The hardest part of decluttering is often just getting started. You know the closets are full and the cabinets are crowded, but the thought of tackling it all makes you want to sit back down. @erin.makehomesimple has been there. She spent a year and a half decluttering her entire home, and she shares exactly how she got going on the days she did not feel like it.
Her video has no talking. Instead, the caption lays out her method step by step, under a simple promise: “How to start decluttering when you don’t feel like it.” She explains, “I spent the last year and a half decluttering my entire home, and this is exactly how I got started.”
@erin.makehomesimple
Her Simple Method
Step one: Do one quick sweep. Before anything else, go through the house once and get rid of whatever you do not have to think about. “Toss the trash, recycle papers, and remove the obvious clutter,” she writes. “Don’t overthink it.”
Step two: If it feels overwhelming, go by category instead of by room. Rather than facing a whole bedroom or garage, gather all of one type of item and go through it at once. Her examples include books, mugs, water bottles, blankets, plates, toys and pillows.
Step three: Move to the next category and repeat. She says this approach helps you make progress quickly and, just as important, “see how much you actually own.”
Step four: Get more detailed. Once you have made a noticeable dent in the clutter, she says it is time to become more intentional.
Step five: Then go room by room. At that point, she works through the house “drawer by drawer, cabinet by cabinet.”
Her final reminder is the one many people need to hear most: “Small steps add up. You don’t have to declutter your entire house in a weekend.”
Why Sorting by Category Works
Decluttering by category has a simple logic behind it. When mugs live in three different cabinets, a hutch and a box in the garage, you never see them all at once. You might keep twelve mugs in the kitchen without realizing there are twenty more stashed elsewhere.
When you pull every single mug onto the counter, the numbers become impossible to ignore. Choosing your favorites is easier when you can compare them side by side, and letting go of the chipped or never-used ones suddenly feels obvious.
It also takes away the overwhelm of a whole room. A guest room might hold blankets, books, holiday decorations, old paperwork and clothes. That is a lot of decisions in one space. A single category, like blankets, is something you can finish in an afternoon.
Making It Work in Your Home
Her method is a good fit for anyone who has a lot of years and a lot of belongings in one house. Here are some practical ways to apply it.
Start the sweep with three bags. Grab a trash bag, a recycling bag and a donation bag before you begin. Carry them through the house together so every item has an easy place to go. Old mail, expired coupons, dead batteries, broken items and junk mail are good first targets.
Be careful with papers. While recycling papers is part of the first sweep, anything with your Social Security number, bank account details, medical information or signatures should be shredded, not tossed in the recycling. Many communities and banks host free shredding events.
Choose an easy first category. Mugs, water bottles or pillows carry little emotion, which makes them a great warm-up. Leave photos, letters and family heirlooms for later, once you have built confidence.
Use a clear surface. A dining table or bed works well for laying out one category. Seeing everything spread out is half the power of this method.
Set a number. Decide how many of an item your household truly needs. For example, two blankets per bed plus a couple for the couch, or one mug per person plus a few for guests. Then keep your favorites up to that number.
Donate quickly. Load the donation bag into your car right away so it does not drift back into the house. Many thrift stores, churches and charities accept household goods, and some groups offer pickup for larger items.
Think about family first. For items like quality dishes, books or toys, ask children and grandchildren if they want anything before donating. It is easier than you think to make a grandchild’s day with a box of books.
Work in short bursts. If your energy or mobility is limited, there is no rule that says you need to spend all day at it. One category a day, or even one a week, still adds up, just as she says.
Ask for help with heavy lifting. If a category involves moving furniture, boxes in the attic or bins in the garage, invite a family member or hire a helper for those tasks. Your back will thank you.
Her year-and-a-half journey is a good reminder that decluttering is not a race. A cleaner, calmer home comes from one sweep, one category and one cabinet at a time. And on the days you do not feel like it, the first step is simply picking up the trash bag.
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