9 Rules for Decluttering Your House

When Dan and I married and lived in our first home, I was determined to keep it in a way that pleased God. It was simple. Everything had a place, and there was a place for everything. So it was pretty simple when we lived in a small one-bedroom apartment. Over the years, we began accumulating "stuff," which means things we did not need but wanted. Two children later, I lost a little more self-control and just stuffed things where I could not see them. But then we moved, which meant going through every item we owned. We have moved 15 times in 46 years of marriage, and I became friends with the people who owned the local thrift shop each time.

And honestly, I can't remember any item we gave away but one—a baby grand piano. The women's ministry of the church we left gave me the money to buy one. I loved that piano. It was the center of our home. But when financial reasons caused us to move to a two-story condo, there was no room for my piano. However, I sold it to a beautiful young woman who fell in love with the piano the minute she saw it. With a look of awe, she asked, "May I?" I smiled and said, "Of course!" Then, she sat down and beautifully played a Chopin piece. I still miss that piano, but each time I think about it, I see that young woman's face – and it is okay.

Over the years, I have developed a system of keeping our home in order. Let me share some tips I hope you will find helpful in decluttering your home.

Rule 1: If you haven't used or worn it in a year, let it go.

This rule is fundamental to all decluttering. Grab some boxes or bags and fill them with the things you no longer need or use. That could include the clothes in your closet you haven't worn for years, those collectibles you bought that no longer make your heart sing, or any other unused items you find. Then, toss it in the trash or donate it. If it doesn't add value to your everyday life, it's probably time to get rid of it.

Getting rid of clutter can be a little emotional for some people, but I have found that less clutter means more peace. Both of our children are grown and married with homes of their own. Guess what? They feel the same way. One child said, "Mom, I can't go to sleep if the house is a wreck. I want to wake up and see a clean house. It just gives me peace." A mom success story if there ever was one!

When decluttering items you want to keep, buy a box that slides under the bed for each family member. When an item becomes sentimental, relegate it to the corresponding family member's bin and slide it under their bed. It then becomes their responsibility to keep it in order.

Rule 2: Make decluttering fun. Put on some music, make a game, and get the kids involved.

Decluttering can get intense. It can feel like a chore when you're in the middle of a big project, surrounded by piles of stuff and no end in sight! However, by choosing to have fun with it, you may discover decluttering is less of a chore.

Put on some music! Spotify and Apple Music have ready-made playlists for everything! Audiobooks are another great option to listen to when decluttering grows boring. Or how about making decluttering a game? This one is a big hit with kids. Shoe basketball, anyone? How many soft toys you want to donate can you toss into a box before the timer goes off? The possibilities are endless.

So next time you find yourself doing something that you HAVE to do, why not bring some fun into the mix, and enjoy yourself? 

Rule 3: Start with one small space or tackle one room at a time.

Some people can organize and purge by working all over the house and choosing a central room where you have the bags of items you are either selling or giving away. I can't work from a central spot for the whole house. I work in one room at a time and sometimes in a tiny space.

One day I was cooking dinner. I was waiting on a ten-minute timer and was trying to find something helpful to do with that time. I opened the junk drawer we kept in the kitchen. There it was. I took everything out, cleaned the drawer, and began tossing things I had not used in over a year. I then carefully put back the things I often use – Scotch tape, a couple of pens, clips, a small screwdriver, etc. Finally, the timer went off, and I had a clean and organized junk drawer. Since then, I have tackled one kitchen drawer at a time while waiting for the timer to go off.

And don't forget to go through your spices. Since I keep my spices in a drawer by my oven, I often go through them while waiting for something to boil, etc. I have learned that spices lose their flavor over time. Remember this rule. If it is more than six months old, consider getting rid of it.

Need to start small? Begin with 5 minutes at a time. If you're new to decluttering, you can slowly build momentum with just five minutes a day. Gradually increase your time to ten minutes, then 15 minutes, etc.

Give one item away each day. It doesn't seem like much. But applying this rule means you would get rid of 365 things every year from your home. If you get rid of 2 items daily, that number doubles to 730 items you no longer need. Increase this number once it gets too easy.

Fill an entire trash bag as fast as possible with things you can donate to Goodwill. Marie Kondo, the decluttering expert, says a complete overhaul is the best way to start. First, remove everything from a specific space. Now, you can start over. Seeing the progress of one cleared area motivates you to go through the rest of the items you just removed, dumping non-essentials.

