DIY Decluttering

How To: Declutter & Organize

CATEGORIZE

Start by taking everything out of the space you’re working on. Group like items with like. For example, if you’re working through a drawer in your kitchen, you might find a variety of things. Group items by function, type, or even size or color. This is an important step because it helps you see how much of something you have, which helps in the next step. 

EDIT

This is the hardest step in the whole process and where the decluttering actually happens. Now that you can see what you have, you can make a decision whether or not to keep it in your space. You can set a goal for yourself to edit out a percentage of the things in the space, or a number of items.  This helps you to exercise that decluttering muscle. As a general rule, for most spaces, you can likely edit out  20% or more. Start by taking out anything that is trash and throwing it away.  Then decide what items don’t belong in that space and set them aside to put away elsewhere. Finally, you can decide what items to donate.  Everything that is left can be put back in the space.

CONTAIN

Now that you have decided what to keep and what to let go of, you can contain those items. Depending on the space, you might consider drawer organizers, baskets or bins. Containment does a few important things: it gives a space structure and order (you can label those containers so everyone knows where things belong), it creates a physical boundary for your items which helps you keep only what fits, and it can help reduce visual clutter which can contribute to feelings of overwhelm in your space. Containment doesn’t have to be expensive, but it should be cohesive. I recommend waiting to purchase containers until you are done with a larger space (ie: the whole kitchen & pantry) so you can purchase containment that is visually cohesive throughout the space.

MAINTAIN

This is the most forgotten step in the process.  You can spend time creating a clutter free and organized space, but if you don’t take the time to keep it that way, it will be cluttered again no matter how good your system is. Now that your space is free from clutter and has intention, it’s much easier to maintain.  This is the real gift of decluttering and organization. A good system requires less mental effort from you, and regular maintenance looks like a quick sort through, tidy, and refresh of the space.