“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris
I have lived most of my life in a cluttered home. Closets were full, drawers wouldn’t shut, things weren’t put away, and unfinished projects could be found in most rooms. That was, unless somebody was coming over. Then, the entire family would pitch in to make sure the house was presentable.
Looking back, the problem with clutter wasn’t that we didn’t notice or care. Instead, the problem was we could never get ahead of the mess or ever seem to develop a system that would keep our home clutter-free.
But that is no longer the case. Today, almost every room in our home rests in a state of order – free from the life-robbing presence of physical clutter. Over the past several years, we have found a system that works very well for our family of four. And I am perfectly confident you can do the same… no matter how far away from clutter-free your home may seem.
Consider implementing the four steps found in this Simple Guide to Keeping Your Home Clutter-Free:
1) Believe it is possible. Most of us know it is entirely possible to live in a clutter-free environment. I imagine that is what attracts you to this guide. You are just looking for some extra help to get there.
But some of you are not so sure. Your house has been cluttered for so long, you have given up all hope of ever living any other way. For you, the first step to decluttering your home is to take heart and believe it is entirely possible. Realize that you will never get there if do not resolve in your mind that you can accomplish it. So find some hope and take one small step. Then, take another… and another… and another…
2) Remove the excess. Our homes are full of things. Clutter begins to appear most prominently when we own too much stuff. Conversely, the fewer items we own, the easier it is to keep clutter at a minimum. The first (and most important) step in keeping your home clutter-free is to remove the excessive possessions that are stealing our lives, time, and energy.
In your process of removing the excess, it can be helpful to find a working definition of clutter to aid you in this step. Early in our journey, we began to define clutter as a) too much stuff in too small a space; b) anything that we no longer used or loved; or c) anything that led to a feeling of disorganization. With that as our guiding filter, we slowly moved from room to room, removing everything that fit the definition above.
In some cases, this step is easy:
- Junk drawers full of unneeded items (rubber bands, old batteries, or old keys).
- Closets full of clothes you no longer wear.
- Decorations that are no longer meaningful and/or outdated.
In other cases, this step will take more time and intentionality:
- Large projects such as the garage, basement, or attic.
- Sentimental items that have collected over the years.
- Books.
- Other family members’ clutter that have begun invading common spaces.
The most important key in completing this step is to start with the small and easy projects first. Begin there. As you do, you’ll build up small victories. Then, after the small victories have been won, you’ll find extra motivation to begin tackling the harder cases of clutter in your minimalist home.
If you still do not feel fully capable on removing the excess possessions from your home, find encouragement in an intermediate step. For example, put the items you can’t quite part with in a cardboard box out of sight with a date on it. Getting rid of unnecessary possessions is essential, but it doesn’t have to be a race.
3) Implement habits to manage your clutter. For most of my life, I thought the key to maintaining clutter was found here. Just organize, clean, and organize again. But I was wrong. Because I had not taken the time to remove the excess in full (or in part), I could never get ahead of the clutter in my home. There were just too many things in too small a space – no matter what system we tried to implement. As a result, healthy clutter-clearing habits never had opportunity to emerge.
So do not skip the removal step, it is absolutely important. And the more energy you put in removing the excess, the easier it will be to find and develop habits to better manage the things you keep.
Once you have cleared the excess, you will be able to better discover which habits keep your living space free of clutter. And once you experience the freedom and stress-free life of living clutter-free, you will find these habits easier to embrace.
Some of these habits will recur daily:
- Cleaning the kitchen after each meal.
- Placing daily-use items (clothes, books, toys) back in their designated homes.
- Fully-completing projects around the house.
- Developing an evening routine.
Some of these habits will center on specific locations that serve as clutter collection sites in your home. For us, our kitchen counter typically collects items (mail, schoolwork) during the day, our living room sees a highly-volume of traffic each day, and one of the bedrooms in our home finds itself a bit messier than the others. Each of these specific locations requires extra effort and energy than the others.
Some of these habits will center of seasonal needs:
- The changing of the seasons.
- The need to remove excessive possessions after holidays and/or birthdays.
- Significant life changes (birth of a child, new employment) will also require refocusing and adjustment.
Over the years, we have found clutter attracts clutter. Once it begins to collect, it requires intentional action to clear it away. Develop for your family healthy habits today to manage the daily use of the things in your home. Once identified, you’ll find them much easier to implement.
4) Slow the accumulation of possessions. To live is to consume. It cannot be avoided – especially in our society and culture. But if the influx of possessions into our homes can be slowed, clutter can be managed efficiently.
To slow the accumulation of things in our homes, we need to change our mindset and begin evaluating our purchases differently. Realize that your purchases cost far more than the price on the sticker. Each one will also require time, energy, and effort once they enter your home. Before making a purchase, begin asking yourself these questions:
- Is this item really needed?
