5 Steps to Declutter Your Home, According to a Delaware Expert

Tackle the clutter in your home with these five steps by Kim Mazewski, CPO, MS OT/L—Delaware's only certified professional organizer®.

Between the new year and the cold weather keeping folks curled up in their homes, January has become a popular time for decluttering.

As Delaware’s only certified professional organizer®, Kim Mazewski, CPO, MS OT/L has seen it all—from the dreaded “guest bedroom” that’s become too cluttered to host any guests, to the laundry room whose floor hasn’t seen the light of day in years. With a background (and master’s degree) in occupational therapy, Mazewski’s approach to decluttering starts with your mind and works its way to your home.

Here, she breaks down her tips, insights, anecdotes, and encouragements into a five-step process. Read this guide, then start on your own home decluttering journey.

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Kim Mazewski
Courtesy of Kim Mazewski, by AnupaPhoto.

Kim Mazewski’s 5 Steps to Get ‘Unstuck’ in Your Decluttering

Decluttering—the permanent removal of an object from your home—is, in my experience as a certified professional organizer®, the most important part of organizing. It’s also my favorite! A few things to consider before we dive in:

  1. Decluttering must happen before organizing. You can’t make informed decisions about what to keep if you don’t know exactly what you have.
  2. There’s no easy 1-2-3 way to do it, and there’s not a “right way” or a “wrong way.”
  3. What works for one person on a reality TV series guided by an expert may not work for you—and that’s okay!
  4. Decluttering is NOT throwing things in the trash, but responsibly discarding items through recycling, reselling/consigning, or donating to local nonprofits or people in need. I’ll share some of my favorite resources at the end of the article!
  5. There’s no finish line. Clutter (in some form) will always be trying to creep into your home and your life.

Step 1: Declutter Your Mindset

Before we talk about how to declutter, we have to talk about what gets in the way for you.

  • Not knowing how/where to start and feeling overwhelmed
  • Shame/guilt
  • Name calling, or having a fixed mindset about who you were/are/will be
  • Perfectionism
  • Procrastination
  • Poor boundaries
  • A “scarcity versus abundance” mindset

Decluttering and organizing are life skills that you can learn, improve upon, and even master. Maybe you were never taught, or you were sort of organized but then you had kids and now you don’t have the time and energy to hit the “reset” button.

Beating yourself up about your clutter is not a way to plow through it. The shame entangled with your belongings will slow you way down. We have to separate you from your stuff.

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To move forward, we have to rewrite the script that tells us—especially women—we are broken; we are a failure, a hot mess, a “hoarder” (which is a legitimate mental illness that warrants more than a self-diagnosis). Let go of the black-and-white thinking that if we try but fail, it wasn’t worth it. Loosen your ties with the all-or-nothing idea that clearing one closet “isn’t a big deal because it barely even put a dent in the entire home.” (This is an actual comment a client made to me recently).

Know that this is a process. Don’t fall for headlines like “Declutter your whole home in one weekend” or believe that one person on TV did it solo or in a day. Your clutter didn’t show up on your doorstep last night; it will take time to unravel the years of excess and overconsumption to find what you truly love/use/need.

Hot tip: Know in your core that you deserve a place that feels calm, restorative, and safe.

The only thing stopping you from having that space is you. If Grandmom keeps sending the kids endless toys, you can’t say no to free swag, or your spouse keeps gifting you flowers and now you have 293,502,359 vases, know that it’s time to firm up your boundaries.

Finally, recognize that inner voice as you assess your belongings. Is it coming from a place of “not enough?” You might be stuck in a scarcity mindset, and we have work to do to shift you to thinking abundantly.

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Step 2: Determine the Purpose of Each Space

The hard truth is that spaces lacking intention become clutter hotspots. Horizontal surfaces attract clutter, period.

For my clients, an extra bedroom becomes the catch-all space. A mom’s home office or craft room becomes the dumping ground because she’s allowed family members to leave items there. A portion of counter space not used for anything specific becomes the drop spot for clutter. And as most people say, their garage or basement is “where things go to die.”

Ask yourself (and others living in your home) these five questions:

  1. How are we currently using this space?
  2. Where are the clutter hotspots, and how can we eliminate them? Can we do so by removing unnecessary furniture, assigning homes for items that pile up, or disrupting the act of dropping items here with something meaningful or decorative?
  3. How can we use this space better, more efficiently, and more smoothly?
  4. What happens here and what is stored here that doesn’t serve the new purpose of this space? (These items will be easily donated or relocated to a more suitable home in your house.)
  5. How do you want to FEEL in this space once it’s “decluttered, organized, and easy to tidy?” How will you know you’ve been successful?

