REAL SPACES
Six Rules I Follow When Decluttering My Home
by Beth Venable from Side By Side Design Texas
May 6, 2024
HOUSTON TX
First of all, let’s talk about why you should declutter your home. Whether you realize it or not, clutter has a huge impact on our lives. Clutter drains our mind, causes feelings of guilt, increases frustrations, and makes it difficult to focus. The benefits of decluttering are powerful, and you’re more likely to save time, money and emotional stress. When you have less physical stuff, you feel calmer, happier, and in control of your life. There’s no rule on how much you should keep in your home; it depends on the size of your space and your tolerance level for the things around you. Let’s talk about some decluttering rules that I use to declutter my home!
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BEFORE
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AFTER
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.
Beth Venable is a teacher and administrator turned professional organizer featured in the book REAL SPACES.
![](https://realspacesbook.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2-2-768x1024.jpg)
When you have a designated spot for an item, everyone in the household knows where it goes.
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The customizable door rack on each door of this closet provides additional storage for both children, maximizing space in this reach-in closet.
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Keep playroom organization simple so that it is easy to pick up and easy to play.
As a professional organizer, there are items that we often help our clients declutter in their homes. Here’s a list of common items that accumulate in homes that you might consider decluttering too!
1. expired medications
2. old magazines and newspapers
3. mismatched socks
4. worn out towels and linens
5. excess cooking utensils
6. outdated electronics
7. empty boxes
8. unused gifts
9. excess water bottles
10. old makeup and skincare products
11. excessive plastic bags
12. expired spices
13.unused exercise equipment
14. clothes that don’t fit
15. Tupperware without its’ counterpart
16. old prescription glasses
17. excess home decor
18. manuals for items that you no longer own
19. old phone chargers and cables
20. promotional freebies
21. excess coffee cups and mugs
22. worn-out shoes
23. unused picture frames
24. books that you no longer need