevates the levels of a mum's stress hormones, thus, it would be helpful to take advantage of nesting time and prioritise organisation, cleanliness and preparation. Read on to get a few tips on how to get your home ready and clutter free for your soon-to-be bundle of joy.

Target the red zones

Apart from doorknobs and light switches where germs accumulate the most, it is important that we also pay great attention to carpets, rugs, kitchen sinks and countertops. Make sure to deep clean these areas and start putting sanitising wipes near hot spots so you can wipe them down on a regular basis.

Rethink your space

Even the smallest baby needs to have a lot of space, to accommodate her needs. Sort through your stuff and get rid of what you don’t need so you have more space and less to clean up.

Make room in your fridge and freezer

Make space for the incoming stocked up breast milk and baby formula and give your fridge freezer a thorough cleaning, ideally when it is almost empty and before you go food shopping.

Do the laundry ahead of time

Be sure to give all those tiny clothes you bought for the little one a good wash whilst you still have plenty of time and make sure to use only a detergent that’s free and clear of dyes and perfumes, or one made especially for infants.

'Baby-proof' your home

Whilst it is true that babies won't start crawling until almost a year old, simple safety measures such as putting away cleaning products and medications and the use of magnetic locks on cabinets would be best done now than when you’re sleep-deprived later.