How to Declutter Your Whole Home: A Simplified Guide

Whether you can't walk into a room in your house without tripping over something or you just want to do some spring cleaning, decluttering your home is a great way to feel more calm and comfortable in your space. We’ll go over some general decluttering tips, specific advice for decluttering each room in your home, and the benefits of decluttering. We’ve also consulted professional organizers and DIY home improvement specialists for expert insights, so keep reading!

Section 1 of 6:

11 Tips for Decluttering Your Home

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Start small with a 5-minute decluttering session each day. It can be pretty overwhelming if you try to declutter everything at once, explains professional organizer Keith Bartolomei.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant

Expert Interview. 2 January 2020.} Instead, ease yourself into it one step at a time, starting with a short, 5-minute decluttering session on a daily basis.^{[2]
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Research source} This helps you chip away at the clutter bit by bit, and as your home starts to look cleaner and less cluttered, you’ll likely feel more motivated to incorporate longer decluttering sessions into your schedule.
- During each short decluttering session, “Start where it’s easiest...where you can have a quick win,” says professional organizer Kathi Burns. “The last thing you want to do if you’re a novice is start tearing apart your master closet…you’ll feel defeated very quickly because it’s a giant project.”^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Kathi Burns, CPO®
  Board Certified Professional Organizer
  
  Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.}
- Begin with something super simple, like clearing off clutter from your bedside table one day, then organizing your sock drawer the next day.
- These small decluttering projects give you a sense of accomplishment, which motivates you to keep going. “Then you can move in baby steps up to larger projects,” Burns explains.^{[4]
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  Expert Source
  
  Kathi Burns, CPO®
  Board Certified Professional Organizer
  
  Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.}
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Challenge yourself to fill up a trash bag with clutter as fast as you can. Grab a jumbo trash bag, then quickly go around your home and pick up any trash or junk that you’ve been meaning to get rid of. Look for things like old papers, opened mail, empty shampoo bottles, old shoes you haven’t worn in years, expired food items in your fridge or pantry, and empty medicine bottles in your bathroom cabinet.
- You’ll be surprised by how much cleaner and less cluttered your space looks after getting rid of all of these unused items!
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Give away one item you don’t need each week. This old trick will help you steadily get rid of things you don’t use anymore, so that they no longer clutter up your home. Maybe there’s a cute dress you never wear because it just doesn’t fit you right, so now it’s just taking up space in your closet. Or, maybe someone gifted you a book that you aren’t interested in reading, and it’s overcrowding your bookshelf. Try to think of a friend or family member who would have a use for the item, and give it to them.
- If you commit to giving away at least one item per week, over the course of one year you’ll get rid of 52 things. That’s sure to clear up some space and reduce clutter in your home!
- If you can't think of anyone specific who will have a use for the item you want to give away, try donating it to Goodwill.
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Try out the 12/12/12 rule, the 20/20 rule, or the 90/90 rule. These well-known decluttering rules can help if you’re not quite sure where to start, or if you’re having trouble figuring out which items to keep and which ones to give away.
- 12/12/12 rule: Go around your home and locate 12 items to throw away, 12 items to donate, and 12 items that need to be put back in their proper places.^{[5]
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- 20/20 rule: Find items that you think you might be able to give away or donate. Ask yourself these two questions: Can you replace the item for $20 or less? Can you replace it in 20 minutes or less? If the answer to both of these questions is “yes,” go ahead and give it away.^{[6]
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- 90/90 rule: If you’re on the fence about whether to donate or get rid of something, ask yourself two questions: Have you used the item in the past 90 days? If not, will you use the item in the 90 days ahead? If the answers to these questions are “no,” give away the item.^{[7]
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Sort your clutter into 4 different boxes. You’ll need one box for things you want to keep, one box for things you want to store, one box for things you want to give away or sell, and one box for things you want to throw away. Go around your house picking up clutter, and place each item into the appropriate box.^{[8]
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Research source} This makes the whole process easier and less overwhelming!
- As you pick up each item, try not to take too long deliberating which box to put it in—this can slow you down and sidetrack you, explains DIY home improvement expert Sarah Fogle.^{[9]
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  Sarah Fogle
  DIY Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 10 August 2021.}
- When trying to decide whether to keep or donate something, Fogle suggests trying out the popular KonMari method (created by Marie Kondo). “Hold the object and decide whether or not it ‘sparks joy.’ If it doesn’t, get rid of it,” says Fogle.^{[10]
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  Sarah Fogle
  DIY Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 10 August 2021.}
If there are some clothing items hanging in your closet that you’re not sure about keeping or donating, turn each of their hangers backwards, explains Burns.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Board Certified Professional Organizer

Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.} Make note of the date, and plan to check the hangers after six months. If there are any items still on their backwards hangers after the six month period ends, donate them.
“My all time favorite thing that I will never give up is having a donation bin in my house,” says Burns. “Anytime I find anything that I don’t want, I just go throw it in that bin, and then when it gets full, I take it to a charity.”^{[12]
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Expert Source

Kathi Burns, CPO®
Board Certified Professional Organizer

Expert Interview. 31 December 2019.} Having a designated place for items you want to give away will help you keep clutter to a minimum on a regular basis, instead of letting these items pile up around your house while you wait for your next scheduled cleaning day.
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Make sure each of your items has its own designated place. When your items don’t have designated places to be stored, you’re more likely to toss them onto a counter, couch, or chair, which can give your home a more cluttered appearance. To avoid this, try to make sure each of your things has its own place, and make an effort to put them back in these specific places after using them.
- For example, try getting a hook or a small catch-all dish for your keys. Every time you get home, place your keys in this designated place, rather than tossing them on your counter.
- You could also get an umbrella stand with hooks for coats to put by your front door, so that you don’t end up tossing jackets over chairs or on your couch when you get inside.
- If you participate in a hobby that requires a lot of supplies (like painting, sketching, or crocheting), get a plastic storage bin or a storage unit with a few shelves to keep your items in when you’re not using them.
- When all your things are stored in their specific places, rather than strewn around your home, your space will feel much tidier and less cluttered!
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Enlist the help of others. Decluttering will be much more manageable if you aren't doing it on your own. You can work together with roommates or family members you live with, or ask a few friends if they’d be willing to come over and help you out. Working with others to declutter your space will make the time pass by much faster, and it will also make the entire process more enjoyable.
- Having other people help you is also valuable because they may have better insight into the things you really need. A trusted friend or family member can give you the courage to throw out an item that you're attached to for no good reason.
- To make the whole process feel more like a party and less like a cleaning session, try playing some music while you work and ordering takeout, suggests Fogle.^{[13]
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  Sarah Fogle
  DIY Specialist
  
  Expert Interview. 10 August 2021.}
Snap a photo before you start decluttering a specific area or room, then take another picture when you’re done. Seeing the major difference between these two pictures will help you feel a sense of accomplishment for all your hard work, and it will also motivate you to keep going and declutter the rest of your home.^{[14]
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Research source} It can also inspire you to keep this area clean in the future!
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Create a decluttering plan or timeline. Most people won’t be able to completely eliminate clutter in their home in one day. It may take several decluttering sessions over the course of several days or weeks, and that’s completely okay! To help you feel less overwhelmed with the entire process, break up your decluttering tasks into small, manageable chunks, and designate specific times for them in your schedule.
- For example, if you’ve set aside a weekend to declutter your home, you could start with your bedroom and bathroom on Saturday, then move on to your kitchen and living room on Sunday.
- If you’ve got quite a bit of clutter in your home, try spacing it out over a few weeks. For instance, you could plan to tackle one room in your home (your bedroom, the kitchen, the living room, the bathroom, etc.) each weekend until you’ve decluttered them all.

Section 2 of 6:

