9 Popular Decluttering Tips That Don’t Work

I've recently been knee deep in creating the my absolute BEST course yet on decluttering.  It's the biggest and most effective course I've ever written on decluttering, so I've been thinking a LOT about decluttering lately!  And while I have some great tips that do work, I've also realized there's a lot of decluttering advice out there that just doesn't work!  Or at least, it doesn't work for me…if you want to know what tips just absolutely have not helped my clutter situation, keep reading, or check out the video here.

1. Tackling it All at Once vs. a Little at a Time

A lot of decluttering advice centers around doing it little by little, “just 15 minutes a day.”  This might work for some, but it just does not work for me!  But that's because I'm a sunflower, LOL– that's not the same thing as a “special snowflake.”  If you don't know what a sunflower is, check out my Decluttering Personality Quiz.  It will help you work with your personality type instead of against it when it comes to decluttering.

The most important part of decluttering is that it fits your personality style and fits within the constraints of your own life.  Sometimes even if we wanted to spend hours on a project, life just doesn't allow that time.  So we have to adapt.  But if you have the luxury to choose, then think about which method best suits your personality because it will be even easier for you.d

Some people, like myself, get energized by quickly completing a project.  I'd rather go “all in” for half a day and actually finish a room or a project than do it in a few minutes a day over the course of six months.  I want to make major progress so I feel like I'm accomplishing things, and even if I tried to do just a few minutes a day, I would get sucked in and spend two hours decluttering before I realized time had passed.

However, you could be completely opposite.  Some people are nervous about tackling a new project, and get easily overwhelmed.  For these people, the gentler “few minutes a day” approach is much better.  The best advice is to “know thyself.”

2.  Wardrobe Plans

There are lots of plans designed to help you reduce your wardrobe– Project 33, capsule wardrobes, 10 item plans, etc.  I've noticed that setting rigid rules for my wardrobe doesn't work well for me.   I'm not someone whose body stays consistent.  My weight fluctuates, and my shape has changed with pregnancies and illness.  My tastes in clothing have also changed.

I used to want to wear neutral colors to blend as much as possible into the background because I didn't want to be noticed AT ALL.  Now that I've grown and matured and gained more confidence, I've been drawn to lots of color, especially hot pink!  I like that I'm no longer trying to dress as boring as possible.  It's a positive cycle for me with body image and self confidence.

So I want to allow myself room to experiment and try new styles.  If I had set rules of items, etc., I just don't think I'd let myself buy things that I wasn't quite sure about.  If that had been the case, I wouldn't have some of my favorite clothes, and I wouldn't be on my way to developing an actual style instead of trying to blend in.

I will say the one rule I have for myself is that if I don't wear it and love it, I don't keep it!  Sometimes you have to try things to know if you'll like them, but if I don't, then out it goes.  Being able to pull a clothing item off the shelf at any time and wear it is essential to me.  I do still keep (very few) clothes that don't quite fit since my weight fluctuates, but I don't keep them in my closet.

I did a much more in depth video on how I deal with my wardrobe.  If you want more info, check that out here!

3.  Having a “Maybe” Bin

I understand why this concept is so appealing.  But my advice is to put as little as possible into a maybe bin.  Chances are, if you have a maybe bin, you will greatly overuse it.  It's so much easier to stick something in a maybe pile rather than decide to get rid of it.  The problem is that pile ends up HUGE, and then it never really gets dealt with or leaves your house.

The maybe bin should be a last resort for something that you just absolutely cannot decide on.  One time I do use this is when I'm decluttering for my kids.  It's harder for them to make decisions, but we can't just not declutter at all, or their stuff would get totally out of control!  So we'll use the maybe box, and if they haven't pulled something out within six months, then I donate it.  Most of the time they forget all about what's in there.  It's a gentler way to help them declutter.

4.  Becoming as Minimalist as Possible

Minimalism is definitely trending right now.  But I find that for me, it actually induces stress rather than reduces it!  For example, if I only had seven days worth of clothes for my kids, I would be super stressed about what happens if we're sick or traveling or “life” just happens, and I can't do laundry for a week.  Would we literally go naked?!?  I can't deal with the stress.  So having 2-3 weeks worth of clothes actually helps my stress level, even though I typically am able to do laundry at least once a week.

