How to Declutter the House: The Complete Guide to Decluttering and Organizing Your Home

Why is Decluttering Your Home Important?

Over the years, I’ve asked my email subscribers and readers one question over and over again: “What is the one thing you’re struggling with within your home right now?” I’ve collected almost two thousand answers to that question. And in all of those replies, much of the time I’ve gotten a response that had something to do with TOO MUCH CLUTTER! 

Our homes have a huge impact on our well-being:

• The UCLA study I mentioned showed that the more clutter people (especially women) have in their homes, the more stressed they are.
• The same study found that women subconsciously relate how happy they are with how they feel about their homes.

So you see, decluttering our homes needs to be a priority so that we have can spend less time cleaning up and have less stress too!

With a little organization and some practice, I’m here to tell you that it is possible to declutter your home so that it looks and feels so much better! 

But what if you don’t know where to begin? Or how to find the time to declutter? Or what to do with sentimental clutter?

Lovely, I’ve got you! In this post, I’m going to answer commonly asked decluttering questions so you can get a handle on both your headspace and your clutter, once and for all. I’m going to show you exactly how to declutter each and every space in your house. And I’m going to share the best decluttering tips ever!

As you read on, imagine us sitting down, each with our favorite cuppa, just chatting like old friends (and if you really need it, I can also give you a loving kick in the pants to git ‘er done). 

FAQs about decluttering your home

I think that at some point or another, anyone with clutter in their home has asked at least a few of the following questions. And even if you haven’t asked them out loud, I bet you’ve pondered them silently to yourself. 

I’m also betting that if you’re reading this, you’ve struggled with how to tackle your clutter and the feelings of overwhelm and maybe even helplessness that clutter can bring. 

Wanna know a secret though? YOU CAN DO THIS, sweet momma. You really can. (Seriously, if you can grit your teeth to put up with yet another episode of your kid’s favorite tv show, you can totally do this.)

1. Why is decluttering so important?

As I said, living in a cluttered space causes stress on so many levels. To name just a couple, there are the:

• simple visual stress when you can see all that clutter, which causes unhappiness with how your home looks and sometimes even feelings of inadequacy about your skills (or perceived lack thereof) as a homemaker.
• stress when you can’t find things (like your car keys or glasses) because of the clutter and lack of organization in your home, which can make you late, flustered, and frustrated. 

Decluttering is important because helps to ease all kinds of stress, boosts your mood, and helps to improve productivity as well. 

Given all the other stressors in our life these days (pandem!c and politics anyone?), it is super important to reduce our stress at home and at work by decluttering. 

2. Why is decluttering so hard? 

Decluttering can often feel hard because most of us feel like we don’t have the time to do it.

Between all the things we actually have to get done as mothers and all the things we feel like we should be doing, time can feel scarce. And when time feels scarce, we often don’t prioritize things like self-care and decluttering – even though a decluttered home will actually free up our time going forward and self-care can give us the energy we need to keep up with life. 

Fear is also another reason that decluttering can feel hard. Fear of starting and not finishing, fear of needing that something later and not having it. A scarcity mindset about what you need and when often gets in the way of a clutter-free home. But in reality, if you haven’t used something in a long time, you likely won’t need it any time soon. And if you do, I’m sure there’s something else that can be used in its place. 

And of course, there’s guilt (either self-imposed or instigated by another party) at the thought of getting rid of something that someone has given you. You can’t imagine how you will explain to someone that something they gave you isn’t useful or doesn’t suit your home. 

But once you become consciously aware of these roadblocks, you can tackle them head-on – and finally clear out the mindsets and the clutter that are holding you back. 

3. Where do I even start decluttering?

I think it matters much less where you start than that you just get started. Seriously. 

I think a LOT of us put off decluttering and blame it on not knowing where to start when really we’re subconsciously avoiding the job or expecting all the things in our entire life to be perfectly aligned before we begin.

