Popularized by Kim Jones of Lock & Key Home, the chaos method suggests emptying every box, shelf, container, cupboard, and drawer in your space (thus creating chaos), then sorting items and organizing it all before putting it all away.
The chaos method is an organizing strategy popularized by Kim Jones of Lock & Key Home. It embraces total immersion in the decluttering process. You empty every box, container, bag, drawer, and cupboard in a room or space. Ideally, it's about creating a temporary state of chaos to gain full clarity on what you own.
The 50% rule for clutter is a straightforward yet powerful principle: reduce the number of items in any given space by half.
The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy.
Coined by pro organizer Kayleen Kelly, the “Core 4 Method” breaks the decluttering process into four simple steps: clear out, categorize, cut out, and contain. In essence, it's designed to take the stress and overwhelm out of the organizing process.
What Is the 90/90 Rule? Here's the gist: When you come upon an object you're unsure about decluttering, ask yourself two questions: Did you use it in the past 90 days? If not, will you use it in the next 90 days? If your answer is “no” to both questions, away it goes.
The 333 method philosophy revolves around one simple rule: you choose 33 items to wear for 3 months. This includes clothing, accessories, outerwear and shoes, but excludes essentials like underwear, sleepwear or workout gear.
Start Small and Simple. One way to gain momentum in the paring down process is to start with the easy things. Begin boxing up items that don't hold much emotional attachment. Doing so will lead to a sense of accomplishment and provide motivation for you to keep going when the decision-making becomes tougher.
Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. In a series of inspiring home makeovers, world-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo helps clients clear out the clutter — and choose joy.
This rule suggests that you handle items only once, putting them away immediately rather than setting them down temporarily. By adhering to this principle, you can effectively prevent clutter buildup and save time in the long run.
This by-the-numbers decluttering strategy is simple: Only take up 80% of any given space in your home with stuff, and leave the other 20% empty. Generally, that means getting rid of about 20% of the items in your house to ensure your home is comfortable and has a feeling of spaciousness.
With OHIO, you can use a method that makes it easier to tackle existing piles or handle incoming papers. The idea: You commit to handling each item only once. As you open a letter or pick up a document from your pile, you make an immediate decision: file it, act on it, delegate it, or discard it.
Be ruthless by picking out just a few items to keep that are your most favorite, and consider parting with the rest. Give yourself grace as you go through sentimental items. You won't be able to do it all at once, and it may take several sessions to decide which difficult items to keep or let go.
The ClutterBug Philosophy is founded on the idea that there are four types of organization: the Ladybug, Bee, Cricket, and Butterfly.
Tidying up results in getting rid of several items for many people. But the KonMari Method ultimately asks you to choose what you want to keep, not what you should throw away. Hold each item you possess and ask yourself whether it "sparks joy." If the answer is yes, keep it. If it's no, discard it.
The idea is pretty simple: Just focus on clearing up the following 5 categories of things—and nothing else: Trash, laundry, dishes, things that have a place, and things that don't have a place.
Stuff doesn't change; people do. The tidying up will follow. (So don't focus on the stuff.) Whether things spark joy may be a great way to initially clear the clutter… but the KonMari method doesn't provide a system on how to stay organized after that, making it unsustainable for many people.
“I live by what I call the cantaloupe rule,” she said. “No decorative object smaller than a cantaloupe.” Oklahoma City designer Valerie Helgeson recommends giving your pieces elbow room. “This creates negative space, which is actually a positive,” she said. “It gives the eye and mind a break.”
Start small and simplify. Beginning the decluttering process by starting small and focusing on one area at a time can be a highly effective strategy to prevent overwhelm, maintain motivation, and achieve tangible progress in organizing your living space.
There's a saying in the industry that's fairly common, the '90-90-90 rule'. It goes along the lines, 90% of traders lose 90% of their money in the first 90 days. If you're reading this then you're probably in one of those 90's...
1. Take the 12-12-12 challenge. The rules are simple: locate 12 items to throw away, 12 to donate, and 12 to be returned to their proper home. That's it.
The 333 method is essentially a bite-sized version of a capsule wardrobe. You choose three tops, three bottoms, and three shoes, and challenge yourself to create as many outfit combinations as possible with your selections.
Physically touch each item and sort into keep, remove, or relocate. It's important to touch each item in a space when decluttering because the action forces a decision. Work hard to put as many things as possible into the “remove” pile. You need much less than you think you need.