To declutter your house effectively: 1) Start with the easiest category (like off-season clothes), 2) Focus on the positives instead of sentimental attachment, 3) Use a four-bag system—trash, give away, keep, relocate, 4) Clear flat surfaces like countertops and tabletops, and 5) Tackle the bedroom last, sorting drawers and shelves by category.
If you’ve ever wrestled through your closet to find an outfit or dug through a mountain of books, you know what you need to do.
Your house is a cluttered mess, and you need to sort things out to get your life in order!
You know you have junk you need to get rid of. But it seems to be a daunting task, especially when you think about the things you have accumulated over the years—like that coffee mug your ex gifted you on Valentine’s Day.
Finally, some family members may not be happy if you throw away their valued items—like those old batteries lying around for years that may be helpful someday (even though they have maxed out!).
Why Should You Declutter?
There are multiple reasons to declutter your living space on priority: it may be causing you stress, which can be very dangerous in the long run; you probably need the extra space; and you have guests coming over, so leaving a positive impression is at the top of your list.
You need to make space for the baby arriving in your family or for something else entirely. Think of it this way: decluttering gives you a sense of control and, more importantly, peace of mind.
The extra space is just a bonus!
How to Declutter Your House
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Pick The Easiest Category
According to Marie Kondo, the Japanese organizing consultant, you should go about decluttering by picking up one item category rather than the whole room. This way you can tick off a category rather than moving to the hallway after the bedroom, discovering another set of clothes and having to go through the whole process again.
The easiest category to decide on is clothes. Begin with the off-season clothes, as you will find it easier to decide their fate, and then move down the line. Ask yourself if you really need a certain item or if it is simply there because it holds some sentimental value for you. It can add value to someone else’s life more than yours.
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Focus On The Positives
As you sort through your items, remind yourself that this stuff did not make you happy. Cleaning through unnecessary items and letting go will help you feel lighter.
This moment is also not the time to get sentimental, so do not hold onto memories; otherwise, the afternoon will be gone before you even start.
Focus on how liberated you will feel at the end of the process and not on useless mind-numbing questions like, “Will I even have anything left to wear?” What will I do without this pair of leggings?
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Create a Sorting System
You can go with the minimalist theory where you label four bags: trash, give away, keep, and relocate. This will aid you in the process of making decisions. Since you have limited your number of choices to four, there is no way to go but forward.
The relocate label will also help if you want to clean because you are moving or want to clear away a whole room for someone. The relocate label can be for things you want to put away in a sofa until you can make space for them again.
A piano that will eventually move into a new home and needs some temporary time away, etc. There are storage spaces for hire that help you put away clutter for the best self-storage in St. Louis and some other cities.
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Clear Off Flat Surfaces
It is usually these spaces that gather the most dust-collecting items. These include your tabletops, countertops, and the shelving section beneath tables. All these are magnets for items that we cannot decide for (think postage, unpaid bills, diaries, magazines, catalogs, books, and the list goes on).
You can use the same four-label theory for these items. Get boxes for an empty drawer (you may need to clean it out first!) to organize and sort items by category.
Be mindful of one fact: only essential items can stay like small everyday appliances on the kitchen counter, but the rest have to go.
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Clearing Away The Bedroom
Since these are the well-decorated rooms of the house for many families, they tend to gather the most collectibles.
You will discover belongings from every possible corner of the house in this room. Make your bed first, then tackle the challenge. Clear the tops of dressers and tables first, then go through each drawer and shelf as you work through the room.
Anything that has been living past its expiration date or use goes in the trash. Read books go in another box that you can tackle together as a category using Marie Kondo’s theory, but paid bills (or unpaid) and letters go into the boxes that we designed for them in the previous step.
Do the same with the living room and drawing room of your house. This way you will have taken care of the small steps that hinder you from getting on the clean living bandwagon!
Our Word
Purging your home of junk is not easy, but it will bring you relief once you finish. One of the ways to stay clutter-free is to change the way we buy. Question what you need and where it will go before you buy it.
Go through your shopping list as you are putting the items in their space afterward and learn lessons for the next trip. The process of clean, hassle-free living can continue if we modify our habits and patterns over time, followed by a vigorous episode of cleaning every season.
FAQs: How to Declutter Your House Effectively
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What is the easiest way to start decluttering my house?
Begin with the simplest category, such as off-season clothes, rather than tackling an entire room at once. Sorting by category, as recommended by Marie Kondo, makes decisions easier and prevents you from feeling overwhelmed.
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How do I decide what to keep and what to throw away?
Use a simple four-label sorting system: trash, give away, keep, and relocate. Limiting your choices to these four categories speeds up decision-making and keeps the process moving forward without second-guessing.
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Why is it difficult to let go of sentimental items while decluttering?
Sentimental attachment often outweighs practical need, making items feel more valuable than they are. Instead of dwelling on memories, focus on the sense of relief and space you’ll gain by letting go.
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Which areas of the house collect the most clutter?
Flat surfaces like tabletops, countertops, and shelves tend to accumulate the most clutter, along with bedrooms, which gather belongings from every corner of the home. These are good priority areas to tackle first.
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How can I keep my home clutter-free after decluttering?
Change your buying habits by questioning whether you truly need an item before purchasing it. Pairing mindful shopping with a seasonal decluttering routine helps maintain a clean, organized living space long-term.