Rule 4: Keep what you use every day in a convenient location.

For example, I used to keep all of my kitchen utensils in a ceramic vase on my kitchen counter. I used some of those items once a year - maybe. I emptied the vase and only put back the utensils I used daily. I removed some of the remaining things I never used and created a utensil drawer for those I only used once or twice a year. Keep the utensils you use every day close by and find a place to store those utensils you rarely use.

I have a wide ceramic vase that I have transformed into a holder for utensils I use almost daily – particular spoons, tongs, scissors, etc. The only things sitting on my bathroom counter are the lotions, makeup brushes, etc., that I use daily.

Rule 5: Use the three-bags method.

This method is a popular and very effective idea for decluttering. The three bags are: Give away. Donate. Sell.

Don't give away or donate junk. Next time you are decluttering, ask yourself - would I give this to a friend and not be embarrassed by its condition? Charity shops are still businesses trying to make money to support the organization they are connected to. Donating quality items with lots of life left in them is much more likely to move than stained or damaged items.

Yes, you can have a massive yard sale – which I have done many times. I'm over it. It is sooooo much work. I have found it much easier and better to use my time to sell items online or through local stores and sites. Sell clothes on Poshmark or in a local consignment shop. Sell other items on eBay, Craiglist, or your neighborhood swap and shop.

Use the 10-10-10 method. Identify ten items to donate, ten things to sell, and ten items to give away. Once you have those ten items in three different bags, take action. If you keep this method going daily, you will be amazed at how easy it is to declutter your home.

Rule 6: Remember to check those dates.

Last season's sunblock: Toss it. Sunblock degrades in quality over time.

If your cosmetics have changed color, lost their scent, or changed consistency, it's time to get rid of them. Also, if you haven't used any makeup items in over a year, dump them.

I just took an hour and checked the expiration dates on canned goods and every item in my refrigerator. I had to throw several things away. What a waste of money! So, I decided to store items near their expiration dates on the middle shelf. Everyone knows that is the go-to shelf before opening anything else.

I even got my two oldest grandchildren involved. When they come over – usually at least once a week – they inevitably go through the canned goods and the refrigerator to ensure nothing has expired. One week, they both proudly proclaimed, "Mimi! We did not find one thing that has expired!" It was a proud moment for this grandmother!

7. Take photos.

Choose one area of your home – like the kitchen counter, the coffee table, etc. – and take a picture of it. Then, quickly put items where they belong and throw away all trash.

Then take another photo to see the improvement. Looking at your home differently can make it easier to start decluttering. It is like looking at your home through the eyes of a visitor. Ask a friend to help you by walking into your home and identifying three things that need to be thrown away or donated. If that item is important to you, defend it. If your friend disagrees with your reason, it may be time to get rid of it.

8. Put items back where they belong.

Decluttering is the first step on a lifetime road to keeping your home in order. The real challenge is keeping your home organized and decluttered. Decluttering needs to become a daily habit.

For example, our grandchildren take off their shoes at the front door. The result was a messy pile of shoes. I had a wooden box separated into ten small sections. I sat it by the front door, and each shoe went in one of those sections. Problem solved.

9. Plan another decluttering session.

I wish decluttering was a one-time event. Unfortunately, it isn't. Pull out your calendar and set a date three months away to declutter - again! That way, the clutter doesn't get out of control again, and creating order is a priority. Sometimes friends can help you by offering a fresh perspective on the items you think are so important. But are they? Ask a friend for her honest opinion. Then decide to keep it, donate it, or sell it.

The idea is to make decluttering a habit that keeps your home in order, a home that is pleasing to God and filled with peace. 

Happy decluttering!

Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Halfpoint

Mary Southerland is also the Co-founder of Girlfriends in God, a conference and devotion ministry for women. Mary’s books include, Hope in the Midst of Depression, Sandpaper People, Escaping the Stress Trap, Experiencing God’s Power in Your Ministry, 10-Day Trust Adventure, You Make Me So Angry, How to Study the Bible, Fit for Life, Joy for the Journey, and Life Is So Daily. Mary relishes her ministry as a wife, a mother to their two children, Jered and Danna, and Mimi to her six grandchildren – Jaydan, Lelia, Justus, Hudson, Mo, and Nori.