Declutter + Organize Without Making A Huge Mess

If the fear of making a huge mess often scares you away from decluttering + organizing, please keep reading!

We’re going to talk about both the mess + the overwhelm of larger projects, or projects that might take more time to knock out. Solutions do exist for all of this, I promise!

We started this discussion last week in our EOW Chat (end of week) that I post on Instagram stories typically on Friday or Saturday each week. When This conversation was initiated by several of you reaching out to me over the course of many months, sharing your own concerns + stories, so I thought this topic deserved a deeper look. Let’s get to it!

Many of you (and myself included) said that there are often times when you KNOW there is an area your home that needs attention - whether it be decluttering, organizing, or both - BUT you never get started out of FEAR of making a big mess during the process. This fear stops you in your tracks.

This fear you’ve expressed to me, and that I am very familiar with, comes from various layers worth mentioning. See if any of these thoughts resonate with you:

• When I get started decluttering or organizing, it spreads out and takes over my whole house!

• Decluttering makes more of a mess than what I had to start with!

• I don’t have enough space in my home to start decluttering.

• My kids will get into everything I’m trying to sort through.

• I don’t have enough time to declutter an area and get it pulled back together quick enough.

• I’m not going to be able to use this space for my day-to-day if I start decluttering here.

I hear you. I do. Now let’s start talking about solutions.

Create a Plan + Timeframe

Without a plan you will lose focus. Let’s say you want to tackle a space this month. Great. Right it down on paper, on the refrigerator, in your phone, add to your google docs/schedule, whatever works best for you. After you have your timeframe in place, it’s time to dive into some practical strategies to make your decluttering/organizing actually happen.

Assess Your Space

Take a moment to get clear on the area you’re wanting to work on decluttering/organizing. Is it a closet? It it an entire room? It is one part of a space? Get clear on what it is you want to get through. Now look at this space objectively - what is it made up of? Shelves, drawers, furniture, bins, piles, containers? Learning to look at your space IN PIECES is a great tool to help you more easily break your space up into MINI ZONES. These mini zones make the decluttering/organizing task more manageable. Now go get your donation/giveaway + keep boxes ready! Let’s keep going!

Avoid A Massive Mess

First, I’m going to be candid with you, there will be some mess. That is actually an indication that progress is happening! But here’s how to not let it get totally out of control and take over your home. Once you’re seeing your space in MINI ZONES, decide where you want to start. If you feel like you can’t work in that particular space to get the decluttering done, go grab a box/bag/container and fill it with the items from one or more of the MINI ZONES in your space (ex. empty out one full drawer or shelf into your box). Then take it out of the room to go through in a low traffic space - like the top of your washing machine, a low use counter top, the garage, on a bed in the spare bedroom - somewhere out of your high use spaces so you can keep moving + living.

You can also apply this to CATEGORIES you see in your space - remove all the books and put them in a box to go through - finish that category then move on to the next category until you’ve chipped away at your entire space. Or let’s say you want to get through your entire closet this month with limited time/space. Go through 1 category each night and put things back each night so there’s not a clothing explosion all over your room for weeks on end! Decluttering/organizing by MINI ZONES or BY CATEGORY will also help you manage your time and not get so overwhelmed by the process. It also lends itself perfectly to not having large, continuous chunks of time to do the work.

What To Ask Yourself

✓ Is it bringing value to myself/home/family?

✓ Do I/we use it?

✓ Do I actually like to look at this item?

✓ Does it support my current + future life goals?

✓ Would I buy it full price in the store today?

Be objective, be honest, stay focused on creating space for what you love + value + is essential to your life/home day to day.

Restore Order

While you’re going through your space, you can choose to put things back gradually or all at once once decluttering is completed. Your most effective organizing will happen once you see all of your KEEP items together, to make better sense of them as a group. Also consider if these KEEP items should go back where you found them, or be more helpful + efficient in another location. Sometimes decluttering in a different space than where you found the item is highly beneficial, as it often helps you separate yourself and the item from its’ old, often stagnate home. It can be easier to assess the value of something in a neutral location more objectively.

Parting Ways

As those donation bags or boxes are filling up, even if you are in the middle of your decluttering in that space, I encourage you to remove them from your home as quickly as possible. Divert as much from landfills as possible. Set up a scheduled pick up time, give the items away to a friend, drop off at a local charity, shelter or donation site as soon as you are able to. Make sure to remove the items you’re parting with from the space you’re working on immediately. This will help you more quickly see your progress and not let you get hung up on indecision. Honor your instincts and decisions. If you’d like to sell some items, give yourself a timeframe, and create a donation or giveaway back up plan if your items don’t sell. Keep your eyes + actions focused on looking forward (not back)!

For more decluttering + organizing resources see these guides:

Declutter Your Home Masterclass (doors close 2/5)!

Clothing Closet Declutter Guide

Declutter Guide for Kids + All the Things!

Organization + Style Guide

Note: Clothing Closet Declutter Guide, Declutter Guide for Kids, and the Organization + Style Guide are ALL included in the bonus section of the Declutter Your Home Masterclass.