Hot tip: Be sure to revisit these questions as the seasons of your life change. As our kids grow up, as our parents decline, as our health and mobility changes, and as our job situation or relationships shift, spaces must change to accommodate current needs.

Courtesy of Kim Mazewski.

Step 3: Learn Which Decluttering Questions Click for You

Stay aligned with your end goals and find a strategy that works for you. Read these suggested reflective questions; I promise it’ll challenge some scarcity thoughts to which you’ve been clinging.

  1. “Does it spark joy?”
    • Made popular by Marie Kondo, this decluttering question fell into my lap right on time, in the midst of a devastating breakup. Wait, I am even allowed to feel joy right now?
    • You could also flip it. Alternatively, does this item hurt you, have bad energy, or bring up a negative memory? (I once had a client sobbing over old letters from an ex-lover while their spouse was in the next room. Why do you want to keep that?)
  2. Do I need it/use it/love it? (Check out The Afrominimalist.)
  3. Does it work? Is it broken? (If not, how long has it been out of commission, and what’s really stopping you from having it fixed?)
  4. Have I used it within the past year (or six months)?
  5. If I let it go but then find I actually need it, can I replace it easily for less than $20 or in under 20 minutes?
  6. What’s the WORST thing that would happen if I let this go?
  7. Does it fit my TODAY body? I deserve to look and feel good in what I wear, and this fits me well when I give a hug, sit down, bend over, reach for something overhead, etc.
  8. Am I keeping this solely because it was EXPENSIVE? Or is it because someone spent a lot of money on it? You’re not any richer for holding onto it in the back of a closet, and you won’t be poorer for passing it on. Learn from it.
  9. Would I buy this again today, right now, if I saw it in the store? At full price?
  10. Am I keeping this mostly or solely because it was a gift from a loved one? Am I keeping this out of guilt?
  11. Does this serve the person I am today and the person I want to be in the future? Or is it a version of you from the past you need to release?
    • Personal example: When I was younger I lost weight and spent a ridiculous amount of money on what I lovingly referred to as “my favorite grandpa sweater.” It was my favorite piece of clothing for so long. I felt so confident and cool in it. And…it hasn’t fit me in five years. “But what if I lose weight again and can fit into it?” I don’t want to live in the what-ifs, since that’s scarcity mindset. I can (and did) let it go with gratitude.
    • Similarly, think about aspirational clutter (like the Peloton in your bedroom that holds the not-dirty/not-clean clothes and hasn’t been ridden since pre-pandemic. Let it go, no judgment.)
  12. If my best friend was holding up this item and asking what to do, would I give her permission to let go, or would I pressure her to hold on? Consider the double standard.
  13. Does this add value to my life right now, or is it just one more thing that’s cluttering up my space?

Hot tip: If you find something that you want to KEEP for sentimental reasons, it doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to live in this prime real estate. You have options: take a picture and release the item; see if another family member or loved one wants it; display it somewhere special so that you can feel good when you see it; keep it with other meaningful items in a “sentimental bin” that you bring out to share stories and reminisce with loved ones.

Step 4: Start Decluttering (and Learn How to Get It Done).

Commit to a day and time. Put it on the calendar, tell your bestie, take your own “before” photos, set a timer, remove distractions, and start intentionally small with relatively easy-to-decide categories. Don’t start with the family heirlooms or handmade art from your children.

WARNING: Don’t empty your entire closet and then collapse into the disarray with a glass of wine thinking, “I’ve made a huge mistake.”

Break it down into small steps so it’s manageable and you get quick wins. If your space is severely cluttered (read: belongings on the floor, barely able to see the horizontal surfaces), I like to start by clearing the floor to improve safety and also see progress.

Start by gathering the low-hanging fruit, namely trash, recycling, broken items, and clothes with obvious wear-and-tear or holes/stains. Use a bin to collect items that need to be relocated to another area of the home (a tape measure back to the garage, your kid’s pajamas to their bedroom, the random spoon or cup of water back to the kitchen). Sometimes just doing this makes a visible difference. Even if you stop here, you’ve taken steps forward.

