Before you head to the store for another stack of matching storage bins, one professional organizer wants you to stop right there. “You don’t need another organizing bin,” writes the declutter coach behind @thedeclutter.co. “You need a few RULES.” In a no-nonsense video, she lays out the six rules she swears by, and she does not sugarcoat any of them.
She explains that her job is to help people own less stuff, and she is upfront that her style is direct. Some people, she says, just need to be told what to do with a little wake-up call: you have too much stuff in your house. Her message in the caption is short and sweet: “Save them. Follow them. LET. IT. GO.”
@thedeclutter.co
Her Six Decluttering Rules
Rule one: If it is not a heck yes, it is a no. She calls this one a life motto. When decluttering a space, start holding items up one at a time. Using a water bottle as her example, she says that if you do not immediately think “I freaking love this” and want to use it every day forever, you should let it go. She jokes that her clients tell her they can hear her voice in their heads while they declutter.
Rule two: Stop organizing your clutter. Organizing comes after decluttering, not before. “You need to declutter, meaning going through literally everything and decide what is staying and what is going,” she says. Only then do you get to buy “all the cute organizing bins.”
Rule three: The one-year rule. If you have not used something in over a year, let it go. Her reasoning is simple: if you made it through every season without it, you do not need it. She also calls out the excuses we tell ourselves, like setting something aside for a friend who might like it. “Listen, you’ll never do that,” she says.
Rule four: Every room needs boundaries. Each room should have its own purpose and its own rules. A home office should hold office things, and a mudroom should not become a catch-all for everyone’s belongings. She recalls a saying she cannot quite remember, along the lines of “don’t put it down, put it away,” and warns that without rules, piles start everywhere.
Rule five: Guilt is not a storage solution. This one is for people who hold onto everything sentimental. She says your brain tries to protect you by imagining that an aunt will one day come over and ask where her gift went. Her answer: “They’re not going to ask.” She is clear she is not telling anyone to get rid of everything. “You can keep things, but you don’t need to keep everything,” she says. Her trick is to give every person in the house a memory box. Whatever fits in the box can stay. If it does not fit, it goes.
Rule six: One in, one out. Her favorite rule. Bring in a new water bottle and an old one has to leave. She adds, with a laugh, that most people could stand to let five go for every one they bring in, since so many homes are overflowing with water bottles. The same goes for clothes. Bring home new shirts, and it is time to go through the closet.
She closed the video by inviting her followers to join a 30-day decluttering challenge she was running in September.
Why Decluttering First Saves You Money
Her second rule may be the most useful for anyone who has ever stood in the storage aisle with a full cart. Bins, baskets and drawer dividers can be helpful, but buying them first often means paying to store things you do not even want.
Once you declutter, you know exactly what is left and how much space it needs. You may find you need far fewer containers than you thought. Many people discover they already own plenty of baskets and boxes once the clutter is gone. Measure your shelves and drawers before buying anything, and shop with a list.
Putting These Rules to Work at Home
Her rules are especially helpful for people who have lived in the same home for decades, when a lifetime of belongings tends to settle into closets, garages and spare rooms. A few ways to put them into practice:
Start small. Try the heck yes rule on one drawer or one shelf before tackling a whole room. Quick wins build momentum.
Use a calendar for the one-year rule. If you are unsure about an item, put it in a box, write today’s date on it and store it out of sight. If you have not opened the box in a year, donate it without looking inside.
Choose a memory box you love. A sturdy, attractive bin or chest makes the limit feel like a treasure chest rather than a restriction. Label it with each person’s name.
Offer heirlooms to family now. If you are keeping items because you plan to pass them on, ask your children or grandchildren what they actually want. Many families find younger relatives prefer a few meaningful pieces over many. Giving them now lets you enjoy seeing them used.
Photograph before you part. Taking a picture of a sentimental item before donating it can preserve the memory without the storage.
Make one in, one out a shopping habit. Before buying something new, decide what it will replace. Keep a donation bag handy so the old item leaves the same day.
Her rules are blunt, but that is the point. Clear rules mean fewer agonizing decisions, and fewer decisions mean you actually get the job done before the next trip to buy bins.
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