Let’s dive into the world of decluttering and discover 15 clever methods that will help you reclaim your living space today.
When it comes to reducing clutter, there are plenty of ways to do it. In this post, we’re going to take a closer look at the 15 best and most reliable methods that have been tried and trusted by many people who wanted to clean and tidy up their space.
Whether you’ve got a big mess to tackle or just want your home to be neater, these useful strategies could be your roadmap to a clutter-free life.
1. One-In, One-Out Rule
The concept of this method is simple: for every new item you bring into your home, commit to part with one similar item that you already have. It offers a balanced approach to acquiring possessions and prevent the accumulation of excess.
This method challenges you to limit your belongings by removing duplicate items in your home. It also promotes a sense of sufficiency by emphasising the mindset that you don’t need excessive possessions and can find contentment in having just enough.
2. The 4-Box Method
With the 4-Box Method, you will need to prepare four boxes or bins, each labeled with a specific purpose: “Keep,” “Donate/Sell,” “Trash,” and “Relocate.” As you go through your belongings, sort them into these boxes to help streamline the decluttering process.
The “Keep” box is for items you want to hold onto and continue using. “Donate/Sell” is where you place things that are in good condition but no longer needed in your life; you can choose to either donate or sell them. The “Trash” box is for items that are no longer usable and should be disposed of responsibly. Finally, the “Relocate” box is for things that belong in another room or area of your home.
This method prompts you to make quick decisions about each item and ensures that you’re not simply moving clutter from one spot to another. By categorising your possessions in this manner, you will not only declutter productively but also gain a clearer perspective on what you truly need.
3. The 12-12-12 Challenge
The idea of the 12-12-12 Challenge is to find 12 items that you can throw away, 12 that you can donate, and 12 that need to be returned to their proper place. It helps you identify items that are no longer needed and those that can find a new home through donation. It also urges you to keep things tidy by returning misplaced items to their rightful locations.
As you participate in the 12-12-12 Challenge regularly, you develop a habit of maintaining a clutter-free environment. This simple approach can eventually lead to a more organised living space over time.
4. Swedish Death Cleaning
Swedish Death Cleaning, also known as “döstädning” in Swedish, is a concept that encourages individuals to declutter their possessions with the aim of leaving an organised and manageable estate for their loved ones in the future.
Using this method, you gradually declutter your possessions with the understanding that it will make things easier for your next of kin after your passing. It’s a way to emphasise the importance of reducing the burden of belongings for both yourself and your family.
5. 30-Day Minimalism Challenge
In the 30-Day Minimalism Challenge, you are required to remove one item from your possessions on the first day, two items on the second day, three on the third, and so forth for 30 days. As the days go by, you are ‘pushed’ to let go of more and more things.
By the end of 30 days, you will have gotten rid of 465 things, making your space feel lighter and more carefully organised. If you are struggling with too many stuff, this challenge can help you downsize significantly.
6. The 20/10 Rule
The 20/10 Rule is a method that involves dedicating 20 minutes to focused work, followed by a 10-minute break. This strategy can be an effective approach for tackling decluttering projects as well as any other tasks.
During the 20-minute decluttering sessions, you are encouraged to work with purpose, making decisions about what to keep, what to discard, and where to store the items. The 10-minute breaks provide a valuable opportunity for you to rest and step away from the task to simply clear your mind. This cycle can be repeated as needed, allowing you to break the decluttering task into doable chunks without getting burnout.
7. Project 333
The idea of Project 333 is to pick just 33 pieces of clothing to wear for 3 months which includes clothes, shoes, and accessories. Ideally, it should consist of versatile pieces that can be mixed and matched, covering all the typical clothing you’d need to wear.
It focuses on what you really like to wear and what you need on any occasion without owning too many. The purpose is so that you get to simplify your closet and save time getting dressed at the same time.
8. The KonMari Method
The KonMari Method, developed by a popular decluttering expert, Marie Kondo, is a method of tidying up your home by deciding which things in your house “spark joy” and make you happy.
