10 Quick and Easy Practices to Get and Stay Clutter-Free

Years ago, my home wasn't clutter-free.  I had two young children, and we homeschooled.  We had busy schedules.  We had a long list of things we wanted to buy, even though we already owned more than we needed.  Every closet, cupboard, and drawer was full.  The garage was full.  A large shed in the backyard was full.  And even though I decluttered pretty regularly (we held yard sales two or three times a year), our possessions never actually diminished because we always bought more... and more.

Weekends were given over to cleaning, organizing, chores, and shopping.  We'd come home with new purchases we had to somehow fit into our already-too-full home – plus the credit card receipts that proved we were buying way too many things we couldn't actually afford.

I didn't wake up one morning and say "I want to become a minimalist."  I did feel like I needed to clean up and pare down my home.  But learning to declutter for good – instead of being caught in a consume/donate/consume cycle – was something else entirely.

The book that kickstarted my journey toward simplicity was displayed on an endcap at the B. Dalton in my local mall in 1994.  Simplify Your Life: 100 Ways to Slow Down and Enjoy the Things That Really Matter* by Elaine St. James helped me reevaluate nearly every facet of our lives, from clutter, laundry, and grocery shopping, to cars, spending, and debt (which was sucking the life out of us), to our TV, volunteer commitments, and gift-giving.

* This blog is supported by readers, not ads.  If you buy through my links, I may earn a small commission.

Slowly but surely, we began to own less.  We became intentional about owning only what we needed and loved.  We wanted our home to serve us, instead of the other way around.  Eventually, we created some breathing room in our schedules, and got a handle on our debt.  And we began to notice the benefits of minimalism.

To help you on your minimalist journey, here are 10 pieces of advice that helped me get and stay clutter-free.

10 tools for successful clutter-free living

1.  Accept that you need so much less than you think.

I've lived several decades in a culture that does everything possible to convince all of us that we need more and more and more.  More is going to make us happy, successful, and popular.  No matter what we acquired yesterday or the day before, we need more today.

This is almost never true.  And the constant pursuit of more will actually leave us feeling unhappy, unsatisfied, and insufficient in every way.  Once we see this, believe it, and act on it, our lives will change.  This is the first, essential truth.

2.  If you continually organize/declutter, check your shopping habits.

This was a huge lesson for me to learn.  I like things to be neat and tidied away, so my house rarely looked like a hurricane had just passed through.  But every possible storage spot was packed full, which made accessing and putting things away a chore.  Plus, my credit cards were constantly maxed-out.  Breaking free of consumerism was the necessary prelude to a truly clutter-free life. 

Organizing may help, but it won't solve the underlying problem.  If you own too much, rearranged clutter always returns to a disorganized state (it's a law of nature).  As author Joshua Becker says, "Organizing is fine, but owning less is better."

3.  If a job can be done in one minute, do it now.

This was my dad's rule, and it's a game-changer.  Often, clutter is caused by procrastination:  "I'll put that away later."  Or "I'll find a use for that later."  Inertia takes over, and clutter grows.

So if something can be finished in a minute or two, just do it right away.  Don't hesitate to hang up the jacket, wash the plate, recycle the junk mail, or put hobby supplies back into their bin.  Be a grownup and just do it. 

If procrastination is a problem for you, tell yourself you'll be done in a minute.  You could even time chores you don't like.  In my experience, a lot of them take much less time than you realize.  Once you take action, you're going to accomplish more than you thought.

4.  Don't walk past that mess.

I know this is easier said than done.  But if you keep telling yourself "I can't walk by a mess without doing something," the impulse can become second nature.  You don't have to do any deep cleaning, but you can grab something on your way and put it where it belongs.  You can pick up garbage and put it in the bin, pick up a glass and put it in the dishwasher, pick up remotes and put them in the drawer.  Think of it as getting in a few extra steps.

5.  Remember that flat surfaces are clutter magnets.

Tables, countertops, chests, and desks are the places we set things down and leave them.  A flat surface accepts everything!  And since clutter attracts clutter, pretty soon you have a pile.

Stop thinking that having all of your vitamins, spices, or makeup out on a counter is time-saving.  It's just messy, crowded, and hard to clean.  It takes three minutes to make toast, so why should your toaster clutter the countertop for the remaining 23 hours and 57 minutes of each day?  Keep surfaces clear, and you'll reduce clutter and distraction.

6.  Give everything a home.

You've probably heard this before, but what does it really mean?  It means I can hand my child any item that belongs to him or is used by the whole family and say "Put this where it belongs," and he knows exactly where to go.  I can ask him to get me something that belongs to him or is used by the whole family, and he returns with it right away because the item is exactly where he expected it to be.

Multiple times a day "everything in its place" will save you time and aggravation.  It's worth practicing until it's a habit.

7.  Clean as you go.

Instead of letting the house get really messy or dirty, learn to clean a little bit at a time on a daily basis.  Yes, deep cleaning is sometimes required.  But simple micro-tasks will keep your home reasonably clean and clutter-free with less time and effort.

8.  Keep a donation box in a handy spot.

As you encounter usable items that you no longer need, put them in the box.  Don't wait!  Add clothes that no longer fit, toys or games the kids have outgrown, and gadgets you forgot you owned.  As soon as the box is full, donate it to your favorite charity.  Then get another box, and place it where you'll see it and remember to keep your home clutter-free.

9.  Remember that a gift is a symbol of love, not a lifelong obligation.

Just because someone gave it to you doesn't mean you have to keep it forever.  And if you're worried that you'll forget the giver if you remove the gift, take a picture and put it in a digital folder you can peruse whenever you need to.

10.  Train your family, but don't worry about taking the lead.

I agree that everyone living in a home should have some responsibility for maintaining it.  But the truth is, there's usually one person who takes the lead.  Maybe someone else is more involved in yard work, bill paying, or vacation planning, but you may be the person who cares most about staying clutter-free.  And there's nothing wrong with that.

I know from long experience that it's easy to let resentment or even anger get in the way of peaceful home care.  It's not a happy way to live, so I recommend focusing on your love instead of the clutter.  I've thought a lot about this quote from St. Teresa of Calcutta:

Wash the plate not because it is dirty nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next.

That's a lovely goal.

You can do this.

If I can change so many of my less-than-optimal habits to get and stay clutter-free, you can too.  And it's worth the effort!

Related article:  5 Ways to Live More Simply Even If You Can't Declutter Yet

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