Spoiler alert: that’s never going to happen. 

The fact is, decluttering is work and it’s messy. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. But I promise you that a decluttered home will feel and function SO much better and is very much worth the effort! 

4. Should I deep clean or declutter first? What’s the difference between cleaning, decluttering, and organizing?

Cleaning, decluttering, and organizing are three different things that work together in tandem to make your home lovelier. 

It is definitely best to declutter before deep cleaning. If you clear out the clutter first, you will have more room to clean and also fewer items to clean. 

You could also do two or three at the same time. For example, when I was helping my sister declutter and organize her kitchen last year, we’d empty a shelf in her pantry one at a time and toss what was expired or unneeded (decluttering), set aside the items that were being kept, and wipe down the shelf (cleaning) before returning the items in a more orderly fashion (organizing). This helped us tackle a kitchen deep cleaning and decluttering and organizing all at once!

(If you’re not actually going to tackle decluttering though, don’t put off cleaning your house indefinitely using this as an excuse!)

5. What should I get rid of when decluttering?

Well, that depends on what your clutter is made up of. Most of us can start by getting rid of unused, broken, or duplicated things. And a lot of us could clear out paper clutter or old clothes too.

But if you want somewhere easy to start, that will give you that quick win feeling, check out my post titled 50 things you should “throw away” today. It’s filled with easy-to-part-with, no-brainer things to get rid of and is a great place to start your decluttering. 

6. How do I find the time to declutter?

This is literally a matter of priorities.

Have you recently binge-watched anything on Netflix? Or mindlessly scroll through Instagram for hours? While those things are great to take a break from reality for a while, they don’t help your clutter problem at all.

Even the busiest person on the planet can carve out a little time to get their home in better working order and save time later. Which is exactly what decluttering will do. 

• If you have only a little time each week, try a decluttering plan that allows you to tackle a little at a time.
• Or if you have one weekend available out of the next ten, plan a major purge session and get that mess cleaned up. 

I promise a clutter-free home will be worth the temporary pinch of time it takes to get it there. 

7. How often should I declutter my home and storage spaces?

That all depends on how good your rhythms and routines are after you do a big decluttering purge. 

Here’s what I mean…

If you spend a whole weekend clearing out closets and pantries, and you get your home to a great place, but you don’t start putting things away when you’re done with them or picking up the living room at the end of the day, you will find your home in a state of disaster again before you know it. 

However, if you simplify your routines and anchor your tidying to events in the day – like cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, or fluffing the pillows and putting the remotes away before bed – your clutter-free home will stay clutter-free for much longer! 

At our house, I find I still have to purge and declutter with the change of seasons. My decor tastes change, the kids grow, I gain weight or wear through clothes (Old Navy tights are comfy, but not too long-lasting), and so on. So things need to be tossed or donated periodically. And normally for me, I do that with the change of seasons about four times a year or so.  

8. Can decluttering help with my anxiety?

Oh my gosh, yes! But also no. 

A cluttered home is the cause of so much stress and anxiety, so naturally the opposite – a decluttered home – will relieve stress and promote clarity and calm. 

But the actual act of decluttering may in the very short term increase anxiety because it increases mess. It has to get worse before it gets better, as they say. I find it takes effort to meal plan or plan out content for this site and I don’t love doing either. BUT once I’m finished planning, everything is so much easier. 

If you are in a period of extreme anxiety only you will know if you can tackle decluttering right now. But I encourage you to try, enlist help if needed, and take baby steps to clear out the clutter in your home.

Because the long-term benefits of a clutter-free home will far outweigh the short-term discomfort and mess of decluttering. 

9. Is your house decluttered and perfect all the time?

Bahahahaha. No! 

As I said, I purge with the seasons. And things do get messy. No one is perfect and there are five of us living here with different schedules and natural bents towards or away from organization. So, yes, our house is tidy fairly consistently. But no, it is not perfect all the time. 

