Declutter Faster with These Guiding Questions

One important aspect of embracing simplicity in our homes and gratitude in our lives is the regular act of decluttering. 

Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start when decluttering. Or maybe you’ve put in some work, but now you feel stuck, or like you’ve hit a plateau in your efforts. It happens! 

Below is a list of questions designed to get the wheels turning or spark some inspiration. Some are more obvious that will serve as a nice little reminder, while others may dig deep and challenge you to see things in a different light. Either way, I guarantee at least one of these will speak to you and encourage simplification in your space.

Is it trash or expired?

This is an easy one, but a good reminder. Common items in our homes that can expire or are highly encouraged to be replaced on a regular basis: food, spices, makeup, sunscreen, medicine, cleaning products, smoke detectors, paint, batteries, car seats, pillows. Take inventory of the back of those kitchen cabinets, bathroom drawers, linen closets, medicine cabinets, garages, etc.

Is it guest or in-law proof? 

This is one of the “creative” approaches to decluttering. Here’s what I mean: If you were to have friends or your in-laws stay over, is there anything that you would be perhaps a little embarrassed to have them use or even see? I’m talking about some sheets with sweat stains or a towel that is so frayed that you could give it a french braid? If there are items in your home that you would not want your closest friends or family to use, why do we keep them for ourselves?

Do you need an unofficial instruction manual to operate it?

This correlates with the last one a bit, but is it outside of it’s original working condition? To the point where it needs a personal tutorial in order to use it? I’m talking about the nail clippers that always slip to the side, so you need to hold it a very specific way in order to operate them, giving you a hand cramp every time you need to cut your nails. The can opener that only works when you hold it at a very specific 84 degree angle. Every home has a few of these — I give you permission to remove these headaches from your home.

Is it a safety hazard?

Another self-explanatory one, but are you risking your safety by keeping certain items in your home? The kitchen table with a wobbly leg that constantly needs to be kicked back into place. The fan that only works on setting 3 (for some reason speed 1 and 2 stopped working years ago). The kitchen scissors that always pop apart every other time you use them. Take some proactive measures and declutter or replace these items with fully operational models. 

If you were shopping today, would you re-buy it?

This is an interesting perspective shift. If you didn’t already own the item and you came across it in the store, would you purchase it again? If you wouldn’t buy it new and bring it into your home, is it still worth keeping around? I find this question to be extremely valuable when decluttering closets. This can also apply to a lot of modern day convenience items. 

Are you always pushing it aside to get to another item instead?

This is the idea to reconsider the items that are never the first (or second) choice. The items that you’re pushing aside every single time in order to get to the preferred or favorite item. If we’re never choosing them, why do we keep them around?

Pay attention to your favoritism behavior and allow yourself to part ways with those items that are never chosen.

Does it never make the rotation?

This is kind of a fun one also relating to your behaviors but with more of a focus on inventory. Perhaps you have a stack of towels in your closet. Do you find yourself only using the top 2 towels in the stack while the bottom 3 have not been touched in years? This could be an indication that you don’t need this many towels and could slim down your inventory?

Or maybe you have 4 sets of sheets but you only rotate between your favorite 2 or 3? Only use the same 3 mugs out of your collection of 20? Even silverware or dishware — do you have a set of 24 plates or utensils, but there's only 4 people in your household?

Slim down your inventory and donate the unloved, extra options.

Does it fit your current identity?

This can speak to various seasons of life, or even fantasy or past selves. Throughout childhood, adolescence, adulthood, parenthood, and so on. We grow and take on different identities and roles, balancing different interests and priorities.

As you navigate these various stages, be mindful of what sticks around in terms of your tangible stuff. We cannot physically keep all items from all phases of our lives; therefore, regularly review these items and weed out the items that no longer support who you currently identify as.

This could be old essays from school, hobby items for something that you’re no longer interested in, workout gear that you no longer use, clothes that do not fit or that match your current lifestyle.

Think of this as “cutting the fat” in your personal belongings. Only surround yourself with items that shape and inspire who you are today, and keep nothing that is holding you back or making you feel overwhelmed, resentful, guilty, etc. Life’s too short to have our stuff dictate our feelings!

Was it free or a gift that you do not like or use?

It is a blessing that we are thought of by others and end up on the receiving end of generosity. But once we start keeping these items out of obligation or guilt, this should act as an indicator that it’s time to let go. Especially if it is something that you didn’t ask for, don’t need or straight up don’t like.

Free yourself of the mental and physical burden. After all, gifting is more often about the thought than the actual thing itself. 

I will shamelessly admit that I have put gifts or free items straight into my declutter bin as I receive them. I am grateful to be thought of AND I know myself well enough to know when I will or will not use an item. Two things can be true. 

Is it a duplicate?

It is in our nature to want to be prepared for anything and everything, sometimes to a fault. There are certain things that truly don’t make sense to have more than one in a household.

A lot of utility items are on this list for me: screwdrivers, scissors, can openers, spatulas and nail clippers to name a few. These are items that can only be used by one person at a time and when in use, it is only for a short period of time.

I also find that when I only have one of an item and it has a designated home, I get more use out of it and I am less likely to misplace it. Less is more!

Did you already buy a replacement for it?

A lot of our spaces are filled with items that we have replaced with new, different or better versions, yet we still have the old items sticking around. Remember why you were shopping for a new one in the first place. You have already moved on from this item mentally and physically — it’s time to declutter it!

If everything in your home ended up in 1 big pile, would you spend time to put it back?

If this is anxiety inducing to think about, that is not my intention! This is supposed to be more of a reframing exercise, giving you the opportunity for a reset. 

As we settle into our spaces, we take time to make it ours by arranging furniture, decorating and making it a home. As years go by and we acquire more material items, we fill in the open spaces oftentimes without taking anything away. Before we know it, years go by and our home can start to look like a time capsule. 

So, if your home spontaneously reset to a blank canvas and all of your belongings were in a pile for you to put back, would you make the same choices that are in your home today?

I’m talking if all of your art came off the walls (even nails removed), would you take the time to get out the hammer and nail and put it in the same spot? Maybe the piece doesn’t resonate with you anymore, or you find a place that you like better for it? 

Or what about your furniture? Is there an item that is so run down that you don’t even want to exert the energy to put it back into your space? Maybe you have an old camera collection that doesn’t bring you the same amount of joy that it used to. Could you sell them and put the money towards that trip you’ve been planning? 

Our spaces are so personal and should evolve and grow with us. Allow yourself permission to look at each room or item with a fresh set of eyes and make changes accordingly.

If any of these questions helped you to declutter one single item in your space, that is progress! Feel free to save this list to revisit once every few months as there may be different questions that speak to you over time.