We Asked Pro Organizers for Their Top Decluttering Rules—Here Are the 5 They Never Break

A place for everything and everything in its place is the ultimate organizing goal in most homes. But for many of us, that feels more like a fairy tale than a mantra we actually live by, due in large part to the amount of clutter and stuff we hold on to. (And according to a professional organizer quoted in a Los Angeles Times article that went viral in 2014, households have around 300,000 items!)

“Think about how much space your stuff takes up, the guilt that comes when getting rid of it down the line, and the peace it steals from you when you don’t have a place for it,” says Ryen Toft, founder of Simply Luxe, a professional organizing company based in San Diego. “At what cost do you hold on to something? When it no longer serves you, let it go.” 

If you’re ready to offload the stress and anxiety a cluttered home can bring to your life, the key is figuring out where to start and how to keep things from piling back up again. Leave the overwhelm at the door and follow these five straightforward rules experts use for their clients—and themselves. 

Prioritize the Placement of Frequently Used Items

“Out of sight, out of mind” is one of the biggest hurdles to clear when it comes to our stuff and the constant fight against clutter. But Marissa Hagmeyer, co-founder and COO of NEAT Method, has a solution: Be strategic about where you put things.

“In order to create a space that works seamlessly with our clients’ lives, we always place the most frequently used items in prime real estate zones, such as top drawers and shelves within arm’s reach,” she says. “Any space you need to use a step ladder or crouch down to access should be reserved for items used less often, like holiday decor, serving platters and seasonal clothing.”

That way, you’re not left shuffling through things on a daily basis that you really only need twice a year. 

Use the Garage Sale Sticker Technique

Toft swears by this old-school method. “Pick up a pack of round colorful stickers people use to price items at garage sales, and put them on a bunch of things around your house you’re not ready to part with yet,” she explains. “When you use the item, take the sticker off. Then go back in six months or so and you’ll easily be able to see what you really do or don’t use, and declutter from there.”

Another plus? It kicks the can just a little bit while still making progress. “Some of my clients can feel distraught when forced to decide right now what to keep, and often, that loss of control makes them hold on even harder,” Toft adds. “This eases you in and makes things obvious.”

Don’t Tackle It All in One Go (and Schedule It!)

Similar to the sticker check-in method, Toft recommends scheduling a recurring event in your calendar (with reminders and prompts just like at work), then picking a single area, drawer, or cabinet to go through.

“Make it a non-negotiable, and do not cancel on yourself,” she says. A fan of the Pomodoro Technique, Toft says even a short 25 minutes of digging through a linen closet, a bin of old clothes in the garage, or a kitchen cupboard can be highly effective.

“Don’t worry about having to live with perfection every moment of your life—just carve out the time regularly so you don’t get overwhelmed with clearing out your whole house,” Toft adds. “That’s the reason people don’t start! Take it one area at a time, and don’t worry about it until your calendar prompts you to.” 

Create Easy-to-Follow Systems for Closets and Clothes Storage

Closets can be your best organizational friend—or your partner in crime for stashing away way too much stuff. Hagmeyer’s advice? File folding.

“I use this for clothes and linens, within a drawer or a bin in a closet,” Hagmeyer continues. “Stacking means you can only ever see what’s right on top and requires shuffling through the stack to get the item you need from underneath.” In contrast, she adds, file folding in vertical upright rows removes the headache and gives you an instant visual of everything you own, not to mention the added benefit that it’s space-saving.

The common thread, according to both our pros, is that when you can’t see something, you are less likely to use it. That could mean accidentally buying multiples of things you already have, or hanging on to something far longer than you need to (otherwise known as, you know, clutter). 

Designate Drop Zones in High-Traffic Areas

There’s stored clutter and there’s visual clutter, and spaces like foyers and mudrooms are magnets for the latter. The solution? A bin for each person.

“Everyone in the family needs a drop zone, and if it can be small and have a lid, even better,” advises Toft. “The more room you have, the more you’ll store, so when the top doesn’t fit on anymore, it forces you to clear it out.”

A regular routine of finding homes for all the contents of your baskets—whether it’s sunglasses, pet items, mail, sports goods, sunscreen, or school supplies—is ideal, and Toft notes that every week or two should be sufficient. It’s small, but it will go a long way to keeping your rooms tidy.