If tidying to you means moving an item from the kitchen table to the top of a bed in your spare room, it might be time to give those items a proper home. It’s an easy habit to fall into, especially when you’re short on time and suffering from decluttering fatigue.
There’s nothing like moving your clutter and promising yourself you’ll deal with it later, when deep down, you know it will still be there next year!
What you need is a simple organizing method that helps you decide what to keep within reach, what to put away and what to let go. Storage expert Max Wilson, CEO and co-founder of Pocket Storage, champions the ‘3-homes decluttering rule’ that he shared with Tom’s Guide.
How the '3-homes rule' works
The concept is based on a simple three-prong approach. Every item gets an everyday home, a seasonal home or an exit home. And it recognizes that you don’t have to throw everything away to reclaim space. It’s about learning that your seasonal camping gear shouldn’t be stored in a cupboard with the everyday items you need within easy reach.
1. Everyday home
Work bags, toiletries, phone chargers and clothes on rotation that aren’t ready for the wash are all everyday items that need to have a space and be accessible.
But before buying storage containers or reorganizing your cupboards, Wilson recommends paying attention to where your belongings naturally accumulate. “If everyone drops their bags beside the door, that’s probably where the bags need to live. Giving them a home upstairs might look tidier in theory, but it asks everyone to make a special trip every time they come in.”
He adds that putting items away should be just as easy as getting them out.
Something you use most mornings shouldn’t require a small excavation
Max Wilson, Pocket Storage
“If putting the hairdryer away means taking out a basket, lifting a lid and untangling three other cables, don’t be surprised when it stays on the dressing table. Something you use most mornings shouldn’t require a small excavation.”
I agree completely with Wilson. Spending five minutes untangling a hair dryer in the morning isn’t a good use of your time — it’s clear there needs to be a trade-off between a tidy home and unnecessary hassle.
Decide what you need and what can go
Storage for everyday home items also has its limits. A drawer that you can’t shut or a shelf that’s spilling over becomes difficult to use. Once this happens, those everyday items get placed elsewhere.
"You can have a drawer full of useful things and still have a drawer that doesn’t work. If you use the same two wooden spoons while another eight won’t close, the answer probably isn’t a bigger organizer. Keep the ones you reach for in the best space and decide whether you need the rest,” advises Wilson.
What I did
I always forgot where I’d put my keys and glasses, and everything got jumbled with other discarded items. So I’ve added a handy tray in my kitchen, and they now have a dedicated home.
2. Seasonal home
Winter coats, holiday decorations, garden furniture and camping gear are all items that come under seasonal home. You don’t want to throw them out, but you don’t need to access them every day. Instead of being within easy reach, these items can be stored in cupboards, garages and outhouses, as long as they are easy to find and clearly labeled.
“There’s no prize for getting rid of your camping equipment in October if you’ll have to buy it again in June,” says Max. “But it doesn’t need to occupy the cupboard you open every morning. Keeping something and keeping it within arm’s reach are two different decisions.”
Organize your items into groups
To keep your seasonal items organized, he suggests grouping belongings around the occasion they are needed for. That means keeping your camping gear in one location, rather than your tent in your garage and your sleeping bags on top of your wardrobe.
What’s more, before putting away seasonal items, Wilson suggests checking that they are clean, dry and in good condition, and labeling containers where appropriate. He also advises choosing suitable storage, as damp or exposed spaces may be unsuitable for clothing, soft furnishings and equipment.
What I did
I store all my out-of-season clothing and duvets in my ottoman bed because it provides a clean, dry space. Then, my holiday decorations are stored in my attic; it’s a less accessible space, but since I rarely need them, it’s the perfect spot.
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3. Exit home
We’ve all got bags of clothes ready to donate, sell or recycle, plus other household items we no longer use. But when these bags and boxes scatter around our homes, they can create unnecessary clutter.
“Most of us recognize the charity shop bag that’s been sitting by the door so long it’s practically part of the furniture. Deciding to donate something is a start, but it hasn’t freed up any space until it leaves,” explains Wilson
Make a plan
To ensure they get shifted and don’t become permanent furniture, Wilson recommends choosing a destination for your donations and planning a drop-off time. For items being sold, he suggests setting a realistic deadline to photograph and list them.
“Be honest about the effort you’re willing to put into selling. If something needs cleaning, photographing, listing and several messages with buyers, are you actually going to do it?”
Deciding to donate something is a start, but it hasn’t freed up any space until it leaves
Max Wilson, Pocket Storage
Wilson recommends trying the rule on one recurring trouble spot, such as a hallway chair or overcrowded cupboard, and being honest about what deserves space. “Keeping an expensive mistake in a cupboard won’t get your money back,” he says, but conversely he adds, “A meaningful keepsake may absolutely deserve that space, even if you rarely take it out — just give it a proper, protective home.”
Whatever you do, start small, and don’t overwhelm yourself by tackling everything at once. Wilson suggests starting with the pile that annoys you every day, rather than emptying out a cupboard. “Once you’ve sorted it, can you find what you need and put it back easily? That’s the test. The system should make your day easier, not become another job,” he concludes.
What I did
I recently cleared out summer clothes I no longer needed and was ruthless about what went and what stayed: if I hadn’t worn an item all season, it was out. But even after making those tough decisions, the bags sat in my hallway for weeks. So instead of leaving them there until I passed my donation center, I set a firm date to drop them off.
So now you know how to apply the ‘3-homes rule’ technique; you can decide where to put that coat that’s permanently on a chair, the seasonal lights in your kitchen cupboard, and the bag of clothes that’s been stuck on your bedroom floor for weeks.