Feeling overwhelmed by the clutter in your home? You’re not alone. Sometimes, the hardest part is figuring out where to start. The good news? With a simple plan, you can reclaim your space and finally feel at ease in your surroundings. Here is Decluttering Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Plan for a Fresh Start
Assess Your Space: What Are You Dealing With?
Before you jump into decluttering, take a good look around. What’s bothering you the most? Is it the overflowing garage, the jam-packed closet, or the kitchen drawers that won’t even close? Pinpointing the areas that need the most attention will help you prioritize. You don’t need to tackle the entire house in one go. Focus on one room—or even one corner—at a time.
Grab a notebook or your phone and jot down the problem areas. This creates a roadmap, so you’re not just aimlessly sorting through things. Knowing where to begin helps reduce that “where do I even start?” stress.
Step 1: Rent a Dumpster for Bigger Projects
If you’re dealing with years of accumulated stuff, like an old storage shed or a basement packed with forgotten items, renting a dumpster from https://wasteremovalusa.com/ can save you so much hassle. Why? Because it lets you toss out the bigger, bulkier items without worrying about trash bags piling up at the curb.
Dumpsters aren’t just for construction projects—they’re perfect for home decluttering, especially when you have furniture, broken appliances, or other large items to get rid of. Research local services, pick a size that fits your needs, and schedule it for a weekend when you’re ready to dive in.
Having that dumpster in your driveway is like giving yourself permission to let go of things you no longer need.
Step 2: Sort Like a Pro
Now it’s time to sort through everything. The golden rule of decluttering is the “Keep, Donate, Toss” method. But don’t just start throwing things into random piles—be intentional.
- Keep – These are items you use regularly, love, or genuinely need. If you haven’t worn it, used it, or even thought about it in over a year, ask yourself why you’re keeping it.
- Donate – Clothes, toys, and household items in good condition can find a second life with someone who needs them. Set these items aside and find a local charity or donation center to drop them off.
- Toss – Anything broken, expired, or beyond repair? Into the trash or dumpster it goes. Be ruthless here—keeping broken items “just in case” is a recipe for clutter.
Working in small sections—like a single drawer or one corner of the room—makes this process feel manageable. Once you’ve completed one area, move on to the next.
Step 3: Organize What’s Left
Once you’ve pared everything down, it’s time to give your remaining items a home. Bins, baskets, and drawer dividers are your best friends here.
Think about what makes sense for your lifestyle. For example, if you constantly lose your keys, set up a dedicated basket by the door. If you’re always digging through your closet for your favorite shirt, consider using labeled bins or color-coded hangers to make finding things easier.
The key is to create a system that works for you. Decluttering is only half the battle—staying organized is what helps you maintain it long-term.
Decluttering Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Plan for a Fresh Start
Step 4: Tackle Sentimental Items Last
If you’ve ever tried decluttering and ended up sitting on the floor flipping through old photos or reading letters from years ago, you know how sentimental items can derail your progress. Save these for the end of your decluttering journey.
By the time you get to this step, you’ll already be in the right mindset to make decisions about what’s truly worth keeping. A good rule of thumb? If it sparks joy or holds genuine meaning, find a special place for it. If it’s just taking up space and collecting dust, take a photo of it to preserve the memory and let it go.
Step 5: Make It a Habit
Once you’ve done the heavy lifting, you don’t want to end up back at square one. The easiest way to stay on top of clutter is to build decluttering into your routine.
Every month, pick one small area—like a drawer, cabinet, or corner—and reassess. Ask yourself if the items there are still useful or necessary. The more you make this a habit, the less overwhelming it becomes.
Another tip? Follow the “one in, one out” rule. For every new item you bring into your home, get rid of one old item. Bought a new pair of shoes? Donate the pair you haven’t worn in months.
