Decluttering your home is an immense project. There are things that need sorting in every room, cluttering the surfaces as well as hiding in the drawers. You could spend endless weekends trying to make your way through the to-do list, only to feel defeated by the slow progress.
Professional organisers can help where you feel overwhelmed. But how do they know where to start? We spoke to four pros to find out what they toss first when they enter a messy home. So you know where best to begin for yourself.
Shoes by the door
‘Shoes often pile up by the front door even when there is a perfectly good shoe rack inside a cupboard,’ says Amy Bergman, chief organising officer at Amyzing Spaces. ‘Rather than fighting this habit, I recommend observing where family members naturally take off and put on their shoes, then providing adequate storage in those locations. That might mean having shoe storage near more than one entrance or in multiple areas of the home.
‘Start by removing shoes that are worn out, uncomfortable, or no longer used. Wearable shoes in good condition can be donated. Then provide accessible storage, such as a rack, cubby, or basket, that accommodates the shoes the family actually wears.’
There should be a dedicated spot for every pair of shoes in your hallway – this encourages you to replace them when you take them off. Only those you wear frequently should have a spot saved by the front door.
To declutter your shoes easily, you can try the upside down decluttering method, but turn shoes back to front as they’re worn instead. Any that haven’t been worn by the end of the week (that are still facing the right way around) can be donated or moved to long-term storage.
Empty packaging
A lot of packaging gets abandoned by the front door, or stacked in our storage cupboard, just in case we need it later.
‘The key to preventing this stuff from accumulating again is making it easy to get rid of in the first place,’ advises Carrie Wallick, professional organiser at Carrie on Organizing. ‘If empty packaging or shopping bags always pile up near your front door, for example, maybe you need a recycling bin closer to where you unpack things.
‘I also encourage clients to be realistic about what they’ll actually reuse. Cardboard boxes and packing materials can certainly be useful, but you probably don’t need to save every shipping box that comes through your front door. Keep a few if you regularly ship things and recycle the rest.’
For those boxes you decide to keep, it’s always worth breaking them down so they take up minimal room while not in use. A favourite GH way to reuse cardboard packaging is to cut it up to create makeshift drawer dividers.
Duplicates
‘Clients tend to have many duplicates, particularly in kitchens and bathrooms,’ says Audra George, owner and professional organiser at Pretty Neat. ‘Choose the best two or so and stop storing so many extra products that eat up your space. Be mindful when buying products and ask: Do I need this? Do I have space for this? Is this better than what I already have?’
Many of your duplicates will be spread around the home. It’s worth grouping them while you sort through to see how many extras you have – looking at the excess makes it easier to let them go. Items we often have duplicates of include: water bottles, mugs, candles, pans, tote bags, umbrellas and hairclips.
Whatever doesn’t fit
Clothes that no longer fit are another easy target when you start to declutter your home, says Audra: ‘Keeping clothes that are multiple sizes too small or too big is a waste of perfectly good space. Not to mention, it can cause stress when getting ready and having to sift through tons of items that do not work for you. Keep your true size and maybe one size up or down, but get rid of the rest. When bringing new items into your home, be mindful of what you already have and buy what you need and what fits you right now.’
Set clothes aside that no longer fit as you try them on, so they don’t get lost in the wardrobe again. Having a handy donation basket in your wardrobe or bedroom can catch those that don’t make the cut (literally).
You don’t want to keep clothes that are too small ‘just in case’ you will slim down into them again. They can have a negative impact on your mood whenever you look at them and leave you feeling bad about your body.
Clutter magnets
‘Depending on the home, the clutter magnet could be the area by the front door, that special junk drawer, bedside table, coat rack, etc,’ says Laura McHolm, chief of organised living and co-founder of NorthStar Moving Company. ‘These clutter magnets are prioritised as they are extremely vulnerable to continue to gather clutter even after being cleared, due to the homeowner’s habits.’
Everyone’s clutter magnets will be different, depending on what you collect. By focusing on these zones, you’re addressing the root of the clutter, which should then encourage better habits elsewhere. How you address each clutter magnet will vary depending on where it is, but you’re ultimately aiming not just to empty the space, but improve it in terms of its organisation. That way, it’s less likely to revert.
Laura continues: ‘For example, if the messy home’s clutter magnet is the junk drawer, I’d work with the client to remove the clutter and then insert dividers that expand and contract, as well adding another layer of organisation with a top clear drawer organiser. Then label each section for the items that truly need to be in the junk drawer. Think of a silverware drawer where you know where the spoons and knives go without even thinking.
‘The end goal: every item has a home! This approach applies to all of the clutter magnets – if the items have a designated home, then it’s easier to place them there rather than toss them somewhere else.’
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