10. How and where do I start when I feel overwhelmed?

I hate to say it but, put on your big girl panties, crank the tunes, and just get started.

Honestly, my friend. The more time you spend over where to begin and thinking about how overwhelmed you are, the more overwhelmed you will feel. Inaction, or waiting on perfection is keeping you stuck! 

Instead of focusing on the overwhelm, focus on the end result – a clean, calm, orderly house that is like a breath of fresh air…after breathing in stuffy, stanky, smoke-filled air for so long. 

If having your whole house decluttered feels too far out or impossible, focus on small wins and ways you can reward yourself for even smaller accomplished goals (I talk a lot about building small wins in my new book coming out in the Fall of 2022). Like clearing off the counters, or putting the coats in the closet.

Whatever you need to do to get past the overwhelm, do that. And then do the next thing that needs doing. 

Before you know it, you will be able to look back and see that you’ve actually, finally made progress! 

11. Does decluttering ever end?

Yes and no. The answer really depends on you. Let me explain. 

When your house is in a state of cluttered mess, it will take time and energy to declutter it and clear it out.

Inevitably over time, stuff will come into your house again via gifts, or purchases, and just living life.

But it doesn’t have to become that degree of cluttered mess again. 

So, yes, on the one hand, a house full of clutter can end. But on the other, there is always some ongoing effort in the form of maintenance and habits needed to keep the clutter from taking over again. 

12. How do I get rid of things that have sentimental value?

This is one of THE most common questions that gets asked about decluttering. 

We all have things that are hard to part with. Hand-me-downs from our grandmothers, keepsakes from our mothers, gifts from hubby. Good memories are important and if things help us relive those memories, that’s normal. 

But if we are having trouble parting with things we truly don’t have space for, we need to ask if we’re assigning more value to those things than necessary, if there’s another way to hold onto those good feelings and memories apart from the clutter of things.

For example, does holding onto that thing cause you more stress than joy because of the mess it’s adding to your home? Can you take a photo of it, or store a part of it in a memorabilia box? 

Some sentimental items can be kept, of course. But others can definitely be let go of. (There will be much more about how to deal with sentimental clutter in my new book, The Clutter Fix, coming out in Fall 2022, so watch for that!)

13. How do I get family on board?

This is both an easy answer (because it’s simple) and a hard answer (because it’s hard to swallow) at once. But here goes…

The truth is you don’t get your family on board.

Not in the same way you will be/are committed to a clutter-free house. They will never want it as much as you do. They will never need it for their sanity as much as you will. (A clutter-free house will definitely help them, just not as much as it will help you.)

YOU are the one setting the scene and leading this battle. You’re the one who will need to put systems in place and assign homes to all the things. You are the one giving the directions. 

And yes, dear sweet momma, you WILL have to remind the big and little people in your house to pick up after themselves and to return things to where they belong. And you will feel like you’re nagging them (and you may very well be nagging). BUT IT IS IMPORTANT for your sanity to do this. 

You can make the whole process easier on all of you if you label and assign homes to things. If you keep your home simple and uncrowded. If you build in rhythms for tidying up. And if you don’t expect perfection 100% of the time. 

You should expect your family to help keep the house tidy since they live there too. But having them care as much about it as you do, just isn’t going to happen. AND THAT’S OKAY. 

14. How do I deal with paper clutter?

Honestly, paper clutter is still something we’re trying to wrangle here. For us, it’s mostly because none of us like filing. But here’s what we’ve found helpful at our house to keep paper clutter at bay:

• We’ve slowed the incoming paper by unsubscribing from mailing lists.
• We’ve put a sticky note in our community mailbox (you can do it too, or put a note on your personal mailbox) that says “no fliers, please.”
• We get almost all our bills digitally, except the ones that fluctuate greatly or come at irregular intervals. I like paper copies of those.
• We also assigned two wall file holders for paper – one for long-term filing that needs to go away in the filing cabinet downstairs and one for receipts or papers that only need to be kept for a few weeks. 
• And we toss any recyclable things into the recycling bin as soon as they enter the house. 

