Part 4: The Decluttering Guide

In our previous blog, we discussed the key factors to consider when working to declutter and organize your home. If you missed it, take a look at Part 3 of our decluttering series, “The Ultimate Guide to Decluttering your Home: What to Keep? What NOT to Keep?” Here’s a sneak peek…

1.    Usefulness: Whether you use it regularly or if it's important to you in the future.

2.    Expiration: Whether the item is past its “expiration” or “use by” date.

3.    Sentiment: Whether you have sentimental attachment to it.

4.    Duplicate: Whether you have duplicates.

5.    Origin: Whether it was a gift you actually wanted.

In this blog, you'll receive six tips to help you in the decluttering process, learn about the phases of decluttering, and follow a practical decluttering guide. Let’s dig in!

Phases of Decluttering

There are four essential phases to every successful decluttering session:

1.     Make Room – Before you start purging & sorting any area, quickly clear the floor. Throw away trash, place clothes in a basket, and create one pile for miscellaneous items that will be sorted later. This will provide an instant sense of gratification and give you more space to work in.

2.     Purging – This is when you rid yourself of unwanted items that no longer serve a purpose or bring joy. Remove anything that no longer fits your needs.

3.     The Quick Sort: Sorting happens simultaneously with purging. Create your initial piles: Keep, donate, sell, trash, or relocate.

4.     The Detailed Sort & Categorizing: This involves breaking down your piles into detailed categories. For example, sort clothing into long sleeves, short sleeves, dress shirts, and camis; or group kitchen items into grains, baking goods, and snacks. This detailed sorting helps create a more organized and efficient space.

Step by Step Decluttering Guide

If you take these steps and adjust them to the room by room, you will ultimately have successful decluttering sessions.

•       Purge & Quick Sort: Work with one set of items at a time, such as clothing, shoes, and handbags, or kitchenware like glasses, plates, and utensils.

•       Gather Items: If you have similar items in other rooms, bring them all into the same room and ensure they are clean.

•       Create 5 Piles: Keep, donate, sell, trash, and relocate.

•       Detailed Sort & Categorize: Further sort items within each pile to make the process more manageable. For example, t-shirts, dress shirts, workout shirts. Daily dishes, plastic cups, glasses.

5 Tips to Help You Declutter

💡 Tip #1: Create a Plan: If you’ve never had a successful decluttering session or have never attempted to declutter, start by creating a simple plan:

1. Decide which room to start in and which rooms will follow. I recommend starting in a small space where you can get quick results and create your decluttering process. Pay attention to the details of how you flow best and that’s how you create your decluttering process.

2. Block out time on your calendar for decluttering and set a realistic timeframe.

3. Start and adjust. Ohhhh, and then adjust again! Once you start the decluttering process you will learn what’s working and what’s not working FOR YOU. Be okay with both and make the necessary adjustment. There is nothing wrong with you or what you are doing. There will be a learning curve when learning to declutter. If you pay attention to what’s working and what’s not working you will see where to make the adjustment.  

💡Tip #2: Use a Folding Table: A folding table provides extra surface space for purging and sorting, increasing efficiency. 

💡Tip #3: Prioritize High-Traffic Areas: Organize areas where items from other spaces are likely to end up. For example, organize your closet before your bedroom to streamline the process.

💡 Tip #4: Stay Focused: Focus on one room at a time to maintain motivation. Avoid the temptation to jump between related spaces, like from the closet to the bedroom.

💡 Tip #5: Set a Deadline: Create a “by when” for tasks you want to complete. For example, set a deadline to sell items, and if they don’t sell by that date, donate them.

Implementing Decluttering Strategies

To effectively declutter, it’s important to have a plan and be intentional about the process. Here are some additional strategies to consider:

• Set Goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your decluttering efforts. Whether it’s creating a more functional kitchen, a serene bedroom, or a productive office space, having clear goals will guide your decisions.

• Stay Motivated: Keep motivation high by visualizing the end result, rewarding yourself for progress, or enlisting the help of a friend or family member.

• Be Realistic: Understand that decluttering is an ongoing process. It’s okay if you don’t get everything done at once. Celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and keep moving forward.

• Donate and Recycle: Find local organizations or recycling centers that can take your unwanted items. Knowing that your belongings are going to a good cause can make it easier to let go.

Decluttering Tools

Last but not least, I have link some tools that will help you on your decluttering journey. These tools are meant to aid you on your decluttering journey and can also be useful for other things.  

1.     Planner – The planner is a tool you can utilize to help you come up with your plan on how you are going to get to your end goal. It has space for you to plan out into the future and be detailed with those plans.

2.     Calendar – The is a magnet calendar that can be visibly placed on the refrigerator in your kitchen and if you don’t like that one or would like to put it in a less visible space just find something similar that you can hang on the wall.

3.     White trash bags (for trash) – When starting the full decluttering session, you want to be sure you have enough trash bags and different color trash bags for different things. I recommended white for trash because most households use white trash bags in their home already.

4.     Black trash bags (for donations) – Since you can’t see through the black trash bags, I recommend using them for donations. This way, once they are in the bag they are officially gone from your life. When you put them in the car and hand them off you cannot see what’s in the bags to change your mind.  

5.     Permanent Donation box – The permanent donation box is meant to create a lifestyle of keeping your life free of clutter and chaos. Place the box in your garage, by the back door or in a closet but be sure to label it, that everyone in the family knows where it is and what it’s for. Also add a quarterly day in your calendar to donate the donations.

Decluttering doesn’t have to be overwhelming. With a clear plan, phased approach, and the right tools, you can tackle any space in your home efficiently. Remember, the key is to start small, stay focused, and adjust as needed. Celebrate your progress and keep moving forward towards a more organized and peaceful environment. Happy decluttering!