8 Questions to Help You Declutter

An organized garage.

Closets, drawers, and shelves have a way of filling up. Sometimes, it seems like storage areas begin to shrink when you aren’t looking. That’s why you need to do some serious decluttering, and not just one time but on a regular basis. When you’re trying to reduce the clutter in your home, start by asking yourself these eight questions when you’re considering what to keep.

1. Will I Use This in the Future?

Everyone's got those items in the back of the closet or the bottom of a drawer that they haven't seen for a while. Before you simply stick it back in the same spot, take a minute to ask yourself this simple question. Chances are, if you find something that you forgot you owned, you probably don't use that item anymore and won't use it ever again. That means you can toss it.

2. Do I Already Have One of These?

When you start going through the decluttering process, there's an excellent chance that you're going to find multiples of the same or similar items. It's easy to forget that you already have something, and it's really easy for stuff to start to pile up. So when you find an item that feels familiar, ask yourself if you recognize it because you've already got a copy of it tucked away somewhere.

3. Is This Worth Fixing?

An organized pantry.

Lots of people hang on to items that are broken or no longer functioning thinking that it will eventually get fixed. But will you really fix it? Is it even worth fixing or is it a better idea to simply get rid of the item?

4. Am I Being Sentimental?

Sometimes, we don't throw things away because of the fond memories attached to them, or because they were a gift. If you try, you can probably find a sentimental reason to hang onto everything in your home, but that's not what decluttering is about. When you run across an item you know you don't use or need, stop hanging on to that item. The fond memories you have aren't going to take up any space, and getting rid of that item isn't going to change those memories.

5. Would I Buy This Today?

Take a good look at the item you're debating over. Is this something you would actually buy for yourself if you saw it in a store now? If the answer is no, then you already know what you need to do.

6. Am I Keeping This Because of Cost?

An organized bathroom.

When you know you spent a lot of money on something, it's really difficult to get rid of it. But if you aren't using it, if it doesn't work, or if you have no use for it, you should probably get rid of it, or donate it, to declutter. It's time to move on.

7. When Was the Last Time I Used This?

This is an essential question to ask when you're trying to declutter. If you find something that you haven't used in the last year, you've found something that you can afford to get rid of. You're not even going to notice the item is gone, but you will notice how much more space you have after you do some serious decluttering.

8. Do I Absolutely Love This?

Decluttering is never easy. You're going to find lots of items that you like, things you think are cute, stuff you remember using once upon a time. But ask yourself seriously if the item is truly something you love. Because if you don't really love it, then you don't really need it.

Decluttering can sometimes be a painful process because it’s never easy to get rid of your items. But decluttering is a necessary process, and when it’s all done you’ll end up with much more storage space than you knew you had. So ask yourself the tough questions to get the job done, and once it’s over you’ll wind up with a much less cluttered living space.