Decluttering Advice for Each Room in Your Home

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Kitchen Start by going through your fridge and pantry and throwing out any expired food. Next, it’s time to take a full inventory of your kitchen tools to decide what you should keep, donate, or toss.
- Cabinets & drawers: Assess your utensils, cooking tools, pots, pans, and dishware. If you have old or damaged items you don’t use anymore, throw them out.
- If you have duplicates of anything, set aside one of them to donate (you don’t need two can openers, for example).
- When you’re done, put all the items you’re keeping back into their designated spots, so they’re easy to access when you need them.^{[15]
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Bathroom Open all your drawers and your medicine cabinet, remove their contents, and sort through everything. Toss out anything that’s empty or expired, as well as any products you don’t use anymore.^{[16]
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Research source} Once you’re done sorting and throwing items away, put the things you’re keeping neatly back in their places.
- Medicine cabinet & drawers: Throw out any empty, old, or expired medicine, skincare, and makeup bottles. If you have any products that you tried but didn’t like, set them aside to give to a friend or family member who may like it better.
- Bath & Shower: Throw away any empty bottles of shampoo, conditioner, or body wash, and get rid of old razors or loofahs that need to be replaced.
- If you don’t have a lot of cabinets or drawers in your bathroom, consider getting a storage unit with shelves or an over-the-door organizer, so that you don’t have to store items on your counters (which can make your bathroom appear more cluttered).
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Living Room Lots of things that are supposed to be stored in other rooms (such as phone chargers, books, and toys if you have children) can end up cluttering your living room. To start, go around and pick these items and take them back to the rooms they’re supposed to be in.
- Couch: Straighten up your couch pillows and fold throw blankets to give the room a more polished look.^{[17]
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- Electronics: Decide on a specific place to keep your TV remotes, such as your coffee table or media stand, and put them there.
- Toys: If your children play with certain toys in the living room on a daily basis, consider getting an aesthetically pleasing storage container, such as an ottoman or side table with drawers or a wicker basket with a lid, to keep the toys in. If they’re all in one place, things will look much neater.
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Bedroom Start by decluttering the flat surfaces in your bedroom, like your nightstands, the top of your dresser, and your desk. Remove anything that isn’t supposed to be there, and put these things back where they’re supposed to be. Next, throw away any trash, like empty medicine bottles, old papers, or pens that have died. Finally, go around and put dirty clothes in your laundry hamper, and put clean clothes back in your closet.
- Extra storage: If you don’t have enough storage space for items for your room, try getting some plastic storage containers that can fit under your bed. These bins are great for items that you don’t use on a regular basis, but you don’t want to throw away.^{[18]
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Closet If your closet feels cluttered or overcrowded, start by going through your clothes to see if there are items you want to donate, and place these items in a donation box. Next, make sure all the items you’re keeping are hung or folded neatly to maximize space in your closet.
- Folding Clothes: “I’m a big advocate of file holding, which has been promoted by Marie Kondo,” says Bartolomei. “Fold the clothes in a way that allows them to stand upright…You can fold pretty much anything this way, just by creating a rectangle.”^{[19]
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  Expert Source
  
  Keith Bartolomei
  Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
  
  Expert Interview. 2 January 2020.}
- Once you’ve folded your clothes into rectangles, place them into your drawers standing up, so that when you open the drawers, you see all your items at once.
- “A lot of people say, ‘you actually fold your clothes like that?’ Yeah! It doesn’t take any more time than folding them so they rest on top of each other. Just flip them over, and then you’re good to go,” says Bartolomei.^{[20]
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  Expert Source
  
  Keith Bartolomei
  Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
  
  Expert Interview. 2 January 2020.}

Section 3 of 6:

Ways to Dispose of Your Clutter

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There are several ways to get rid of your clutter. Once you decide which items you aren’t keeping, you’ll need to decide what to do with them. Here’s some advice for donating, selling, or throwing away your items:
- Donating: If you want to get rid of gently used clothes, toys, or books, try donating them to your local Goodwill or researching charities in your area that take donations.^{[21]
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- Selling: If you want to get rid of a few items (clothes, furniture, electronics, appliances, etc) that are in very good condition, you may be able to sell them on online on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Craigslist, Depop, and Poshmark.^{[22]
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- Recycling or throwing away: Some items won’t be in good enough condition to donate or sell, so you’ll need to throw them out. If you need to get rid of a large amount of trash or oversized items like worn out furniture, you may want to rent a dumpster or book a junk removal service.

Section 4 of 6:

Benefits of Decluttering Your Home

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Decluttering involves throwing away or donating things you no longer need. And, when you have less unnecessary items all around your home, it’s easier to keep things clean and organized, and it takes much less time to tidy up.
Research suggests that a cluttered living space can increase feelings of stress and anxiety, which can negatively impact your mental health.^{[23]
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American Psychological Association
Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists

Go to source} On the other hand, decluttering your home creates a peaceful and tidy environment, which can help you feel more relaxed and at-ease.
If you’re in a messy, chaotic environment, you’re much less likely to be focused and productive.^{[24]
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Research source} The clutter distracts you and draws your attention away from the task at hand, and your brain becomes overstimulated by the disorder. An organized, de-cluttered space, however, puts you in the right frame of mind to buckle down and get things done.^{[25]
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If you’re committed to avoiding unnecessary clutter in your house and only buying what you need, you may find that you spend a lot less money. And, if you decide to sell a few items that you don’t want anymore on sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Depop, or Poshmark, you could even earn some extra cash.

