We all have excuses as to why we keep certain items in our home long after they have served their purpose. Whether it’s out of shame from spending too much money on it, or the guilt of receiving it as a gift, there is always going to be a reason to not get rid of something. Because of this, it’s important to be a bit ruthless when you are in the process of decluttering.
I know from experience that this can be a tough process to go through if you aren’t armed with the tools you need to help you get to your end goal – a clutter-free and simplified home!
I’ve complied a list of 12 questions to help you declutter that I’ve found to be extremely useful in my own decluttering missions. This is a no-nonsense approach to decluttering and will really help you to determine what you should keep and what you should toss.
If you are having a difficult time deciding what to keep or toss, apply this list of questions to each item and see what your thought process is as you go through them. I can guarantee that running through this list will help provide you with some clarity as to why you may be keeping items that you can truly get rid of!
12 Questions to Help You Declutter:
1. Is this item something I’m currently using?
If not, have I used this item in the past year? If your answer is no, then this item should automatically go. Unless it’s an exception like a baby swing or something of that nature that you’re planning on using for another child in the near future, there’s no reason to keep hanging onto something that you clearly don’t need. Even seasonal items such as a snow blower, sweaters, or gardening tools should be used within the time frame of a year, so there’s really no excuse to keep these things around if you haven’t used them in the past season they apply to.
2. Is this something that I would buy right now if I saw it in a store?
If you wouldn’t spend your hard earned money on purchasing that item again, it obviously isn’t something that means much to you or brings great value or use to your life. If it broke and you wouldn’t buy a replacement for it, donate or toss it!
3. Is the thought of wasting money keeping me from getting rid of this item?
Newsflash: you already wasted your money upon purchasing the item 😉 . Move on! Keeping it around for that reason is only depriving yourself of having a clutter-free home. And you’ll likely feel guilty for the money you wasted on it every time you lay your eyes on it. Do yourself a favor and just be rid of it already, you’ll feel so much more free!
4. Is this something I love?
No? Then it goes! For example, if you’re keeping the sweater that your sweet Aunt Ruth bought you for Christmas 5 years ago purely out of guilt, but you hate the thing and would never wear it, I give you permission to donate it.
5. Am I holding onto this for sentimental reasons?
If you’re holding onto something from your childhood that you wouldn’t necessarily want your own kids to use when they are older, but just want it for the sake of having it, consider donating it. Shoving your childhood possessions or belongings of relatives who have passed away into a box and not opening it for another decade or two isn’t doing those items any justice. One of my top decluttering tips is to take a picture instead and then send the item on its merry way to the donation pile to be enjoyed by someone else!
6. Do I have future plans for this item that never seem to happen or am I saving it “just in case”?
I think this is probably one of the hardest aspects of decluttering and simplifying for a lot of people. The fear of needing something after you’ve thrown away or donated it tends to keep many people from getting rid of the item at all. The truth is, it’s only taking up precious space in your home and is requiring your energy to clean and maintain it.
I had so many items at one point that I was keeping “just in case”, or because I had grand plans to fix up that just never seemed to happen. Once I actually purged these items, I didn’t miss them one bit! For example, maybe you tell yourself that this item would be the perfect addition to a Halloween costume….yet you’ve been telling yourself that for years now and have yet to actually act on it. I hate to tell you this, but it’s not happening! Get over the idea and just get rid of the item already.
7. Do I have multiples of this item?
Do you have 2 blenders that you never use at the same time? What about those 4 hair brushes in your bathroom drawer? Or the 5 pairs of scissors in your desk? If you have a similar item(s) that serves the same purpose, then get rid of one of them. In most cases, you don’t need multiples of the same item and you’ll likely not miss the duplicates at all.
8. When I wear this, do I feel confident?
If you are keeping clothing that doesn’t make you feeling confident or good about yourself or your body shape, get rid of it this very second.
For the longest time I held onto jeans from high school that I was convinced if I just lost another 5 pounds I would look great in them again. Every time I looked at the jeans hanging in my closet I would feel a longing of wanting to lose weight and feel generally bad about myself that I still wasn’t able to fit into those darn things. I felt so much better when I just let go of the past and my former weight and embraced myself at the size I am. There’s no need to keep clothing around that no longer fits you. My one exception is maternity clothing, as I’m definitely hanging onto mine from my first pregnancy to be able to wear with baby #2 someday!
