The 3-Step Quick Declutter Process

Are you ready to start decluttering? Up to this point, I’ve been sharing simple steps and tips to prepare for a decluttering session. We’ve covered:

• the value of decluttering and why it’s an important part of self-care

• unexpected effects of decluttering and how to prepare for them

• why timing is important, selecting the best type of project, and how to schedule the best time to get started

• when not to start a decluttering project

If this is your first time here, I highly recommend reviewing these previous blogs before you jump right into the quick decluttering process I’ve laid out for you below. Each blog can be quickly read in just 3 minutes or less, and they will significantly help you get the most out of your decluttering session with the greatest of ease.

With that said, are you ready to get started?

The 3-Step Quick Declutter Process

1. Pull out all your items.

Yes, every last one of them. This will ensure nothing gets missed when it comes to making decisions about your items. It will also give you a clean, empty space for when you're ready to start putting things back in.

You’ll also be surprised at all the things you find in the nooks and crannies. When working with clients, I can’t tell you how many times we’ve found items they didn’t know they had (but could have used), prized belongings they thought were lost, and even cash/money—just by pulling things out…completely!

2. Sort your items into categories.

This allows you to see all similar items together. Later on, when it comes time to pare down, decision making will be much easier.

For example, if you were decluttering the clothes in your closet, you would make a pile for each one of these categories: short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, pants, shorts, dresses…and so on until all your clothes are cleared from the closet.

TIP: If the sight of all your category piles begins to get visually overwhelming, spread the piles out across the room—or even in different rooms, if necessary—so you don’t have to see everything all at once. Using folding tables works great to make extra room for your items.

3. Pare down one category at a time—keeping only what is needed, helpful, and loved.

Start the process of paring down with just one category. This allows you to focus on one small group of items at a time and not get overwhelmed with the project as a whole. Making decisions is easier in smaller batches.

With the closet example I mentioned above, you could start with just the pile of short sleeve shirts. Take a good look at what you have and consider whether each item is needed, helpful, or loved. Any item that doesn’t fall into one of these three categories is a prime candidate for donation or trash.

If making the decision about whether to keep or discard an item becomes challenging, try asking yourself these questions:

• Do I use this?

• If so, how often?

• Does it work well?

• Is there any reason I hesitate to use this item when I might need it?

• Do I have any other items that can serve the same purpose?

After you get the hang of decluttering, you may end up streamlining the quick declutter process even more by combining steps 1 and 2. As you scan items you own in a space and begin pulling them out, you may automatically be able to sort them into “like item” categories. This makes the process even quicker and helps bypass any additional visual overwhelm you would have experienced.

That wraps up this 5-blog series to get you started and guide you through a declutter project. I hope you've enjoyed it, and I’d love to know how your first project went with these tips! Please feel free to drop me a line at kerri@perfectpieceorganizing.com or tag me on Instagram @perfectpieceorganizing.