With KonMari Method, you work by categories in this order: clothing, books, papers, miscellaneous items, and sentimental items. The process also involves gratitude where you thank things you’re letting go of and appreciate the things you’re choosing to keep. This method centers around keeping what matters most to you and filling your house with only things that bring you joy.
9. Room-by-Room Approach
Instead of tackling clutter by sorting through categories, you focus on one room at a time. This allows you to give your full attention to a specific area and minimise the distractions from other part of the house.
With this approach, you can see immediate progress and transformation that can help you stay focused as you work through each room. The sense of accomplishment from completing one room can also provide the motivation to tackle the next, ultimately leading to a clutter-free and organised home.
10. The 90/90 Rule
The 90/90 Rule says that if you haven’t used something for the last 90 days and don’t foresee yourself using it for the next 90 days, it might be time to say goodbye to it. This rule prompts you to distinguish between what’s genuinely useful or meaningful and what’s simply just taking up space.
Using the 90/90 Rule, you will able to clear out things you don’t use, making it easier to find and appreciate things you actually use and enjoy. It helps you remove the unneeded extras and focus on things that adds value and utility to your life.
11. Habit-Based Decluttering
Developing habits-based decluttering routines can help maintaining your space clean and tidy much easier. For example, the ‘5-minute pickup’ approach, where you dedicate five minute to find and put away item that’s out of place. Or the ‘15-minute fling’ where you set aside 15 minutes daily to focus on tackling one specific task, like clearing a cluttered countertop or a messy drawer.
These short, daily decluttering habits prevent clutter from accumulating and make maintaining an organised space much more achievable in the long run.
12. The A to Z Declutter
If you’re looking for a fun way to reduce clutter, you might want to try this one. This method suggests doing it alphabetically, starting by removing things that begin with the letter ‘A’ on the first day and progressing through the alphabet on the following days. For example, on ‘A’ day, you can declutter “appliances”, then on ‘B’ day, you can declutter “books”, and so on.
There’s no limit on how much you have to declutter, that’s totally up to you. This method could be a fun way to declutter with kids because it encourages them to think creatively as they learn to tidy up their space.
13. FlyLady System
The FlyLady System is designed to help people take small, achievable steps toward maintaining an organised home, much like “flying” through household tasks with ease. It focuses on establishing routines and breaking tasks into manageable steps.
Start by shining your sink as a symbolic and practical first step. A clean, shiny sink can motivate you to keep the rest of your kitchen tidy. Then, create daily routine that can help you feeling put together every day. Use a control journal to record tasks and set reminders for routines so you don’t lose track. The key is for you to have consistency and persistence as you work toward creating a more clutter-free home.
14. The Reverse Clothes Hanger
This method offers a smart way to declutter your wardrobe. Here’s how it works: start by hanging your clothes with all the hangers backward, so the open end faces out. As you wear an item and return it to the closet, you hang it back with the hanger facing the regular way. After a set period of time, like a year or a season, you can easily spot the clothing items that are still hanging backward, indicating that you haven’t worn them during that time.
This helps you see at a glance which clothes are actually getting used and which ones are just taking up space. You can then remove the clothes that are not a part of your regular wardrobe rotation so it doesn’t clutter up your closet.
15. The 20/20 Rule
If you’re having a hard time deciding whether or not you should keep an item, consider this thought process: If you can easily replace an item for less than $20 within just 20 minutes, it’s usually a good idea not to keep it around.
By following this principle, you will be prompted to think twice about holding onto things that you can replace without much trouble or expense. As a result, you will have more room for things that you truly need without unnecessary excess that takes up valuable space in your home.
So there you have it. You can think of these 15 decluttering methods as a toolkit of ideas to help you kickstart your decluttering journey effectively. Remember that decluttering is a process, so be patient and feel free to experiment and choose the method that resonates most with your personality and lifestyle.