9. Could someone else use this more than I do?
If you haven’t used the item in quite some time, but know that someone else could really benefit from having it, donate it! Whether it’s clothing that you never wear that could be donated to someone less fortunate, or a box of old baby gear you just can’t seem to part with (even though your youngest is 10 years old), think about how these items could enrich someone else’s life. It makes it a lot easier to part with items when you know that someone else can truly enjoy and use them long after they have proved useful to you.
10. If I were moving to a new home, would I want to pack this item and make the effort to bring it with me?
If you wouldn’t want to go through the trouble of carefully packing up the item and potentially paying a mover to bring it to a new home someday, you should really reevaluate keeping it and letting it take up space in your current home.
11. Is this item worth the time I spend maintaining/cleaning/storing it?
Your time is your most valuable resource. If you are spending it cleaning and maintaining things around your home that you don’t love or even need, then it is not time well spent.
12. Could I make money by selling this item?
If donating or giving items away doesn’t appeal to you, considering selling them instead. If you could make a decent profit and think it would be worth the time spent listing it online, try selling it on eBay or Craigslist. Or even having a garage sale if you find enough items in your home that you want to get rid of. The opportunity to make a few extra bucks might be the motivation you need to get rid of some of your stuff for good.
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Which of these questions to help you declutter do you find the most challenging for you to follow through with?
I am pretty good at getting rid of stuff I don’t use. My house was really cluttered growing up and I never wanted mine to be that way.
That’s awesome Holly!
#6 is really me, all the time. What if I need this in a few years and then I have to rebuy it?? What unfortunately happens is that I DO fish things out from the back of the closet that I haven´t used in years, and start using them again, and then I´m so happy about not having to spend money on it a second time… Ugh. This is how I always talk myself out of decluttering…
But #10 happens to me, too. With all the moving during college and after, I´d pack up all my stuff, take it to my mom´s and then repack only the things I really needed. As a result, “my room” at her house is full of boxes I´ve left behind and haven´t touched in years. Those things… yeah, they really need to go.
Haha ugh, that IS tough Chela. And totally throws my theory out of the water then.
I have a daughter that has many storage boxes of items she hasn’t used in years in our basement . I look at this clutter all over and feel anxious. Then there are times that I try to ignore it because she is living in the home. Honestly, most of the time I am brought to anger it is so very selfish of her to invade the living space of our home and it makes me sad. I would love to get rid of this crap but somehow feel its not my battle but hers but yet I’m living her war.
These are all really good questions to ask yourself! I often struggle w/ the sentimental piece.
I’m the same way Kara! I find that taking a picture really does help me overcome that and be able to part ways with sentimental pieces.
I have the opposite problem now. I need to get some stuff! There really is a point where extreme minimalism goes bananas. Yeah, that’s where I’m at. 😛
I love your list, Christina. Not surprisingly, it’s perfect! 🙂
Heh! It’s not a bad place to be, as long as you are comfortable and enjoying it 🙂 I commend you Kay!
These are great tips! Discovered your post through Pinterest, and so glad I’ve found your space! Just shared this post on my Blog Facebook page~ Love this!
Elizabeth
allkindsofthingsblog.com
Aw thank you Elizabeth! That is so sweet of you.
I like your tip about confidence when it comes to choosing to keep or get rid of clothes. I probably donate and get rid of clothes at too fast a rate, but if I don’t feel comfortable and confident wearing it then what’s the point of keeping it?
Exactly David! That’s my thinking of it too, no point in keeping those items around!
Ooh, these are really tough questions! I feel like these are questions that dig into my soul haha! I have way too many clothes and probably only wear 10% of them. The thought of going through my closet seems so daunting, but now this post if really making me want to purge. I don’t have too much that is sentimental, but I do tend to buy the same kind of clothes over and over again.