For the bills that come in, I enter the amount into our budget spreadsheet on my phone right away. It only takes a few seconds and then I can put the paper into the folder for filing rather than letting it sit around for days. 

15. What about the stuff I need to keep just in case?

Just in case. By that, I assume you mean just in case you need it someday. 

Well, my friend, that may be prudent and wise of you. Unless you don’t actually have the space to keep all those “just in cases.”

If you haven’t used something in a year or more, then the chances of you needing it in the future are slim to none. And honestly, if it’s something other than a flashlight for a power outage or bandaids, then throw it out and buy a new one if you ever do need that thing! 

Try to remind yourself that you have everything you need for today, right now. If that’s not been the case in the past or you’re holding onto things that won’t serve a real purpose in the case of an emergency, let them go. The stress they are causing you – and likely the memories they’re bringing up of past or perceived lack in the future – are not helping you! Let them go. And take a deep breath. 

And remember God’s got you. Just look at these Bible verses if you doubt it:

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8)

“Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!” (Luke 12:24)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6)

“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

There are even more Bible verses about God’s Provision right here if you need them. 

16. What do you do with everything?

After determining what you need to get rid of, there are only three options for what to do with your things. You can:

1. Keep them.
2. Donate them.
3. Trash them. 

That’s it. 

If something is beautiful, useful, or extraordinarily sentimental in value, you keep it. If they’re not, you can either donate them or trash them. 

How do you know whether to donate or trash something?

If something is showing major signs of wear and tear, you should trash it. If it’s still in good shape, donate it. It’s as simple as that! Also, try to remove the trash and donation items from your sight and your house asap. That way you won’t be tempted to change your mind, or simply create more clutter in another area of your home with the bags and boxes of things to get rid of.

What About Selling Items?

Technically you could sell items that you no longer want, and if you really need the money, then go ahead and do that. BUT this too tends to slow down the decluttering process because you have to take the time to price, list, and deliver/arrange for pickup of the items you’re selling. Sometimes the simplest route of donating these things is the best option. 

5 Essential Decluttering Tips for the Home

01| Forget about “sunk costs”

In economics, sunk costs mean that you’ve spent money on something, but you can’t get that money back. 

It can be tempting when purging and decluttering to think about what you spent on something and hold onto it solely because of that. But instead, you need to think about the value the item will bring (or take away by causing stress) to your life, going forward. 

02| Think about when you last used it

When you’re clearing out clutter, think about when the last time was that you used something. If it was a year or more ago, chances are you won’t need it any time soon and you can safely get rid of it. 

03| Start with small projects for quick wins

Getting quick wins under your belt (in anything, not just decluttering) helps you to gain confidence in your skills, abilities, and decision-making.

When you’re decluttering, start with small projects, like a single drawer or shelf so you feel like you accomplished something. This is a bit like Dave Ramsey’s baby step number one where you pay off the lowest balance debt first. 

04| Take before and after photos

Much like taking before and after photos of a room makeover, taking before and after photos of a decluttered space is motivating and helps you to see how far you’ve come. 

05| Seek out a fresh pair of eyes 

If you are struggling to see what needs decluttering, view your home as a first-time visitor and make note of where the clutter is. Or have a trusted friend or family member come over and help you decide what is cluttered and what can be cleaned up.  

Where to Start Decluttering Your Home

How do you declutter the house? Well, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, of course! Although, I personally don’t know why anyone would want to eat an elephant!

The point is the best way to deal with a really big job is one little bit at a time.

I also recommend that you start decluttering your home with small spaces first. That way you can feel the elation of a win faster. Maybe try the junk drawer. Or the front hall closet. And then move on from there. And don’t start with decluttering sentimental items. That tends to slow the decluttering process down because your emotions take over. Save those things until you’ve got some decluttering practice and some clutter-free wins under your belt. 

