Are you naturally messy? Same. It’s still possible to have a tidy home. Here are my favorite messy people approved tips for decluttering your home!
Y’all…if my sweet friend and college roomie, Bre, knew that I was writing a blog post on decluttering your home and keeping a home in general, she would literally be rolling on the floor laughing! I am good at many things…great at a few even, but cleaning and maintaining order in my spaces is not something I am naturally good at. And that’s probably being generous!
I have come a long way y’all, but if you know me then you know that car is still a work in progress that might never happen. But in my home, we are on our way and I am really proud of what it has become! I made the most progress in my home when I finally realized, I HAD TOO MUCH CRAP! Yes, CRAP…junk, possessions, items, whatever we want to sugar coat it with, but just too much stuff period!
It seems like a very American problem and a vicious cycle that we fall into. I would go to work, work hard, and make money to spend on more of stuff I really did not need. More stuff became more to manage. Then I’d look for some organization solution to fix the “mess problem” when that was the problem. I was the problem. My spending was the problem. Stuff to “time to manage it” ratio was the problem. My consuming to try and manage my overconsumption was the problem. It makes me tired just thinking about it!
If you fall into this category along with me, don’t beat yourself up over it. You are being sold to 24/7. Naturally we are going to take the bait at some point. The good news is we can recognize this issue and address it!
After I finally came to the grand “too much stuff” epiphany was when I was finally able to do something about it. I listened to the books, tried a lot of things, and have become a much more ruthless declutterer in the process. Is our home perfect…goodness no! Are we minimalists…definitely not! But I can say that our home has undergone a huge transformation in the past few years in an effort to make our everyday routines easier, our home more functional, and our life simpler.
There are tons of tips and tricks out there and organizational products you can buy, but these tips and concepts are what I have found to make the most difference in our home. Decluttering your home can be a simple, everyday part of your life as well by implementing these tips and concepts!
There are no “things” recommended for purchase in this post, as that definitely goes against what we are trying to do here! But the books I mention are shared/linked with an Amazon Associate affiliate link where I can earn commissions from qualifying purchases. Read more here, if needed.
1. Small Steps Make Big Progress
In the book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo emphasizes the importance of an item sparking joy, which I love. I do recommend giving the book a read, or even better, a listen on audible while you are decluttering! There are several really good nuggets that will help you in maintaining your home and making it a place where you are surrounded by only the things that your really love, or help your home function better.
Marie also emphasizes that when you are decluttering a type or category of an item, such as clothing, you should pull it ALL out and go through it all at one time. This is great if you have time for a huge decluttering session. But if you don’t have the time and energy to make it all the way through the said pile, it will leave you with a big mess that will be looking you in the eye every day until you get it sorted back out and cleaned back up!
What has worked so much better for us is to take it slow and steady. This process of cleaning out and decluttering what you don’t need never really ends. As a society, we love a good before and after. But I can name at least 15 things I’d rather spend 8 hours on than cleaning out my closet or kitchen cabinets.
Start with a big declutter if you need to for an area or group of items, but taking it one drawer, or cabinet at a time over time really does work wonders. Slow and steady decluttering doesn’t completely wreck your home, gives you less decision fatigue, and gives you a small win each day or even every few days.
2. The Power of the 5 Minute Timer
I am somewhat of a recovering perfectionist if you can believe that. “But Britt, how were you ever a perfectionist if you had problems just keeping your house tidy?” you might ask. Well, here is the simple answer. Used to, if I could not do a job perfectly or make it a whole huge project to complete for that perfect before and after effect, I just wouldn’t even start. And knowing what a huge project something would be would keep me from even doing a tiny bit of it.
If you struggle with the same thought process or have motivational issues, just trick yourself. Let me show you how. “Ok, self. I only have to do this for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, I can quit even if the job isn’t fully done or perfect. Get up and get moving!” You can do anything for 5 minutes. And what usually happens for me personally is I just keep going! Once I am doing the thing and not overthinking the thing, I am motivated to just keep going and make more progress, even if I don’t get a space completely decluttered.
This 5 minute timer isn’t just for decluttering. For me, it is for anything that I don’t want to do. Don’t want to wash the dishes, set a 5 minute timer. You don’t want to pick up the living room for the 49th time this week? Just set that 5 minute timer.
