How to Declutter Your Home: A Simple and Effective Guide

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If you want to declutter your home, we want to help you! Decluttering your home can be incredibly rewarding but it’s also a lot of work! You’ll want to put together a plan, set up times and days to declutter, and make sure that you’re in the right mindset.

You’ll be throwing things away, discovering things you lost, and you may feel overwhelmed. To help with this task, we have created a Free Declutter Checklist PDF which you can use.

Keep reading for more tips to decluttering your home

How Decluttering Your Home Can Improve Your Life

By purging excess items you don’t need, you’re not only creating a positive physical space, you’re also creating a positive mental space. Clutter can create stress, it can cause irritation, and it may cause mental distress.

Did you know that people with cleaner homes are healthier than those with dirty homes? People who were more physically active had a cleaner home and people with a cleaner home seemed to be more physically active.

This was similar evidence to other studies we read which concluded that a messy and disorganized house can raise cortisol, may cause depression, and will make it hard to make decisions. Since there’s too much stimuli in one location, it can be hard to make decisions and stay focused.

Cleaning is actually recommended because of the wonderful benefits that you’ll experience. When we think of cleaning, we think about blasting your favorite playlist and cleaning here and there. But that’s not the same as decluttering.

Decluttering is an act of purging, it’s a deep clean that also can have mental and emotional effects. It can also be a fresh start if you are moving out of a house or just want to completely renew a living space.

The Benefits of a Clean Home

Cleaning and decluttering your home has been linked to many positive benefits. First, your house is cleaner – less dust, lowered allergies, more appealing views. On top of that, cleaning has been shown to be relaxing.

If you’re familiar with the KonMari method, which is the idea that you should only hold on to possessions that spark Joy, you’ll know that declutter can actually spark joy in itself. In a study of individuals who decluttered their home, they were more relaxed, in harmony, and happy.

A few other benefits we love are: you’ll know where everything is, you can make a few dollars by selling your old possessions, and you’ll be more mindful of consumption.

Now, for the good stuff – let’s talk about how you can start decluttering your home.

A Simple Step by Step Guide to Decluttering

Put Together a Plan and Stick to It

Start with a plan. Before you begin any sort of decluttering project, make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. This will help keep you focused and prevent you from getting distracted along the way.

What day will you clean? For how long? Where will you start – a small room, a big room? How many days would you like to clean?

Additionally, if you plan on storing things in storage bins or glass containers, order those before hand. Oh and don’t forget – cleaning supplies or a paper shredder!

Keep Yourself Motivated

If you had planned for a declutter day but you’re not feeling it, reschedule the day. To tackle the mess, make sure you’re in cleaning friendly clothes, your day is clear, and you find a way to keep yourself motivated.

Try listening to some fun music, or a motivational podcast, or just get an extra shot of espresso in your coffee!

Don’t try to tackle too much at once

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when you first begin a major decluttering project. Instead of trying to do too much at once, focus on one room at a time. We suggest starting with a small area first.

By starting with a small area that you can get through quickly, you’ll be more motivated to continue your task. Do not take on the largest area in your home first. It may be overwhelming and the goal of decluttering is to create a positive and organized space.

Set up a system so it’s easier to keep track of what needs to be done

If you’re going to tackle a big decluttering project, start by setting up a system to keep track of everything as you go through each room. You’ll need to decide how much space you have available, how much stuff you actually own, and where you’d like to sell unwanted items.

Are you going to put things you don’t want in a box? How much do you want to throw away?

It’s also important to note that when you’re decluttering an area, you’ll need to clean the entire area before you start organizing. If you’re a list person, start tracking what you’re going to sell and giveaway.

Sort through everything

While you’re cleaning, do not leave any area untouched. Sort through everything! Marie Konda suggests holding the item and asking yourself if it sparks joy? If not, get rid of it.

When cleaning through a drawer, take everything out of the drawer. Wipe it down and start looking through items.

Be a shrewd decision maker

If you pick up an item and you think “wow, I forgot I had that”, chances are that you might not need it. If you haven’t used something in a year and it’s not providing sentimental value, it’s time to let it go.

When you’re struggling to make a decision, make a maybe bag. At the end of the day, you’ll be able to look over things and you can stack rank the “maybe” items against each other.

Use the 20/20 rule when needed

The 20/20 rule will help you if you’re having trouble making decisions. This is primarily for those items you keep in case something happens – the “in-case items”.

According toThe 20/20 rules, if something is less than $20 and you can get it within 20 minutes of your home, if you aren’t attached to it – get rid of it.

Now we want to be careful with this – it doesn’t apply to things you need like batteries or light bulbs but a good example may be – kitchen gadgets you haven’t used in years.

Create designated boxes for things you will not keep

Most things should go in the trash but if you have the opportunity to drop things off at a thrift store or sell them online through poshmark or another site, create a good will and poshmark box.

After finishing the decluttering for the day, place items in their box and sell or donate them immediately. Holding onto donation items for more than 5 days makes it tough to get rid of them.

Clean everything thoroughly

As you declutter, clean as you go. At the end of your session, you should have less items and everything should be completely clean.

Celebrate your work

When you declutter your home, it will take time and probably a few days. Make sure to celebrate the small wins. Relax with a glass of wind or go out and grab a fun lunch. Keeping track of your small wins will keep you motivated to keep going.

Other Decluttering Tips

• If you have lose cords, use zip ties or covers for the wall
• Do not buy anything new while you’re decluttering
• Try to organize in a way that makes you happy – you’re more likely to keep your house clean
• If you are struggling to sell items on a second hand marketplace, offer them for free on Facebook

Final Thoughts

While some people can approach decluttering head on, it may be difficult for others. Decluttering may present you with tough decisions or exhausting days. Remember that a clean house is a happy house. Celebrate the wins and be proud of all that you have accomplished!

Also, feel free to share our Free Printable Declutter checklist PDF with anyone who may benefit from it!