The Decluttering Process That Actually Gets Results

Last week I published a post talking about some important steps you need to take before clearing clutter from your home. Today I want to talk about the decluttering process that will actually help you get results. 

Decluttering your home becomes frustrating and overwhelming when we are doing the work, but not seeing results or feeling the benefits. Sometimes seeing the results of your decluttering efforts is important to stay motivated to continue the decluttering process.

Having a plan and following a process is the best way to ensure you stay consistent so can achieve the results you are looking for and reap the benefits of decluttering your home.

While we have to be reasonable with our expectations when it comes to seeing visual progress. After all, if you’ve been accumulating stuff for years, it stands to reason that it’s going to take some time to get rid of it all.

However, by following a decluttering process you will see results towards that clutter-free home you dream of!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. See more details here.

The Decluttering Process

Now is the time to get to work and start the actual decluttering process. So let’s look at how to see progress when decluttering and actually get the results you long for. 

I promise, having a process in place for clearing clutter from your home will lessen the overwhelm and assist you in making those tough decluttering decisions. Plus you’ll know exactly where to focus your efforts.

Let’s get started!!

Start By Only Focusing on Trash

One of the things that make decluttering hard is that it requires a lot of decisions to be made. Having to make a lot of decisions feels very overwhelming and is downright exhausting.

A great way to start the decluttering process is simply focusing on clearing the trash from a room. This is because it doesn’t require any real decision-making, which means you’ll make real progress without feeling overwhelmed.

So when you walk into which every room or area you will be decluttering, all you have to do is eliminate all the trash. That’s not too hard or overwhelming, is it?

Now that the obvious trash is out of the way, you’ll be able to see more clearly what other clutter is in that room.

Focus on Small Areas to Begin

With all of the trash out of the room, it’s time to start looking at everything in the room. But before you give yourself an anxiety attack we are going to start small!

It doesn’t matter where you start, what’s important is that you start somewhere. Start with a small space like your bedroom nightstand or the bathroom medicine cabinet.

Once you see your progress and start to enjoy the benefits, it will motivate you to declutter another space. This is because small decluttering achievements build momentum for bigger ones. By completing just a few small tasks the momentum you build motivates you to keep going!

Focus on What You Need and Use

I love the Francine Jay quote “Decluttering is infinitely easier when you think of it as deciding what to keep, rather than deciding what to throw away.”

That quote is very true! Focusing on what you truly need, what is functional, or what you actually love can go a long way. On the other hand, focusing on what you should get rid of feels much more overwhelming.

Focusing on what you will keep also helps to eliminate duplicates. After all, will you ever need to use three rolling pins at the same time?

By focusing on what you need and use regularly, you’ll eliminate a lot of unnecessary, and duplicate items.

Consider the Cost of Clutter

As you begin to sort through your items realize that everything you own has a cost. Whether it’s time to clean and organize or money to maintain the stuff, there is a cost.

Not only that, but you have to store the items which means that you’re paying per square foot for each item you own. The space in your home is prime real estate. It’s time to ask yourself: How much are you willing to “spend” on clutter?

If you’re wondering what your clutter is really costing you take a look at this. 

Considering how much your clutter costs will help you put into perspective what is worth keeping and what you’d be better off letting go of!

Ask the Right Questions

Asking the right questions as you’re decluttering simplifies the decision-making process. This is especially true when you’re not sure if something is worth keeping.

I’m not a fan of the “does it spark joy” question. After all, my vacuum cleaner has never exactly sparked joy in my life, yet I know it is worth keeping. Being a much more practical person, I prefer simple questions like:

• Do you need it?
• Use it?
• Love it?
• Have room to store it?

Those four simple questions will help you decide on whether to keep or get rid of the majority of items in your home. A no answer to any one of those questions means it goes. There is no good reason to keep anything that you don’t need, use, love, or have room for.

Don’t Keep Anything Out of Obligation

Another area where we are tempted to hold on to clutter is when we feel this pressure to keep something we don’t want. These are usually gifts or things you may have inherited.

But here’s the thing, you are in no way required to keep gifts or other things that people have given to you out of obligation. This is especially true if they make you feel guilty or cause stress.

If you are given an item that means it’s yours to do with as you choose, including passing it on or donating it to someone who can use the item.

Gifted items that don’t fit into your home, life, or aesthetic can be donated, sold to consignment shops, returned to the store, or given to someone else who might enjoy them more than you.

Following this decluttering process means you don’t keep something out of obligation!

Ignore What’s Out & Focus on Clearing Hidden Clutter

A big mistake I often see people make when decluttering is that they start their decluttering efforts with all of the stuff that’s out and scattered around their homes. However, the problem with starting here is that this is all the stuff you are using regularly. That’s why it is out.

Because of all the clutter hiding in the back of closets, drawers, and cabinets you have no place to put the stuff you are using. What’s hiding in the depths of your closets and the back of those drawers and cabinets is all that stuff you don’t use and what’s truly cluttering your home.

Focus on clearing out this stuff and you’ll be able to see more clearly what you have that you need and use.

Include Your Family In The Decluttering Process

Clearing clutter from your home doesn’t have to be a one-person show. Get the family involved. They have a role in the amount of clutter in your home and they should have a role in helping to declutter!

You can give your kids age-appropriate tasks to be responsible for. Have them pick out some no longer loved toys to donate to children who have less than they do. By involving the family you are also teaching them the value and importance of being clutter-free.