The 5 minute timer has been a game changer for having my kids help as well. I don’t make my kids do a ton of chores yet, but I do want them to take care of picking up their rooms and clean up the mess they made in the living room. Before the 5 minute timer, it would be a whine fest. They would spend more time belly aching over the ask than even picking up. Now, they know that I am serious that they can quit after the 5 minutes is up. They also know that if they work hard for the 5 minutes, I am very likely to help them if it’s a big job. Less whining is a win for me and so is the 5 minute timer for decluttering your home!
3. Give Everything A Home
Floating caps and sunglasses…give them a home. Random papers and other obligatory keep items…give them a home. Decor you love but don’t know where to put it…find it a home, now! If it’s not worthy of a “home”, then it’s probably not worthy of staying in your home.
The throw blankets in your living room need a home. The charging cords and batteries need a home. It all needs to have a home and this may be the most important rule when decluttering your home. If it’s homeless, its cluttering up your counters and in the way. If it doesn’t have a home, how will you know where to find it if you do need it? That’s right…you probably won’t!
When finding a home for your items, first ask yourself, “Is this item worthy of a home?” If yes, then “why?” If you can’t answer the why, then you were probably just lying to yourself when you answered yes to the first question. Let it go! And while we are at it, let go of the “one day I might need or use it” response. If that was your why, go onto ask yourself “when is that one day?”
If you do need it and can answer why you need it, then start looking for that item a home! The best question to ask yourself then are “where do I use this item at?” and “where would I look for it if I needed it?” Finding everything a home will help you start fighting the cluttered counters ASAP.
4. The Container Concept
Moving right into the next most important tip, the container concept! I first heard of the container concept from Dana K White, author of Decluttering at the Speed of Life. She is the blogger and face behind A Slob Comes Clean blog and a great resource for decluttering and managing your home for people who aren’t naturally tidy…and that would be me! If I could recommend one “decluttering your home” type of book for us messies, it’s probably one of Dana’s books. Especially her books if you are at ground zero and just getting started on your decluttering your home journey and are in the naturally messy club.
One of my favorite things that she preaches is everything is a container. The shelf that holds your cookbooks…a container. Drawer that holds your t-shirts…a container. The living room that holds your furniture…a container! A container can only hold so much before it’s not functional anymore or overflowing. If you can’t fit it all in the container, then there’s too much stuff. And if you stuff that container to the brim, it won’t be functional, and you aren’t going to be able to find what you need.
Pare down your items until they fit into the designated container, then maybe pare them down even a little bit more so they are functional and easy to use. 75% max fullness limit is a great limit guide! That way if you do find something shiny and new that you do really love, you still have room to bring it into your home.
5. The One In, One Out Rule
So, you’re at the point where you are doing your small daily declutters, everything has a home, and fits in its designated “container”. Now how do we maintain our newly decluttered space with a game plan a tiny bit further than our 5 minute timer? This is where the “one in, one out” rule comes into play. It’s as self-explanatory as it sounds! If you bring something new into your home, get rid of something else.
Now if you bring in a book, don’t get rid of a shirt. Get rid of your like items that are located in that same “container” so you can keep it organized and functional. I live in a t-shirt and leggings since becoming a stay-at-home Mom and have worn some of them plum out! I just got 3 new t-shirts. Now for them to fit in my t-shirt drawer comfortably, I need to get rid of 3 old ones.
This rule really is that simple and will keep your spaces maintained for the long haul if you really stick with it!
Conclusion for Decluttering Your Home
That’s it, y’all! If you don’t know where to start in decluttering your home, start with simply implementing these 5 tips. It will make a big difference in the appearance of your home, but also in how you feel about your home and they way you care for it. At the end of the day, as homemakers, we really just want to be able to live our lives peacefully and have time to enjoy our family and do the things that we want to do! Decluttering your home is a huge step in that direction! A decluttered home is easier to clean, manage, and gives you back your precious time that you want to be giving to your family.
There are many more decluttering tips that I will be sharing in the future, if you’re interested. But let’s start with these baby steps and get moving!
Other Resources for Decluttering Your Home
When I say I have had to work really hard on this, I mean it! Here are some of my favorite resources for decluttering and minimizing that have really helped me along the way and kept me motivated to make our home a place we truly love to be and not just a landing spot that holds all of our junk!
Other Farmhouse 181 Blog Post Recommendations
- Kitchen Cleaner DIY All-Purpose (SIMPLE Make it for Pennies)
- Holiday Simmer Pot – Festive Fragrant Home the Easy Way
- Questions to Ask Yourself When Planning a Spring Garden
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