
One of the most important steps to decluttering your home is to simply begin. Some do not even think to declutter unless they are in a desperate situation where they have to move suddenly. I believe that everything that we own holds energy and of course it takes up space. Some items contribute to warm memories or inspirational beauty, while other items can suffocate our surroundings and weigh us down energetically. Today I plan to share 10 tips on how to begin decluttering to gain the serene living space that you truly desire.
Keep in mind that one of the second most important steps is PATIENCE. I don’t know how many times I’ve wanted to magically blink my home into my fully decluttered santuary. It takes time to go through years of your life and how it has accumulated into things. Let’s begin!
1. One Room At A Time
No matter how small or large your home is, beginning one room or corner at a time is crucial. It is so important to allow yourself small successes with this process. It is difficult to see your progress when you are trying to clear out your entire home at one time.
Another thing that I did during my decluttering process was to allocate an area of my home to gather everything that I wanted to look through. By doing this I was able to clear the clutter from specific areas of a room to focus on although it was a bit messy at times.
2. Clear Off Tabletops, Dressers, Desks etc.
Sometimes it is a great start by simply clearing off the top surfaces of every piece of furniture in a room. Go through the items on the top before digging deeper. I like to have a rule of having no more than three items on any surface. It is even better to keep some surfaces completely clear all together.
3. Release Unnecessary Furniture
One of the best things that I ever did during my decluttering process was to donate all the extra furniture that we had. When my husband and I moved in together, we brought all of our previous furniture with us. Over time we let go of two matching end tables, a computer chair instead using a dining chair, an old bookshelf, a side table, and an ornate shelf. Those items opened up so much space in our home and were not missed. The space that was gained was actually more valuable.
4. The Minimalist Wardrobe
Clearing out the closet can be fun yet also extremely daunting. It just depends on how you look at it really. I’ve noticed that when I stopped holding onto clothing that I felt awful in or never wore, I actually had more to wear and felt so much better in my wardrobe. Decluttering my closet also helped me to find my own personal style. Chic Minimalism For Your Wardrobe is a concise article on the best way to declutter your wardrobe. My 15 Item Capsule Wardrobe Checklist gives a great example of what is important for me to have in my wardrobe with my lifestyle. I explain why it is important to stop wearing frumpy clothes here.
5. Papers, Papers, Papers
Junk mail, old documents, and other random paperwork can be a nightmare. I even have to take a deep breath with this one. The easiest way to deal with decluttering paperwork is to create a filing system that works for you, scan documents that are easier to keep on your computer, go paperless in as many areas as possible, and remove yourself from mailing lists. The Paper War gives examples and goes into more details.
6. Dishes Galore
How many dishes do you really need? After visiting family in Northern California and staying at a hotel with a kitchen, I realized that we really didn’t need two sets of dishes, two sets of silverware, and all the extras that we had in the kitchen. Once I downsized the dishes, I also had less dishes and overall cleaning to do.
After the tea party that I had, I gave away the tea cups that I purchased from Ikea to my neighbor and to Goodwill. If you like to host lots of dinner parties then maybe you do need an extra set of dishes. Yet for those like myself that have large large parties twice a year, bamboo plates and silverware works out every time and looks lovely in my opinion. You can read more on decluttering the kitchen here.
7. Cosmetics & Makeup
In Cosmetics Expire, I give the expiration dates on makeup items. In Creatively Declutter Cosmetics, I discuss how to go through all of your cosmetics and how to downsize them. You can also read A More Minimalist Approach to Beauty for nine natural ingredients that you can use for your entire beauty routine if you like.
I’ve learned that creating my own cosmetics has saved me so much money. I’ve also used very simple ingredients so that I wasn’t making a ton of complicated products. One way to declutter cosmetics quickly is to learn what is in the products that you use. You can see a list of ingredients that I believe is extremely important to avoid here. I also provide links to as many of those ingredients as I can so you have a better understanding of why they are on the list in the first place.
8. Donate, Trade, or Sell One-Time-Read Books
I personally enjoy owning books, yet I also donated many books that I was never going to read again and those that were no longer were of interest to me. You can easily sell books on eBay. Books can take up a lot of space, yet going completely digital with books is not for everyone. For future books that you may want to read, see if your local library carries it first. I’ve added three new items on my bookshelf since this article, yet you can see how I’ve beautifully displayed the books that we have here.
9. Be Honest About Art/Craft Supplies
In Artists and the Minimalist Lifestyle I share five tips on decluttering your arts and craft supplies. I think that if you are unsure about a few supplies after you have taken the time to go through them, box those items up and store them for another month. Go through those items again after separation. I’ve noticed that I’ve had an easier time going through items the second time around.
10. My 6 Month Rule
If you haven’t used something in six months, you probably won’t ever! The only items that I extend for a full year with this rule are seasonal items like a winter coat. When decluttering you need to be completely honest with yourself if the item that you are considering to keep is for that just-in-case scenario. When you have just-in-case items you will have a difficult time decluttering. You honestly want to keep items that you absolutely love and add to your life, not to your clutter.
Take your time with this process and do little bits of decluttering weekly or whenever you get a chance. The more that you do it, the easier it will become to keep doing it until you have your desired results. When you really start this project you will honestly have more control when it comes to buying new things. You will learn to only purchase items that you really love or need instead of buying things to declutter in the future.
What tips have helped you with this process?