- Do I have a place to store this when I get it home?
- How much extra work will this possession add to my life?
- Am I buying it for the right reasons?
This thought-process isn’t designed to keep you from making purchases ever again – at least, it’s not supposed to. Again, to live is to consume. But these questions are designed to bring intentionality into your life. They raise in your mind the awareness that some purchases take more from our life than they offer. They help you know the difference. And slow the accumulation of clutter-causing items into your home and life.
Again, it is completely and entirely possible to live in a clutter-free home. With this simple guide, you’ll be well on your way. From somebody who has lived both, I can quickly attest that once you begin to enjoy the physical and mental freedom that accompanies clutter-free living, you’ll make extra effort to ensure your home does not slip back into the home it used to be.
If you’d like to know more about the most important principles we learned during our journey into living with less, you’ll find great value in our book, Simplify: 7 Guiding Principles to Help Anyone Declutter Their Home and Life.
Juli says
Great article! My husband and myself retired a year ago and have spent the year getting our home ready to sell. We have de cluttered and simplified. We are moving to a small home and plan on spending our time with experiences and not with so much stuff. Our new motto is “less is more” . You article is spot on.
Diana Pacheco says
All of your articles are really helpful and empowering. Thank you Joshua!
Gwen says
I’ve read Marie Kondo’s great book on decluttering, and did the home, except for all of the collections my husband (the pack rat) has collected over decades. (I honored him by leaving those alone. So far.) Boxes and boxes of comic books, record LP’s, old books, trading cards (boys and their toys)….to his credit he has them stored in appropriate-to-the-collection boxes, but the 2 spare bedroom closets are filled with them, and the top shelves in each are bowing. I have tried to honor his ‘hobbies’ (that he never pulls out and uses or even looks at), but it’s starting to bug. Any hints?
Moya says
Yes Gwen . Take all your husbands boxes outside to garden on a sunny day, on the pretext of airing them . Then ask him if there is any of it he still wants to be patr of his life . He may surprise you and ditch it all .
Marta from Chicago says
Convince him to sell it on ebay. Money would go towards finally taking that trip he has always wanted, or other memorable family event to happen.
jo says
Hubby would hang on to magazines, some to do with his line of work. I’d pack them in a box and place them under the basement stairs. If he didn’t ask where they were, over the next few months, they went out to the dumpster on pickup day. He never seemed to miss them yet if I asked if either he or I could toss a few – heaven’s no!
Angela @ Setting My Intention says
I’ve been blogging about our process to having a clutter free home – designating clutter free spaces has helped me and my family get a taste of the benefits of living clutter free. Not there yet, but slowly making progress!
Nate Billimack says
These habits have been so effective. I spent so little time cleaning and decluttering because it is second nature. I am able to have guests at the drop of the hat, exercising my gift of hospitality. I have so much extra time for fun and family now, and truly feel freer. Thank you for your inspiration, Josh.
Marta from Chicago says
Same here. Cleaning used to be a burden. Now it is a breeze. I have to admit, I have only one room that’s a hot mess.
The Virginian says
Keep stove-table-TV-Computer and Bed. what you wear though the week. Take everything else to goodwill are where ever. Like my mother used to tell me if you don’t use it every few days its just collecting dusk. And she was right.
Joanne says
Pretend that your house is on the market and you may have a showing any minute now. Clean and tidy with no clutter, plus organized closets will become a lifestyle.
Marta from Chicago says
This helps me when I feel lazy, except I imagine my mother coming over and I’m using my home as a model for her to stop having a cluttered house.
Paula Strathem says
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be an epic event. I tackle spring cleaning the same way I often approach my workouts: 10 minutes at a time! Commit to one task for 10 minutes, and if you feel like continuing on – go for it! If not, at least you started the process. Longlands Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
Marta from Chicago says
Your advice help me not quit—thanks!
Sonya Shannon says
The suggestions you make are so helpful! Thank you.
I have also been working on how to clear up clutter in life… I created an artwork about it to help inspire people. Please check it out: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/131303222/the-narrow-gate-poster
Some people have told me that just looking at this painting inspired them to go home and clear out their clutter. I hope it helps you too!
AC Johnson says
Your articles have been so inspiring. I was already in a slow journey to simplifying my life. However, since around October 2014, I have actively shed my home starting with shoes, clothing, moved to the kitchen, bedroom junk and moved back to getting rid of more clothing. This was a very freeing activity. It made me think clearer and be more intentional about my purchases. I still have a lot to do as a recovering pack rat but I will get there with your help. Thank you very much!
Marta from Chicago says
I applaud you.