Section 5 of 6:

Tips to Keep Your Space Clutter-Free

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Implementing a few easy habits can help you keep your space decluttered. Once you’ve decluttered your space, you'll want to keep it that way! Luckily, there are few simple things you can start doing to help you maintain your clutter-free home. Here are some helpful tips:
- Schedule decluttering sessions on a regular basis. This could be on a monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly basis, depending on how quickly your home gets messy. Incorporating these cleaning sessions into your schedule will help prevent clutter from getting out of hand.
- Assess your buying habits. If it feels like clutter keeps appearing out of nowhere, it may be because you're buying too many new things. If you're in this situation, try the one in, two out rule. For every new item you buy, donate, give away, or sell two items you already have.
- Work on keeping counters and floors clear. Storing things on countertops or on the floor can instantly make your home look more cluttered. Every time you notice a toy sitting on the floor, a jacket hung over a chair, or a magazine on a counter, pick it up and put it back where it’s supposed to be.

Section 6 of 6:

FAQs about Decluttering

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If you have a low to moderate amount of clutter in your home, you’ll probably be able to tackle it yourself.^{[26]
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Research source} Breaking the tasks up into manageable chunks and enlisting other members of your household can help you handle the work. However, if your home is so crowded with things that you can't find a comfortable place to sit or you’re ashamed to have friends over, then you may need a professional organizer to help you.
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How can I declutter my home quickly? To get rid of clutter in your home fast, create a list of tasks that you need to do, then work through it step-by-step. For example, your list could start with picking up all the clothes around the house and putting them in hampers. Your next task could be returning items in your living room to their proper places, and so on.
- Working through all your tasks methodically will help you stay focused and productive, which makes the process move more quickly.
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What should I remove first when decluttering? Start by clearing off counters and floors. Pick up trash and throw it away, put clothes back in hampers or closets, and return items to the rooms they’re supposed to be in. When your countertops and floors are free of clutter, your space will immediately feel more clean and tidy!

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Question

How do you start decluttering?

Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
Keith Bartolomei is a Professional Organizer who runs his own consulting business called Zen Habitat based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Keith is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and is a Certified KonMari Consultant. He has over six years of organizational experience and has been trained in the art of tidying, including being trained by author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo, and her team. He has been voted as one of the Best Home Organizers in San Francisco by Expertise in 2018 and 2019.

Keith Bartolomei

Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant

Expert Answer

1. Establish your goals both big and small. 2. Assess what’s working and not working about your space? 3. Choose which criteria you will use to decide what you will keep and what you will discard throughout the entire process. Choose criteria that are in alignment with your goals. 4. Sort all items of a given category (e.g. clothes, electronics, cosmetics, etc.) by creating sub-categories (e.g. tops, cables, eyeshadow). 5. Once you understand your inventory, choose which items to keep. Tip: Pass on sentimental items, and revisit them once you have organized everything else you own.

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Question

How do you declutter when overwhelmed?

Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
Keith Bartolomei is a Professional Organizer who runs his own consulting business called Zen Habitat based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Keith is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and is a Certified KonMari Consultant. He has over six years of organizational experience and has been trained in the art of tidying, including being trained by author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo, and her team. He has been voted as one of the Best Home Organizers in San Francisco by Expertise in 2018 and 2019.

Keith Bartolomei

Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant

Expert Answer

Break your home up into categories. Do one category at a time. Start by sorting items of a given category into groups of like items, then decide what you will keep. Move on to assigning each item a home and placing your items in a container that suits the size and shape of your items.

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Question

What should you not do when decluttering?

Keith Bartolomei
Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant
Keith Bartolomei is a Professional Organizer who runs his own consulting business called Zen Habitat based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Keith is a member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO), and is a Certified KonMari Consultant. He has over six years of organizational experience and has been trained in the art of tidying, including being trained by author of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo, and her team. He has been voted as one of the Best Home Organizers in San Francisco by Expertise in 2018 and 2019.

Keith Bartolomei

Professional Organizer & Certified KonMari Consultant

Expert Answer

You should not decide what to get rid of—you should decide what to keep. You should not make decisions about which items to keep until you understand your inventory. You should not attempt to make decisions about sentimental items until you have successfully organized everything else you own first.

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