How to Declutter and Organize Your Home in 7 Simple Steps

The best way to declutter is to tackle your home one room at a time.

The overall steps for decluttering and organizing are the same, no matter which room you’re working on.

01| Empty out the space

Remove everything from the space you’re trying to organize. Dump it all out. Create a huge pile if necessary.

*If this is too overwhelming for you, work in sections or zones. Empty one drawer or cupboard at a time. Or work on one corner of the room at a time.

02| Sort like with like

Next, start sorting. Place like with like. Don’t try to be tidy with this. The mess actually has to get worse before it can get better. Really. Just create piles of similar things.

If you’re cleaning a playroom, for example, make little heaps of toy cars, dinosaurs, dolls, etc. If it’s the kitchen pantry, put all the crackers, cereal, soup, etc. in their own ‘piles’.

03| Edit and eliminate what you aren’t keeping

After your things are sorted, decide what you want to keep and what you don’t.

Get rid of anything that’s broken and unworthy of fixing. Go ahead, toss it. You don’t need it. Next, donate to local and national non-profits any items that are in good shape but that you haven’t used in a while. Then sort by season, color, name, or any other way you need to organize what’s left in a particular space.

04| Assign a home for what you are keeping

All the items you decide to keep need to have a specific place or home within your home.

Once you have sorted and eliminated unwanted items, you should have a pretty good idea of how much space you need for each grouping. 

• Assign homes in cupboards and on shelves for these things. 
• Assign the things you use often to places within easy reach. 
• Things that are used infrequently can go up higher in a slightly less accessible spot.

05| Shop for organization – bins, baskets, and other containers

This step is my personal favorite.

After your ‘keep items’ have a place, you can shop for pretty containers, baskets, labels, or whatever you need to get and stay organized.

But be sure to do it after the first three steps have been completed. You don’t truly know what you need until you have sorted, eliminated, and assigned homes for your things. It’s also a bit of a puzzle to figure out what fits where.

Make sure you measure the height, width, and depth of shelves and cupboards before buying baskets and bins though – it’s no fun to choose them all only to realize they don’t fit the way you thought they would.

Don’t forget to shop your own house too for containers to corral all the mess and then check places like the dollar store and craft store for some great storage solutions.

06| Label it and put everything away

Use a Cricut to make pretty labels, or use a label maker for simple labels. Heck, you can even use a piece of masking tape and a marker if money is tight (try cutting the tape straight to at least make it look tidy). Just be sure to label everything so that you (and everyone else in your house) know where to put things away.

I’m one of those people who has finally – after years of not – decided it’s much better for my personal sanity to come downstairs to a tidy kitchen in the morning. It means that, yes, we’re loading dishes into the dishwasher and wiping down counters before bed (because we have teenagers, I feel like I do this a thousand times a day!) when we’re tired, but it also means that my morning doesn’t feel like it’s started ‘behind the 8 ball’ in a mess. I also put away the remotes and fluff the pillows on the couch before bed too. It just makes me smile to wake up to an organized and pretty version of our spaces.

07| Maintain your spaces by putting things away when you’re done with them 

You now need to put things in their place when you are finished with them. If you can’t put things back right away, make sure you do it at the end of every day. It shouldn’t take more than five minutes in each room to get everything back in its place every day. You just have to do it.

For example, we used to keep our spices on a tiered rack that Dean made for our last kitchen. But after we renovated this kitchen, there wasn’t room for it anymore, so we switched to small ledges on the wall instead. The basics of our spice organization worked, we kept the jars sorted in alphabetical order, but we needed to tweak the other part of the spice organization.

Adjust your organization methods as needed. There’s no need to stick with systems that aren’t working for you or your family. 

That’s the method I use throughout our house. If your house is chronically disorganized or if you feel overwhelmed by all the mess, just get started. Start with a drawer or a cupboard. There’s so much satisfaction in an organized home!