See photos of my home here, my simple beauty routine here, and my capsule wardrobe here!
(Image by Dawn Michelle)
Marie says
Hi, I think that what you are saying is very true: all you need to do is get started. When I started decluttering my home, I wasn’t sure where to start, so I started with the kitchen because it’s a very neutral space, with a lot of things that you are sure you can get rid of without worrying too much. I don’t know about other people, but that is what made it simple for me to start decluttering my home.
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Marie,
Thanks for your comment! The kitchen is a great place to start decluttering. I honestly enjoyed starting with my closet. It is a beautiful thing to create the space you truly desire without all the clutter.
Best Wishes,
Dawn Michelle
moya says
While working as an au pair in france I was shocked how few clothes madame had. She only had eight items in her wardrobe not counting a mack coat and a silk scarf. She also kept a sun dress and sun hat in a large picnic box. that was all!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Moya, Wow! This is a true example of quality over quantity!
Pandora says
This is awesome…I am bout to move in a week and I want to declutter before I move into this new phase!
Thank you lady!
Dawn Michelle says
You are so welcome Pandora! Have a wonderful move and incredible holiday! Wishing you so much joy in your new place!
sherryanne says
Declutttering is a major issue in my family. Especially where it comes to the point that at the end of the day you are just the step-mum. I tried having my step-kids get rid of stuff and I’m known as the bad guy. They have a bunch of stuff that just lies around the place and no one seems to be using them and I’m like “hey guys, would you like to donate this to an orphanage, kids there would really appreciate it” and the reply is “No!My mom gave me that, I can’t give it away” yea my bad. So we came to an agreement to have these stuff boxed and place in a storage. Thanks to A-1 Moving & Storage, the job was done and I can finally call my house a home. Check out their website at
Valerie says
Okay, I am officially in love with your blog!! Henna, decluttering, and revamping my wardrobe in an eco-friendly and budget friendly manner (AND all in one place)?!?!? I can’t believe all the goodness I’m finding here!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Valerie,
Oh my gosh thank you! Best wishes with everything. Keep me posted on anything that comes up. I love hearing from readers. <3
Sandy says
My issue when it comes to the home are the accessories. I have elements I’ve collected and I’m not sure what I should get rid of. I tried grouping them together on one wall in the living room, but looking at it again, it does appear cluttered to me.
Any tips or strategies for these collectible type items? They are African baskets, sculptures and wooden items.
My total living space is smaller. The largest room and space is in the living room.
Thanks Dawn
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Sandy,
This year I’ve decided that I deserve to love everything that I own and I will only keep things that I literally light up when I see it or knowing that I actually use it. This has raised the bar of what I decide to keep and why. Only keeping things that you love or use is a way of creating a high value of what your eyes lay upon when you are at home. If you get excited or smile when you see something, it is a keeper. <3
Green Diva says
Hi Dawn
I accidentally stumbled upon your blog a few weeks ago and I’m hooked. I adore your way of living and it is scary how similar we are. I finally made time from my busy schedule today and began decluttering my bedroom. Just clearing the surfaces makes me feel great. Can’t wait to really delve into the drawers and then reward myself by working on my S/S capsule wardrobe.
Thank you for spurring me to take action. I echo the philosophy of simple living, high thinking and you inspired me to examine where I am and work on things that need improvement. Excited about the grace and peace which will come from this!
Also I’m amazed at your personal responses to the comments on here. You spend your precious time helping people with your experience. I’m blown away! 🙂
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Green Diva,
Thanks so much for reaching out and for the amazing compliment! I’m so happy that you are taking action to declutter. With spring right around the corner it couldn’t be a better time and it will be an incredible start to the new season. Keep in touch with how things are working out for you! <3
Amanda Gill says
We are moving in January and I already started planning what to keep and what to sell/give, etc. Your decluttering tips and advises are very useful and clever – great guidelines to follow. Thank you for sharing!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Amanda Gill,
Good luck with your upcoming move, and I’m so glad that the tips here have been helpful! Thanks for your comment too!
Olympia Alvarez says
Hi Dawn,
I’ve been enchanted with minimalism for a long time and I’ve read other websites and blogs on the topic as well as listening to podcasts. I’m glad I found your site. The layout and design is clean. When I saw your photos of your home I thought that my house was void of a lot things but man, you’ve got me beat! Well done!
I have a true and funny story to tell you. One time we came home to find out garage door opened when we knew we had closed it before we left. So we called the cops just as a precaution in case someone broke into our home. Three policemen came and as per their procedure they entered our home to check for anyone inside. They went inside first and once everything was clear they instructed me to come inside. No one was inside the house. Their theory was that the strong winds that evening most likely caused the garage door fling open. But one of the policemen asked me how long we’ve lived in the house. I told him 6 years and asked why? He said that our home had so few
furniture and things that he assumed we just moved into neighborhood and that whenever they go inside people’s homes there’s always so much stuff everywhere that they have snake around things to avoid them! I told him that that was a huge compliment to me because I’m a minimalist. So there you go!
Having too much stuff could be considered a physical hazard.
Thanks for sharing.
Keep up the good work!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Olympia,
Thanks so much for the nice compliment and sharing this story. Living light has too many benefits not to dive in. It’s been one of the best decisions that I have ever made for so many reasons. I’m really glad you found my blog and that you are enjoying it. Best wishes!