When it comes to decluttering and keeping things cleaned up there’s 6 vital rules for decluttering success.  If you follow these simple rules for decluttering then you’ll have a clean home and less stress!

6 Rules for Decluttering Success

Kicking the Clutter for Good!

When it comes to getting organized, one of the key elements must be decluttering. However, the very idea of getting rid of so many possessions strikes fear into the hearts of many. As with any other process, it often helps to have some rules in place. Consider these six rules for decluttering success to help you take steps toward living a clutter-free life.

Vow to Bring Less Home

The most important rule to set before you even begin to purge items is to make a sincere effort to bring less stuff in. There’s no point in putting forth the effort to declutter if you undo all your progress by buying more stuff. Setting a mindset to shop with intention is the first step to clearing out the clutter for good.

Whenever I see something super cute at the store…you know, that one thing “I just HAVE to have”…I stop and think about WHERE it’s going to go and HOW it’s going to improve my life.  If I can’t answer both of those questions before leaving the store then the item stays there.  If there’s more than one of that item then I make myself think about it overnight.  If I still want it the next day then I’ll go back to the store….most of the time I completely forget so I guess it wasn’t that great anyway.  This mindset really helps with bringing less clutter into our home AND as a result I spend less money!  Win/Win!!

Document Your Nostalgia

Nostalgia is a powerful emotion that can lead us to hold onto clutter. An effective compromise is to digitize your prized possessions. You can scan the images of things like certificates or kids’ artwork into your computer and organize them into folders. For three-dimensional pieces like trophies or prom dresses, take a photo of the item to add to your digital keepsakes.

Start Small and Simple

One way to gain momentum in the paring down process is to start with the easy things. Begin boxing up items that don’t hold much emotional attachment. Doing so will lead to a sense of accomplishment and provide motivation for you to keep going when the decision-making becomes tougher.

Lose the Duplicates

Another relatively easy decluttering task involves getting rid of unnecessary duplicate items. So take a moment to go through your home and gather up all your duplicate articles of clothing, dish sets and books. Then sort through them, keeping only your favorite colored piece or the one that is in the best condition.

Nix the Guilt

An empowering decluttering strategy is to get rid of things you’ve been holding onto out of guilt. It doesn’t matter how much you paid for that stylish coat if it’s not being used, and unwanted gifts are something else you should part with immediately. These things are yours. The decision of whether to keep them is also yours.

For the longest time I had a hard time clearing out the kids’ baby clothes because I hate how fast they are growing up.  To combat this, I bought a single plastic storage tote and kept only the most precious items.  If it didn’t fit in the storage tote then it went to charity.  The storage tote fits easily in the back of the closet and every year I go through it and purge what I’m ready to get rid of.

Put Things in Their Place

Another way to bring organization to your home is to make sure all of your possessions have a designated place and to always return them there. Knowing where stuff belongs makes it easier to keep everything tidy and lowers the chance of clutter becoming a recurring problem.

This especially helps with the kids putting away their things.  I have chalkboard labels on every drawer in the kids rooms and every storage cube in the playroom.  They know that if they pull stuff out to play with then they have to put it back where it belongs.

These rules aren’t the definitive last word on clearing out the clutter, and they won’t remove all of the difficulties from the process. Hopefully, though, they will serve as guidelines to help you begin your own decluttering journey.  I hope you’ll join along in the 5 Day Cleaning Challenge where we’ll work together to get started on the journey to an organized home.