As seasons change, many of us consider a home clean-out. Decluttering can feel daunting, but removing unnecessary items has a lot of benefits. Organizing what remains creates a calmer, happier space that helps us appreciate our belongings. Since Marie Kondo popularized tidying in 2011, numerous methods have emerged to make the process easier and more structured. While there’s no single “right” way, following a method can help avoid common decluttering mistakes. With these, refreshing your home can be made easy. Here are seven favorite approaches to guide you.
Here are seven popular decluttering methods to guide you- pick the ones that fit your style and urgency to refresh your home:
1. Ski Slope Method – Tackle a single room systematically, working from side to side and top to bottom. This makes decluttering more manageable.
2. Swedish Death Cleaning – Remove non-essential items to simplify your home. This makes life easier for you and your loved ones, and works at any age.
3. Four-Box Method – Sort items into four boxes: keep, throw away, donate, and sell. It makes decisions simple and visual.
4. KonMari Method – Marie Kondo’s approach: declutter by category (clothes, books, papers, komono, sentimental items) and keep only what “sparks joy.”
5. Packing Party – Pack all items as if moving; only unpack essentials for immediate use, then donate or sell the rest.
6. Minimalism Game – Declutter a set number of items each day (1 item on day 1, 2 on day 2, etc.), turning tidying into a friendly challenge.
7. One In, One Out – Maintain your decluttered home by removing one item for every new item brought in, preventing clutter from returning.
Decluttering isn’t just about cleaning—it’s about creating space, clarity, and a fresh perspective in your home and life. For more tips on how to refresh your home, check out this great article by Katie Mortram in the Home & Outdoor Magazine.
For all of your organizing needs, contact Global Organizing! Our phone number is 773-803-9415