One of the biggest reasons people hold onto clutter is inertia. You think youll use the item one day but you dont know how to get rid of things you never end up using. It can feel overwhelming to tackle clutter. So if youre feeling weighed down by a glut of stuff, read on for straightforward guidance and tips on what to discard right now, room by room. 1:51
Ask Yourself If You Love It
This is advice straight from Marie Kondo, who says that in order to keep items, you should “feel a spark of joy” when you touch them. If you’re on the fence about something, ask yourself if you love it. If the answer is yes, keep it without any guilt. If the answer is no, it might be something you want to part with.
For items you don’t love but still can’t decide on, ask yourself another question: “Does this add value to my life?” If you don’t love it but it does add value, it’s a good candidate for keeping. If you answered no to both questions, you should probably let it go.
One of the great things about the digital age is that where people once had to have huge shelves to store all their books, movies, and music — now, all those things can live in digitized formats on a hard drive.
This can also be a great strategy for sentimental items. Maybe it’s tough to part with things like clothing from special events, but what if you made a photo album of those items instead, that you could look through when you wanted to remember them?
First Steps for Decluttering Your Kitchen
The kitchen is likely a major decluttering challenge in a lot of homes. But it’s important to keep your kitchen as clean as possible — that’s where you prepare the food you eat. If you’re not sure how to get started, use this checklist to build up the momentum you need to achieve a clutter-free kitchen.
Don’t Spend More than 5 Minutes on an Item
As you get deeper into decluttering, you might start to encounter items that are harder to let go of. Experts recommend never spending more than five minutes on any one item. Instead, create a “maybe” pile. Place items there when you get stuck, sleep on the decision, and come back to them later.
One of the biggest challenges for many people when decluttering is that they get hung up on the idea of sunk costs — that is, they don’t want to get rid of things, because then the money they originally spent on those items has gone to waste.
Try to break out of this mindset. Instead, think about the money you’ll save now that you’ve embraced a more minimalist lifestyle. Or think about the time you’ll save not having to clean and organize a house full of items you don’t need. Time is money, after all.
FAQ
How do I get rid of clutter?
- Start with Your Mindset. …
- Think About Your End Goal. …
- The 80/20 Rule. …
- Choose a Place to Begin. …
- Just 10 Things. …
- Try a “Power Purge” …
- Use a Decluttering “Snowball” Method. …
- Declutter Every Single Day.
What are good things to get rid of?
- Get Rid of Clutter in the Worst Spot First. …
- Do a Garbage Bag Sweep to Get Rid of Clutter. …
- Purge Clutter by Pretending You’re Moving. …
- Get Rid of Clutter and Organize Like Company Is Coming. …
- Organize by Gathering Similar Items. …
- Make One Bold Decision to Simplify Your Home.
What is the 20/20 rule for decluttering?
- Receipts, Menus and Other Papers. …
- Fast Food Napkins and Condiments. …
- Duplicate Kitchen Supplies. …
- Stuff You Never Use. …
- Kiddie Cups and Utensils. …
- Old Birthday Candles and Party Supplies. …
- Excess Cups and Dishware. …
- Plastic Bags.
