How To Declutter Without Making A Bigger Mess
Are you thinking about decluttering your home, but don’t like the idea of creating a bigger mess in the process? Does the thought of “removing EVERYTHING first before starting” demotivate you?
If so, you are in the right place.
This article has all the tips about how to declutter without making a bigger mess.
Whether you’re new to decluttering or have tried before and given up halfway, these tips will make the process smoother and more manageable.
Let’s begin!
Why Don’t You Like Emptying Stuff from Storage?
I am not a fan of “dumping everything out of its storing place, then start decluttering”. I list my reasons below. Read on and see if you resonate:
You become overwhelmed when you see so much stuff
If you are a highly sensitive person like me, you’ll understand this overwhelming feeling.
When your stuff is still trucked away in storage, you are prepared to take on the challenge. However, once you’ve empties shelves, drawers, or closets, seeing how much stuff you have right in front of you just makes you overwhelmed.
You have a tendency to give up halfway
The thought of tackling such a massive task without getting bored, dealing with decision fatigue, and maintaining interest seems daunting.
If you quit halfway, what’s the plan for all the unsorted stuff you’ve pulled out? It’s bound to be a headache!
You Only have little time to commit
Wanting to declutter is great, but finding time for a big project can be tough.
Whether you’re taking care of a little one or just can’t set aside a chunk of time, when you leave, there’s a pile of unsorted stuff waiting for you until your next free moment.
And if the next free moment does come, you’ll have to live with the mess for quite a while.
How to declutter your home without making a bigger mess
Here are some methods to declutter that do not involve emptying everything out of their storage. I hope you can find ways that best suit your needs so that you can declutter your home successfully.
1. take advantage of your laundry day
Laundry day is an excellent time to declutter your clothes. With your closet at its least full, going through clothes that reman in the closet becomes more manageable.
While your laundry is in the washer/dryer, take a look at your closet for clothes in the current season that haven’t been worn. Get rid of obvious trash (such as damaged or broken), and let go of items that don’t fit, and you no longer love.
There is no need to complete the task in one go. You can continue and pick up where you left off the next time laundry day rolls around.
2. Declutter your pantry and fridge before grocery shopping
Just like decluttering clothes on laundry day, before you head to the grocery store, check what’s left in the pantry and fridge. Clear out anything expired or unwanted.
3. Declutter for Only 10 Minutes a Day
Even though 10 minutes doesn’t seem like you can do much, you can still make progress by having a plan and staying focus.
Set a timer, focus on one area, and work quickly. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish in a short time.
In order to be efficient, it is also very important to pick the right time of the day. Do you want to spend the 10 minutes before you get ready for bed? After you come back from work? Or after dinner? Pick the time that you have the most energy, so you can get the most done.
Once you incorporate the 10 minute into your daily routine, you will quickly develop the decluttering habit. Over time, this habit will significantly benefit you by maintaining a clutter-free home.
4. Declutter N items a day
Similar to decluttering 10 minutes a day, you can get rid of one (or a certain number) of item(s) a day. Even though this might sound like a project that will never end, it has some amazing benefits for the long run.
After moving to our brand-new house in the US, I wanted to establish a good habit to keep a clutter-free home, so I challenged myself to declutter one item daily for 3 months. To make the process more meaningful, I saved a photo of each decluttered item and made notes on why it was decluttered in an app.
Documenting my decluttering journey helped me understand myself better. For instance, I discovered that I often compromised and settled for things I didn’t truly love, thinking I could use them until I found something better. This was definitely an area I needed to work on to avoid “future clutter” from coming to my home.
Other more obvious benefits include becoming more aware of stuff around you, and establishing a good habit to declutter.
Give this fun challenge a try!
5. Declutter and Organize at Once
I learned this trick from Dana K. White’s book Decluttering at the Speed of Life.
Without emptying any storage place, you take out items one by one. When you take out an item, ask yourself if this is clutter. If yes, put it in the trash (or donation box). If it’s not clutter, ask yourself the second question: where would I store it? Then promptly bring it to its proper storage location.
Even though you’re moving in and out of the decluttering zone and all over the place, it’s actually quite efficient. It feels great to get everything back in its proper place as you go, and it keeps things organized.
This method also lets you pause your decluttering whenever you need to work on something else or head out for an appointment. The next time you’re ready to declutter, just pick up where you left off. It’s a simple way to continue declutter at your own pace.
6. Declutter by category
If you’re comfortable pulling out a few items, let’s try decluttering by categories.
Take jeans, for instance. Set aside some time to sort through all your jeans at once. Once done, neatly put them back in their place, and you’re good to go.
The key is to complete the decluttering session and finish one single category before you get bored, need to go, or are tempted to give up, so you don’t leave a half-finished mess. You can also make decluttering more enjoyable by listening to your favorite music or podcast.
7. Make sure clutter leaves your home Promptly
ThOnce your “Donate” box is full, don’t let it sit around. Take it to a donation center or schedule a pickup. The same goes for trash—dispose of it promptly.
As for selling your items through yard sales or online. Often, the items you want to sell end up staying longer in your home than you expect. It’s important to think about whether selling them is worth the effort and time.
Conclusion
Decluttering your home doesn’t have to be a daunting task that leaves your space in a mess. Remember, you don’t need to declutter your entire house in one go, there are ways to declutter without worrying you will be making a mess.
To recap, these are ways to declutter without having to empty your storage spaces:
- Take advantage of your laundry day
- Declutter your pantry and fridge before grocery shopping
- Declutter for only 10 minutes a day
- Declutter N items a day
- Declutter by category
- Make sure clutter leaves your home promptly
Which one is your favorite that you are most likely to try?
Remember that decluttering is a journey, and each small step brings you closer to a clutter-free home. I hope this article is helpful!