Haha glad to hear they are resonating with you Kristin 🙂
Good information and it is wonderful to clean out! I started about a month ago with the Spring cleaning. I had my pile of nice clothing to go to Jr Achievement on consignment, a pile of donations for the church clothing box and a pile for hand me down housewares for a friend whose daughter is moving out and getting started. I did my runs this morning in dropping them off and letting my money spent keep working for others. It was a perfect Red Nose Day for me 🙂
That’s awesome Lisa! I’m sure your donations were appreciated, and you got to clean your own closet out as a result. A win-win! 🙂
These are great questions, especially #6. I grew up with a mother who never threw anything away for fear she may need it later, and to be honest there were more than a few times when her having a bin of purple pipe cleaners has come in handy. But having grown up in the chaos of her “saving” I am more likely to just get rid of something and if I reaaaalllllyyyy need it later I am willing to spend my money to buy it again. Reduced clutter brings me peace and tranquility…and the therapy I would need to live in cluttered chaos costs much more than a disco ball or glittery high heels I may possibly need one day.
I’m the same way Elise, I’d rather just buy it again in most cases. I enjoy my simplified living space too much now!
These are very thoughtful tips! I’ve done some decluttering lately and have been loving what I’ve done so far. Fortunately, we didn’t bring a whole lot with us when we moved, but we still have some clutter building up. I truly enjoy the feeling of having less stuff!
I do too Jennifer, it’s such a freeing feeling!!
Number 2– SO GOOD. I think that we go through phases of purchasing, and I definitely have items that I would know better than to purchase now. This is such a good list– I’m sharing it everywhere!
Thank you Daisy! 🙂
Such good tips! I don’t completely follow #1 though – there are some things I love in my closet that are gorgeous and expensive but I haven’t had the occasion to wear them! (bugging my husband to take me out to a fancy dinner..)
I especially agree with the picture taking one – I recently moved to a much smaller home and have had to get rid of literally three car loads worth of stuff – and with all the sentimental things we just took a picture of each one. It feels good to simplify!
Jen
http://www.lifeunrefined.com
It really does Jen! And glad that strategy worked well for you too, I find it to be the only way I can part with those types of items!
These questions are good, Christina! Whenever I ask myself whether I would buy it again or have been using it helps me to make better decision.
Thank you for sharing!
This is a really good list indeed! I am in a progress of decluttering myself and I find it sooooo freeing when you finally get rid of your stuff. We have a brilliant concept here in Germany of a “for free shop”. There are shops like that and everything is for free, you can take stuff if you find something you like and you can donate so to say. You can actually see people there and lots of them are young families – I now go there every week and bring bags of stuff. Last time, I brought a teddy bear. I liked it because it was a teddy bear from my childhood, but i barely used it. I put it onto the shelve and then it happened: One of the “sorters” of the for free shop called a little girl and showed her this teddy…. It made her day. And that experience made my day. I don’t care about money, I just want my environment decluttered and if I can do good by someone with that, why not?
Milly at http://www.sevenseasaway.com
It really is such an amazing feeling!! What an interesting concept for this shop, and a great way to declutter your own environment while bringing joy to someone else. I love it! 🙂
I just love this list! I keep referring back to it 🙂
Aw thank you Amelia! I’m so glad you are finding it helpful 🙂
I’m currently visiting my mum and have just gone through 20 boxes she has been storing for me for too many years. I cut them down to 4 boxes of useful or treasures to share with my kids. But the real plus is seeing my mum donate an ugly plate she was given that she hates that she has had for years, received as a gift and some cups/sugar bowl/milk jug set she bought when she sold my cot (I am 47!) she had already tossed the broken coffee pot some years ago. I’m going to share your 12 questions with her. Cheers!
That’s phenomenal Lauren! I’m sure your Mom really appreciates you assisting in the decluttering process too, I know it can seem overwhelming when you do it all by yourself if there’s a lot to sort though. I hope she finds this helpful, best of luck with your declutter mission 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
This list is a priceless resource in and of itself! I’ve definitely been doing a lot of de-cluttering lately and this has helped me so much. Thank you for bringing a minimalistic view to a very cluttered world 🙂
Definitely going to be following this blog!
http://montanaviolist.com/
Decluttering is a great ideas! Getting rid of the unused stuff. Of course we want to re-use items and pass them along to people that can benefit from them. This is just a guide to cleaning out your unused items and making more room, which allows for a more organized life. I would be a borderline hoarder if I let myself be! I have to set a few guidelines for myself to flush things out and move on. Have a great day!
Thanks Ryan, you too!