Six Rules I Follow When Decluttering My Home

Rule #1 – Do not compare yourself to others 

Your home should be a place that you love! When decluttering, it is really important to create an environment that works for you and your family. It’s important to work at your own pace when going through your things.  I always ask myself a set of questions when decluttering to help me decide when it’s the right time to pass things on. Have I used this lately? Will I use this in the near future?  Will I miss this if I get rid of it? Is this something that I might purchase in the future?  The process of questioning is a great strategy for reflecting on what you really need in your home. 

Rule #2 – Do not buy organizing materials to declutter

Let’s face it, organizers do not help you gain space.  Believe it or not, they actually take up space.  I recommend buying bins and organizing tools after you’ve gone through the process of decluttering.  Once your area is clutter-free, you can buy what you need to sort, contain and label your things.  Most importantly, you want everything to have an assigned spot in your home. 

Rule #3 – Do not wing it

Decluttering can look different from one person to the next, and there’s no one way to do it.  You might open a drawer, see something that you don’t need, and pass it on. On the other hand, you may need to clear an entire area to decide what to declutter. My suggestion is to have a plan.  You should have an idea what you would like to store in each part of your house. If a space is getting crowded, then you should make decisions about what’s happening there. You may decide to pair down, but you might also decide to relocate the home of those items. When you have a plan, the process of decluttering causes relief instead of stress. 

Rule #4 – Don’t try to do it all at once 

Many people feel overwhelmed by the process of decluttering because they don’t do it often enough. If you need to declutter several spaces, you should remember that it’s a process. I highly suggest that you start small by doing one drawer or a cabinet at a time. As you begin to see progress, you might be willing to tackle a little more each time. Don’t forget that the process of decluttering also adds a few to-do’s to your list. You will have trash to throw away, items to pass on, etc. If you try to do too much at a time, you run the risk of causing yourself more stress. 

Rule #5 – Decluttering requires maintenance 

In order to maintain a clutter-free home, you have to declutter regularly. It’s much easier to stay on top of your home when you give it the TLC that it needs ongoing. The moment you know that you’re ready to get rid of something, I suggest that you do it right away! One suggestion is to keep a bin in your garage that is labeled donations. When the bin fills up, you can drop the items off at a donation center.  

Rule #6 – Don’t buy without intent 

Shopping habits play a big role in keeping your home free of clutter. That’s right! You have to pay attention to what comes in and what goes out. With boundaries in place and the right mindset, you are more likely to maintain your home if you look closely at what you buy. When I shop, I actually think about where the items will go before I make the purchase.