What Is the Best Decluttering Method?

Decluttering is a very rewarding experience. Purchasing less and experiencing more has shown to have health benefits and make us feel emotionally fulfilled. Purchasing less also impacts the environment as we move away from consumerism.

There are many decluttering methods.

Below is a list of many favorites that have sparked the decluttering revolution. 

The KonMari® Method: Spark Joy® by Marie Kondo

Marie Kondo is a professional organizer who introduced herself to the world with her best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She then hit Netflix with her popular show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Marie Kondo focuses on moving through categories, rather than room-by-room. She takes us through five categories, including clothing, books, paper, komono (miscellaneous), and sentimental items. 

The Becker Method: Room-by-Room Decluttering of a Minimalist Home

Joshua Becker takes us a different direction, which is decluttering room-by-room. His method focuses on room-by-room decluttering, beginning with the easiest, most lived-in areas first. This method immediately shows us the benefits of decluttering and motivates us to work on more difficult areas as we become better at decluttering. Most importantly, Joshua Beck’s Becoming Minimalist is designed to inspire people to pursue their greatest passions by owning fewer possessions. The five main steps to the goal-oriented Becker Method are:

1.     Set and define your goals so you know your objectives.

2.     Make sure to include family (Marie Kondo does not include family) in the process and let them know why you’re decluttering. Everyone participates.

3.     Start with the easiest, high-traffic room. Then continue the decluttering process room-by-room.

4.     Make sure to enjoy what you’re doing. Pay attention to the benefits. This should be a fun process!

5.     Revisit and revise your goals, as the process is ongoing and evolving. 

Peter Walsh Method: Declutter Any Room in Five Easy Steps

Peter Walsh takes us a third way. Remove every single item from the room you’re decluttering. When doing so, make sure to group similar items together. This makes sorting, in a future step, easier to do.

1.     Empty the space. Remove everything.

2.     Decide how you want the room to function and create a vision. This step keeps you focused.

3.     Take the items you’ve decluttered to donation or trash immediately.

4.     Return the remaining items to the room in the context of your vision.  

Fly Lady: Do a Little Bit Every Day

Declutter in short bursts and use a timer. The goal is to avoid burnout since decluttering can be both physically and emotionally draining. Try our Declutter Deck® to achieve the same outcome. Our deck, which provides prompts to get you decluttering, suggests keeping each daily decluttering task to under one hour. 

Sort your items into categories: Give Away, Throw Away, Put Away. Simultaneously, ask yourself if you love your item. This is like Marie Kondo’s Spark Joy® question. Remove duplicates and keep the better one. Also, consider sentimental value, and how you truly feel about it. Do you feel sad or anxious when you look at an item? If so, let it go. Move quickly through your space, and you should see a big difference in just a few months. 

Colleen Madsen: Remove One Item Each Day

Colleen Madsen’s site, 365 Less Things, took shape when she made the decision to remove one item from her home every single day. She committed to donating, selling, or discarding one thing each day for an entire year. Madsen suggests purging in this way to hit your goal of decluttering, without overwhelming yourself and doing it all at once.

The Clutterfree App. – A Roadmap (Similar to Declutter Deck®)

This app is the first personalized, room-by-room (Becker Method) to-do list for your home. It will track your progress, unlock achievements, document donations, and allows you to compare your before and after photos. The app. also includes motivational articles and its bonus plan provides tips from some of the world’s top organizing experts.

NAPO": National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals

You can get help from NAPO if you are inclined to hire someone. NAPO guides you on how to hire the right professional organizer for your needs. NAPO also offers help with hiring a productivity consultant, or both. Fees are based on the professional’s experience, location and services required.  

Leo Babauta: A Minimalist Home 

Create a minimalist home and a Zen feeling by letting go. A minimalist home reduces stress and is more calming, appealing, and easier to clean. This type of decluttering and living suggests that you keep only essential furniture, clear surfaces of clutter, and prioritize quality over quantity. You can still have personal touches and décor. However, the idea is to change your philosophy on acquiring possessions. A place for everything, and everything in its place is the idea of this type of organization.

One decluttering method will work for you!

One of these ways of decluttering is bound to work for you. Or, pick up a pack of our Declutter Decks® and try this “life hack” decluttering method.  Our Declutter Deck® offers organizing prompts to help you get and stay organized at home. By breaking down decluttering into bite-sized pieces, you will eventually declutter and organize your entire home. Try it for several weeks to see if you can declutter your home on your own, or if you need to hire a professional. The answer will be obvious to you.