If you are ready and able, keep going! Start in one corner of the room and pick up an item to determine if it’s a keep or donate and asking yourself the questions (step 3) that click most for you. Really consider each item. Sort like with like (corral all your books, gather all of the clothes, merge all the health/beauty products, etc.). Move around the room in a way that you can turn back and see your progress. Do your best to clear the floor, fill up your donate bin, and put away items you choose to keep. And of course, give it a good vacuum/sweep.

Next, move to horizontal surfaces, then go into drawers, cabinets, and closets. Just keep going, one day, one surface, and one drawer at a time.

If your space is less cluttered, then hone in on more specific categories. “Declutter my closet” is a harder pill to swallow than “pull out all of my long-sleeve shirts.” If you need to, set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on just that task. When you return your shirts to the closet, store them all together, toward the front in cooler weather and near the back if warmer.

Hot tip: Matching hangers instantly reduce visual clutter and elevate the aesthetic. This attentiveness to a uniform organizational process streamlines every space—from pantries to kids’ playrooms to bathrooms.

Once you finish, you can stop. But if you feel good, keep going. Write down all of the categories you’ll tackle: jeans, blazers, spring/summer dresses, tank tops, workout clothes, etc. And aim to knock out one at a time.

Review everything, even the “I already know I’m keeping everything in there” drawer. Keep eyes on it to refresh your mind as to what you own. You’ll often still have a lot to pare down from these spaces. You may even find something you misplaced and needed!

  • Have extra people on alert to run donations/trash/recycling up or down the stairs and outside for you.
  • Body doubling helps a lot of people, especially those with ADHD. Ask your helpers explicitly for what you need to stay on task and how they can best help redirect you if you lose focus.
  • Stay hydrated, eat snacks, take breaks as needed, wear good shoes, and take allergy meds beforehand if needed.
  • Plan to rest after and give yourself a reward.

Hot tip: Make decluttering a part of your routine and make it part of your family’s seasonal rituals/habits. Keep a donation bin in the hall near the bedrooms and model putting items in for your kids. Or store one by the front door, so it’s even closer to being out of there. Normalize decluttering as an everyday occurrence.

Courtesy of Kim Mazewski.

Step 5: Mobilize That Clutter—ASAP

You’ll need an action plan to swiftly move out the donations and items for special recycling. (Recruit help!) If you make the mistake of leaving them in an unmarked pile in the corner of a room, they could become buried or forgotten. Or worse—someone else might try to put them away in a different place than you’d pull them from.

It will quickly become very overwhelming if the donations pile up and you can’t see your progress—or what’s on its way out has now cluttered up common areas.

  • In the beginning of your decluttering journey, when there is so much excess, find a place near you that accepts most items. This is the time to be selfish—know that getting out your clutter (that’s clean, not broken, in good shape with life left) is your main priority. Do your part to get everything out, and trust that your items will have a second chance with someone who genuinely loves and needs them.
  • When you’ve significantly pared down, changed the way you consume, and have fewer items to discard, that’s the time to be more selective with nonprofits, shelters or giveaways, or neighbors in need.

Hot tip: get your donation plans on your calendar so that you make sure it happens. have a friend or partner help you stay accountable.

Options (you may need more than one):

  • Make multiple trips back and forth, or add these into your regularly scheduled errands.
  • Schedule a free donation pickup (Phoenix Family Resources, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, AMVets, Pickup Please, GreenDrop).
  • Hire a junk removal company.
  • Borrow a friend or neighbor’s pickup truck.
  • Have your spouse load their car and follow you to the donation spot.
  • Do a curb alert/Buy Nothing post starting early in the morning—cross post and give a disclaimer “no holds, first come/first served” so interested parties don’t blow up your phone, and cross your fingers that most of it goes!
  • Alert your trash/recycling provider if you’ll have extra at next week’s pickup.

Congratulations—you’ve decluttered and significantly pared down. Savor the space and sit with any discomfort that the openness might bring—it’s more common than you’d think. Do not rush to fill every blank space. Instead, be mindful about how you rearrange, organize, and decorate the space. You’re curating a home you desire and deserve. A daily reset (five to 10 minutes) will keep it tidy. The goal is not perfection but a home you love that’s easy to reset.

You can do this! I’m rooting for you.

Decluttering is more manageable—and even fun—with help from a certified professional organizer® (a neutral, unbiased, third party with zero attachment to your things). You can schedule a free 30-minute discovery call with Kim Mazewski to share your goals here and learn more about her offerings here.

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