Don't Just Declutter, De-own. (2024)

FAQs

What is the 5 second rule for decluttering? ›

The five second rule is picking up an item, and making the decision as to whether it stays or goes within this amount of time. 'The basic premise behind this rule in decluttering is that you should know within five seconds whether you should keep something or not,' explains Amanda Wiss, Founder of Urban Clarity.

Rule #1: Toss the Clutter

The first rule when decluttering your closet is to be ruthless and get rid of anything you don't absolutely love or need. This means parsing through every item and asking yourself: Did I wear this in the past year? Does it fit properly? Is it damaged or stained?

What Is the $20 Decluttering Rule? Professional organizer and TikToker Spaces By Emily shares this organizing hack for eliminating clutter in your closet: If it costs less than $20 to rebuy, and you don't use it, get rid of it.

Research shows that people use 20% of what they own 80% of the time. The rest takes up space, mostly untouched. Consider the things in your home, the clothes on your body, and even what you take in your luggage on vacation.

This rule is “so simple, yet so life changing”. Simply by dealing with an item immediately, whether it is your shoes, incoming mail, or your used coffee mug, less clutter will be created. One touch, one movement, equals less effort overall. This rule can also be applied when you are purging, editing, and organizing.

Reverse decluttering is a method of organizing your home by focusing on what you want to keep rather than what you want to get rid of. Unlike traditional decluttering, which often starts with sorting through items to discard, this method begins by identifying and cherishing the items that are most important to you.

I call the first 333 method “Keep it simple”

Choose 33 items (clothing, jewelry, accessories, shoes) to wear for 3 months. Hide everything else. Remember that this is not a project in suffering. If you need to replace something, do it.

The Room Where You Spend the Most Time

For a different approach, interior designer Natalie Wong suggests that the first space to organize is the one that you spend the most time in.

To reduce the chances of coming across mess, you can feel the urge to declutter and deep clean your whole house. You could end up with only a bed left because of the severity of compulsive decluttering. Compulsive decluttering is a serious syndrome that can really affect people's lives.

How not to regret decluttering? ›

The Core 4 Organizing Method breaks down the daunting task of decluttering and organizing into 4 simple steps: Clear Out, Categorize, Cut Out, and Contain. It's an approach that countless professional organizers swear by and use every single day in their work, and it's one that you can adopt in your very own home.

To “quiet” a room yourself, you'll need to clear all surfaces of decorative or unnecessary items. This includes family pictures, candles, plants, lamps, souvenirs on the bookshelves, etc. If you can, remove pictures from the wall, drapes from the windows, carpets from the floor, and even furniture from the room.

Take the 12-12-12 challenge.

The rules are simple: locate 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to be returned to their proper home. That's it. Repeat if desired.