Use Timers During Your Decluttering Sessions

When I start a decluttering project it’s easy for me to get lost in the project and lose track of time. The problem is that this can cause you to delay regular decluttering unless you have a big chunk of time available.

On the other hand, using a timer will keep you on track with your schedule and keep you focused. Setting a timer will help you achieve a lot in a small window of time.

Set your timer for whatever amount of time you set aside for your decluttering session. Whether it’s 10 minutes, 30 minutes, or a full hour you will stop when the timer is done. But once you set the timer commit to decluttering during that entire time. It’s amazing how much you’ll accomplish when you’re being timed.

Don’t Procrastinate, Just Do It!

No matter how effective your decluttering process is, if you procrastinate you will have a hard time seeing progress.

Look, we all know that decluttering your home can be stressful and cause some uncomfortable feelings. Those two things are the perfect recipe for procrastination.

But here’s the thing, decluttering your home and your life can provide balance, peace, happiness, health, and freedom. Those are all good reasons not to procrastinate!

So instead of putting off decluttering until tomorrow, begin today, try one of these suggestions to help you stop procrastinating. I promise you’ll be glad you did it!

Declutter Every Item That Does Not Have a Home to Live

Organizing 101 tells us that everything in our home needs a place where it belongs or it does not belong in our home. This organizing basic is an invaluable rule when it comes to implementing your decluttering process. 

When we own a lot of stuff that does not have a designated space to live in, it’s easy to accumulate piles of clutter throughout your home.

So, if you can not find a place for something to live in your home, it’s time to let it go!

Create a Designated Space for Donations

A big part of the decluttering process is getting rid of the clutter and removing it from your home. This often means donating. Whether it is to a favorite charity or family and friends donating is a crucial part of the decluttering process.

Creating a designated spot for anything you plan on giving away will make the donation process much simpler. Whenever you come across something in your home that you no longer need, place the item in this area.

Personally, I like to use a large decorative basket like this. Whenever I come across items I want to declutter it’s easy to place them in the basket and keep them out of the way. When the basket is full I donate the contents.

Having baskets or even a box in the closet for each room allows you to stay on top of the clutter and easily get the stuff out of your house.

You just have to commit to taking the stuff to the donation site when the basket or box is full!

Limit the Paper Clutter as Much as Possible

I want to say a word about paper clutter. This is a unique area that so many of us struggle with. I know I do. But I’ve learned a few tricks along the way.

The first step of the decluttering process when it comes to paper is to limit the incoming as much as possible.

Enrolling in auto-pay and paperless billing cuts back on a decent percentage of incoming paper clutter. You can still get your credit card and bank statements via email. Pay as many bills as you can online. The less mail sent to your house means less paper clutter you’ll have to deal with.

If you do have a lot of paper clutter, start by gathering all your paper piles together, then start sorting. Have one pile for items that need to be kept. A second pile for things that can be thrown out or shredded. Another pile for papers to be scanned and uploaded to the cloud so you can get rid of the hard copy. A final pile for anything that you need to keep, file it away.

If you are struggling to keep the paper under control, this will help you to finally conqueror the paper clutter!

Limit Sentimental Items

Another unique area that helps to have a solid decluttering process in place is for “sentimental items”. Sentimental items traditionally cause a lot of struggle when it comes to decluttering these items.

This is because sentimental items cause things to get emotional—fast. All these emotions make these items hard to part with.

The more you can limit the number of sentimental items you have the less you have to say goodbye to. Taking a picture of the item is a fantastic alternative, it allows you to recall the memories while letting go of the clutter.

It’s often a good idea to enlist the help of someone who does not share the same attachment that you do. They can often be the voice of reason when you struggle with whether to keep or get rid of something that carries strong emotions. More often than not they will give you the strength to make the right choice.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide what is worth keeping and what you can let go of. There is no decluttering police that will come to your home and require you to get rid of all or any of your sentimental items.

Handle Seasonal Items

Seasonal items can be tricky because we don’t use them all of the time, but they can take up a lot of space.

So if something is seasonal, it’s important to realize that you don’t need to keep it out in the open. Rotate your seasonal items in and out as you need them. This includes clothing, pillows, blankets for your living areas, sporting or outdoor items, and even holiday decorations.

When it comes to decluttering these items the best process is to declutter at the end of the season. You’ll be able to see exactly what you used and what you didn’t. Plus you won’t be packing away unused items, worn out, and in need of replacing.

Don’t Put Too Much Pressure on Yourself

Finally, go easy on yourself. Take deep breaths and know that the decluttering process takes time. 

Your home did not get cluttered overnight and it won’t become decluttered overnight either. Take it slow and most importantly, don’t overwhelm yourself.

As long as you’re staying consistent and following the decluttering process above, it will happen, you will clear the clutter and create a home you love!

After Clearing Clutter From Your Home, Organize What’s Left

Once you’ve cleared the majority of clutter from your home, you are going to want to organize what’s left.

Having clear organizing systems that work for you and your family will help to keep the clutter from coming back or getting out of hand.

The best organizing system is the one you actually use, which means what works for one person may not work for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment to try out different systems until you find one that works. Pinterest is a good resource to find lots of different organizing styles.

I do have one caveat, know what you need to organize before you buy any containers.

Whatever you do, don’t buy containers until you’ve made a good dent in your clutter. Otherwise, you’ll just end up undoing all your hard work by adding more clutter in the form of containers that don’t work or that you don’t need.