I write about decluttering for a living – these are the 7 rules I swear by
Spring’s not quite sprung, but for many the big spring clean has already begun! A time to don our rubber gloves and start scrubbing away the hidden grime with our trusty electric cleaning brush. But before you get going, you should know it’s generally best practice to declutter first.
While decluttering might not be part of your usual spring clean, it can help to create a more thorough and transformative result, which is as much about reshaping your space as it is cleaning it. With less clutter, your home feels more open and spacious. An organised space will give you a better sense of control, and influence a more positive mindset.
But where should you start if you’re new to decluttering? I’ve tested all kinds of decluttering methods over the years, from Swedish Death Cleaning to the Ski Slope method, and I’ve even played the Minimalism Game, so I’ve learned a thing or two. Plus, I’ve asked the experts to weigh in with their own top decluttering tips too. Combined, we've created 7 rules you need to follow, so you can set out with confidence and know the mistakes to avoid.
1. Declutter little and often
For Lynda Wylie of Tidy Rooms, ‘mini habits’ are key and she encourages people to let go of things around key times in the year. She says, “Use any traditions such as Christmas, birthdays, Lent, or changing seasons to help you let go of things. For instance, put a household item (or a bag of items!) in a box throughout Lent and by Easter, you'll have 40 items you can give to a food bank or charity shop.”
“Decluttering is a lifestyle, not a project,” says Juliet Landau-Pope, productivity coach and author of What’s Your Excuse For Not Clearing Your Clutter?. “It can take less than 15 minutes to sort out one drawer, so start with a very small space or a category of items and work from there one tiny step at a time.”
On the other hand, if you’re competitive and fancy a challenge, why not try the Minimalism game? It’s a decluttering game created by The Minimalists which involves decluttering a number of items each day according to the date of the month. So on the first you declutter one item, on the second two and so on. It’s a game because you get family and friends to take part to see who can get the furthest. I tried it alongside the team at GH, and we managed to declutter 962 things in one month. It was a serious challenge, but it taught me how much you can accomplish in a short space of time, with the right motivation.
2. Go in with a plan
Make time to declutter, without distraction and with purpose. Ask yourself what you want to achieve and how much time will realistically be needed to achieve it. Many decluttering methods exist to make the task a little easier. For instance, the Ski Slope method is ideal for working your way around a single room. While Swedish Death Cleaning can help change your mindset and provide an order when working through your whole house.
If you’re new to decluttering, the four-box method is ideal for sorting a small space. As you declutter, you simply sort items into four boxes labelled ‘keep’, ‘donate’, ‘sell’ and ‘throw away’. But, if everything’s ending up in the ‘keep’ box, you’re going to have to reconsider your mindset. Marie Kondo’s KonMari method is ideal if you struggle to let things go; you consider the emotional value of each item and whether it sparks joy any more.
3. More storage isn't always the answer
“When people ask me what they need to buy before they start decluttering, the answer is nothing,” says Juliet. She identifies three stages to organising, “none of which actually require you to buy anything”.
She says: “The first stage is to let go of your surplus stuff. Review and then reduce your things and think about what you can recycle and reuse. The second step is to organise the things that you've decided to keep (they’re staying in your life right now, but they may not be there forever!). And the final stage is creating systems and routines so that you can maintain order.”
In my opinion, storage solutions should be used to make the most of a limited space, rather than to allow you to store things which aren’t needed. Some of my favourite items include shoe organisers, vacuum-pack bags and drawer dividers. Some of these can as much as double the available space. But, as the rule says, storage solutions won’t help unless you’ve decluttered first.
You should always declutter and sort through an entire space before you start to replace it. In doing this, you’re not trying to squeeze any extras in.
4. Find new homes for your clutter
Around 30% of us admit to binning homeware items that could have been sold, donated or repurposed, according to research by Denby, as part of its 'Relove with Shelter' campaign. The survey also shows that 32% of us don't know where to start when it comes to finding a new home for items we no longer want that still have plenty of life in them, and a third admit to throwing away items instead of finding out how to dispose of them sustainably.
Finding a new home for pre-loved items is easier than ever now thanks to local WhatsApp groups, eBay, Facebook Marketplace and Depop. You can sell books, CDs, DVDs and games on Ziffit, and the Olio app allows you to give away unwanted food and household items to your neighbours.
It can help you let go of things if you know they’ll go to a good home and live on, says Lynda: “You can donate sewing machines and household tools to Tools With A Mission, and they go to people who need them in Africa. Meanwhile animal rescue centres love receiving old bedding and towels.”
5. Stop and think before you buy
It feels good to make a spontaneous purchase, especially if something’s discounted. But, this habit can ultimately contribute to clutter. In this situation, you’re buying something you want, rather than need, and you will have to make space for it.
I’ve been guilty of this in the past, so much so that items have remained in their bags for some time once I got home. I dreaded unpacking and trying to find space for my new purchases!
Before you buy, just ask yourself; would I buy this were it full price? Do I really need it? will it likely get used? It also helps to think that you’d have to let go of something in its place. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with making a spur of the moment purchase, but it never hurts to think it through and not be driven by the rush of excitement.
6. Live well with less
“Decluttering can help you live more simply, especially during the cost of living crisis,” says Lynda. “You know what’s in your house so you avoid buying duplicates – if you've already got it in the cupboard then use it up rather than buy more of it. Before you get anything new, picture where it’s going to live in your house. Have a physical boundary – for example, if you buy a lot of art supplies, dedicate two boxes and if it goes over that don’t buy any more.”
This applies to food storage too. Rotate your food front to back as you unpack the shopping; that way older items get used up first and there’s less waste. And when things run out, keep a list of what needs to be purchased, so you only buy what’s needed rather than ‘just in case’. There's plenty of handy storage solutions available for the kitchen once you've decluttered.
7. Make space for what inspires you
Decluttering can have strong emotional benefits, says Helen Sanderson, a psychotherapist and author of The Secret Life Of Clutter: “I say to people, your home is like a garden. It's a living, breathing space. It needs cleaning and loving and caring for and maintaining.
“I think of this process as being mindful, rather than a chore. It's an act of self care. Ultimately, what it leads to is a sense of lightness, and then joy and possibilities come flooding back. If you have clutter, you’ve filled your space. But what can you make space for?
“Maybe you've got that box room that’s full of stuff. But if you clear and open up that room, and make it into your writing room or your crafting room or a space for a friend to stay, you start to live a life that is more about nourishment and expression, rather than consuming and drudgery.”
*Hillary's 2022
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