A Fresh Start Awaits
Decluttering doesn’t have to feel like an impossible task. With a clear plan and a little patience, you can create a space that feels calm, functional, and truly yours. Remember, it’s not about perfection—it’s about progress. Every small step you take gets you closer to a home you love. So, grab your notebook, call up that dumpster rental, and get started on your journey to a clutter-free life.
This blog post is part of ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla
@wordsmithkaur
@wordsmithkaur
With the modern consumption oriented lifestyle, we accumulate so much clutter in a short time.I am glad that you gave quite practical tips specially keeping the things with sentimental value for the last part of the exercise, was priceless.
Hi. The step-by-step guide mentioned by you to decluttering is so practical and doable. I appreciate the emphasis of using bins and baskets to maintain a proper order.
I love decluttering. Being a minimalist helps too. Your points add a lot of value to my decluttering options. I especially loved your tip on how to deal with “emotional” stuff.
I love the tips. We are lucky to have a NGO coming on a weekly basis in our society and I keep most of the stuff for them. It has made the house cleaner and the mind at ease.
A very good and to the point explanation Jeet. Actually I do get lots of Declutter as baby grow in toddlers. Really get fed up with the process. But your tips are helpful.
Tackling decluttering in small sections and making it a habit are two important things which will be helpful for me. I have always struggled with this task as I always did exactly opposite of these two points!
This is a very practical and easy guide to follow if someone with years of trash loading wants to declutter. Also, repating this quite often is ideal.
Mam I love decluttering abd clean space in my house but I am having 2 men in my life one my hubby who loves accumulating old clutter in name of sentimental memories and the other one is a young man in the making my son… oji use to clutter karna hi Ata ha bas.
Save me with 💡 idea’s to decanter both of their minds. 🙄
This is such a practical and motivating guide! Loved how it breaks down decluttering into simple, doable steps. The ‘one in, one out’ rule is a game-changer, definitely trying it!
tackling sentimental items is the most tricky one for most of us. I find particularly difficult when someone else besides me is also involved in the decluttering process. That’s one advice I’d add to your helpful one, which is, to do it alone if possible because jitne log utna opinion and inevitable confusion and delay
I am a huge believer of decluttering – be it home, clothes, or even emails. These are great tips for any beginner wanting to start the process.
I am actually in the process of decluttering and this is so helpful. Have sorted through years of mess but still more to go
Oh my, if I could routinely follow these steps life would be completely clutter-free. I’m not a hoarder but there’s always extra stuff at home. Good pointers, Harjeet. Donating is something I do quite often.
Your step-by-step decluttering plan is practical and motivating. I appreciate the clear guidance and actionable tips. Looking forward to implementing these strategies to create a more organized space. Thank you for sharing!
That was really helpful. Thank you. I loved the point “Tackle sentimental items at last.” So true 😅 otherwise we will keep refreshing our memories and the time passes by. Great post 👍
Loved this.. You made decluttering sound so much easier. I never thought about renting a dumpster, but it makes so much sense for the bigger stuff. Definitely feeling motivated to tackle that messy garage now. Thanks for these practical tips.
Last year I moved two houses and my god! The clutter!! My husband and I vowed to completely stop buying stuff unless necessary!! And you – your 4th step – my problem is that almost everything becomes sentimental for me – ROFL!! Anyhow, I hope I do better now!
Now that is a useful post. I have never been good at decluttering or organising. But going to follow the tips and going to declutter in the weekend.
Such great tips Harjeet Ji, I I loved your ideas to donate or reuse the things to declutter the space. It is always said that empty space creates decullter our minds too. Shifting to a new place, and I will keep these tips in mind.
I do this most of the times.
When you have toddlers; you tend to pile up a ot of clothes.
Not to forget, some clothes will be very new.
But kids outgrow them.
I will use your method of Keep, donate and toss the next time…
Your writing is so eloquent and polished. It’s clear that you’re a true master of your craft.
I used to be a hoarder but I have recently de-cluttered a massive amount of personal items – and I’m feeling great about it!