“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.
Kelly says
My challenge with acquiring new items comes more from receiving gifts than buying things for myself. Even when I request no gifts, or very specific gifts, I usually receive things that are nice, but not quite right for my lifestyle. I am blessed to have so many generous people in my life, but I see the evidence of their well-meaning missteps piling up in the basement. The intentions of my loved ones are beautiful, and I’m lucky enough to be buried under their sentiments.
K Coleman says
My late grandparent requested no gifts on a 90th birthday. A friend insisted on giving a costly Tiffany lamp. Soon another friend complimented the lamp. “You really like it? Please take it.” The lamp was moved to someone who wanted another piece to dust and treasure. The giver was disturbed at first, yet the meaning of NO GIFT was driven home. Ten years later no one brought gifts to the 100 year celebration.
Know that re-gifting is a fine alternative to owning more things you do not want or need.
S P says
I am on a NO gift ( to me) policy. I tell everyone, ” if you want to give me a gift, create memories with me. Anything material thing brought to me will find its way to charity withing a week” I also tell everyone that I am a minimalist and do not need anything. I followed my “threat” a couple of times and now everyone believes me. No gifts for Mother’s Day or Bdays. Love it!!
SueSue2020 says
Money is always useful such as $60 for a 60th birthday! Or have someone take videos of family members/pets. Believe me, once you have lost someone your eyes and ears are starved for the sight and sound of the beloved. I was never a photo person but when I lost my husband I was starved to find any photos of him anywhere and deeply appreciated any sent to me by friends and family members.
Lauren Neuner says
Very very good articles. Ramps up our creativity like how items in our home can do many functions. We had ,for example, six colanders-WTH? Good insights!
sheena says
Thanks for the tips
sheena says
Thanks for this tips!
Jonathan says
Good read. Finished reading “essentialism” a few weeks ago, and he really stressed the importance of a morning and evening routine in helping to make sure the “essentials” are front and center in our lives. I love the idea of incorporating a little bit of cleaning into those routines.
Jonathan
http://ramconstructiongroup.com/
Don Griffin says
The feeling that you’re not alone in this is a breath of fresh air. My wife’s patience can be tested at time, however we see the results. Our children struggle with this, but reading and explaining the reasons why help them. Life is already complicated, so why the need for unwanted stress. Thanks to Joshua and his books.
jaliyah says
I love to have home to clean and homely. My kids don’t understand that yet but when they are older they will understand. My husband didn’t understand that untill I sent this link to him. Then he finally understood the importance of having a nice and clean home.
ren says
Since coming back from vacation on Lake Michigan I am obsessed with moving there when bf retires. so five years would be earliest and that’s when youngest graduates. SO only way we can afford lake side home is to DOWNSIZE. I’m ready to let go of major space wasters. As I am organizing, I’m thinking would I take this with me? I want to have this house ready for sale in four years. IM OBSESSED with this right now. but still decorating to the hilt outside for seasons.
Judy says
Where on Lake Michigan? I love Lake Michigan too. Very, very much.
Mike says
When I go to my timeshare or elsewhere on vacation, I feel relieved. I easily manage with a carry on bag and a very small backpack with some electronics. It’s very satisfying.
My spouse on the other hand spends almost every day shopping, picking up some more clothing and shoes plus jewelry. So much that we use to buy a suitcase to bring the stuff back home. While we don’t buy a suitcase anymore, the little bit of room I had in my carry on gets filled with her stuff. I buy nothing on vacation and unfortunately will never get her to feel the same way. I am doomed.
SueSue2020 says
Stop letting her use your carry on. If she wants all the stuff let HER haul it around! You are empowering her bad behavior. As long as you let her use you, she will never realize the weight of all the junk she gets. I once traveled light and it was so freeing that I’ve become a believer. Can’t she find better things to do on vacation than shop? And before she purchases anything, ask her, “Where are you going to put this when you get it home?”
Judy says
I went to a local hobby store last night to pick up some paint that we needed for a project. The store was filled with beautiful and unique art objects. I was very tempted to get a couple of things…but resisted, in knowing that I already have too much. It was very liberating to come home with just the paint. I can see how the average person gets wrapped up in consumerism. I have worked hard to have the right mindset towards minimalism. —With the holidays soon approaching, I am ecstatic not to be a part of the frenzy.
Sara says
I have a question about managing all the papers and mail that we get on a regular basis. Secondly, I hardly have any closet space to store any of kids karate gear, shoes, etc. Thirdly, the kitchen also have very little storage space, and the school snacks that I get from Costco as kept in a corner in one of the rooms. Please let me know if there is a better way in organizing all of these?
Marta from Chicago says
Make a menu for the week where leftover dinners can rollover into the next meal. This way you can reduce how much food you are buying. For example, I make baked chicken to last me the week, but side dishes vary. The chicken is so delicious the family doesn’t mind eating it every day for a week. Less to wash and less food wasted.
Marta from Chicago says
Paper coming in the mail I think is the easiest problem you have. Keep the bills. All else seems like advertising stuff. So, if you have everything you already need then throwing out advertising should be easy to let go of. Remember, should you need something in the future, you already know the stores you like to shop at anyway to get those things.
Marta from Chicago says
When it comes to snacksing at home, try to elimate chips. Substitute bananas, nuts, and homemade shakes. You’ll save space and $$$$$.
Judy says
Hi Marta! I am from the Chicago area too! :)
jo says
If you can, build shelves (front to back) in the closets. Even narrow shelves will store a lot of stuff.