Here's the thing:  it's NOT a competition.  It can feel like that if you're consuming a ton of minimalism content.  How little can I get by with?  But we each have our own unique threshold for how much clutter or “stuff” makes us happy.  The goal should be whatever makes you happiest and is best for YOUR life.

I have some crafting hobbies that require supplies.  I live in a part of the world where it gets pretty cold in the winter, so I need some indoor hobbies to enrich my life.  The ones that appeal to me involve supplies, and I'm totally okay with that, as long as I'm actually using them.

5.  Going Completely Digital and Paperless

Although I'm a big fan of being paperless, there really is a middle ground!  Some things I'm happpy to have digitally– bills, for example.  I do not need paper bills!  If I ever need to look something up, it's a lot easier to search on my computer.  However, I've found that I MUCH prefer cooking from paper recipes instead of looking on my phone or tablet.  So I'm figuring out a way to physically store recipes.

If you want to know more about how to go (mostly) paperless, I explain in great detail in my digital course here.  It will teach you how to find that perfect middle ground for YOUR life!

6.  Declutter Your Entire Home in a Weekend!

Sound too good to be true?  That's because it is.  You can make significant progress in a weekend or get off to a great start.  But unless you've already been pretty good at decluttering or have an incredibly small house (studio apartment maybe??), you can't really declutter your whole house in that short time.

That's okay, though– it's really not supposed to be finished in a weekend!  Decluttering is more of a habit or mindset than it is a one-time project.  You can complete a project, but unless you continue decluttering or being very mindful of what comes into your home, you'll just end up with clutter again.  This is a lifetime ongoing process, so it's okay if you don't “finish” it in a weekend!

My newest course, Declutter U, is the most in depth, best course I've ever written on the topic of decluttering.  It will teach you exactly how to declutter, and best of all– maintain that decluttered space so you never go back!

7.  Declutter When You're Feeling Motivated

We all want to have motivation.  It makes “doing the thing” soooo much easier.  But if we have to wait to be motivated to do something, it might never happen.  Often, motivation comes after we start.  Sometimes I don't want to declutter at all, but if I just make myself start, then I get really into the project and want to continue.

Occasionally you just have to white-knuckle it for a little while until that motivation and sense of accomplishment comes along and makes things easier.  The course I wrote does have strategies for staying motivated, and it helps celebrate accomplishments with prizes, LOL!  It can really help to declutter along with friends or even online friends who are doing the same challenges you are.

It's also a good idea to take Before/After pictures so you can really see your accomplishments!  A job well done and seeing progress can give you exactly the motivation you need to keep going.

8.  Get Rid of Duplicates

Often this is given as advice for an easy place to start.  It seems simple– getting rid of something extra that you already have.  But sometimes we really need multiples!

I keep several phone chargers, for example.  I have one by my bed, in the kitchen, by my desk, etc.  My house is two stories.  If I'm at my desk, I really don't want to have to run back upstairs if I forgot my charger.  I want to just have one handy wherever I am.

I also keep duplicates of toiletries for travel.  These are packed at all times so I can just grab and go.  It saves so much time, and it reduces the risk that I'll forget something.  I KNOW that would happen if I had to pack from scratch every time!

9.  Sell Everything you Declutter

Selling some stuff is a good idea, but if you decide to sell everything, you can end up with boxes and boxes of stuff to sell.  Sometimes an item isn't worth anything!  Selling takes a TON of time and work.  If you sell online, you have to photograph the item, write a description, answer buyer questions, pack and ship the item, etc.  If you have a yard sale, well, we all know how much work those are!  Think about the time vs. the money earned– is it worth it?

If you do decide to sell something, put it on the calendar.  Make an actual date/deadline when you'll sell the item, or it just won't happen.

If some of these tips have worked for you, then I'm so happy for that!  With decluttering advice, we always need to just take what works for us and then ignore the rest!  If you want my BEST decluttering advice and tips, then you should check out the newest, most comprehensive course I've ever done on the subject.  My new e-course, Declutter University, has so much more info than I could write here, and I know it will help you in your decluttering journey.  Check it out here!

Organization that actually sticks for busy, happy lives.