Five Practical Reasons To Declutter Before Organizing

An organized home is the Holy Grail for many of the frazzled and frustrated. Social media highlights several glowing examples of polished spaces claiming to be the answer to all of your clutter conundrums.

There are colorful rows of pencils, books, and toys. Refrigerators hold more clear acrylic bins than they do food, and closets have a suspiciously slim number of clothes. However, all of this is smoke and mirrors, destined to fail if there’s no attempt to declutter before organizing.

Decluttering before you organize your home saves time and money. You don't waste energy organizing stuff you don't plan to keep or spend money on storage you don't need. Getting rid of clutter first frees up more space and makes organizing less overwhelming, allowing you to create a more efficient space.

There's nothing wrong with aspiring to create spaces akin to the impeccably organized ones flooding Instagram. But remove the rose-colored glasses and go into the process with realistic expectations. These spaces look organized and beautiful because there's no clutter.

Don't Organize Around Clutter

Maybe your favorite organizing influencer’s pantry or medicine cabinet has you drooling. Everything has a place, and it seems so easy for them to find what they need within moments. You decide this marvel of modern organization must be yours, so you start trying to recreate the look in your own space.

You pour cereal into clear, air-tight containers (oh, oops, the whole bag doesn't fit), and you sort your medicine by rainbow order (oh, wait, everything's brown and white). You cram, move, rearrange, stack, and hide items, but you can't seem to recreate the look, at least not with your current pile of stuff.

And that's the heart of the dilemma. You realize you have way more inventory than what's in your goal photo (at least in proportion to your space). What's the solution? You need to declutter first; then, you can focus on organizing.

Trying to organize your belongings without going through them first is doing things backward. Here are five reasons it makes sense to declutter before you organize your home. 

1. You Don't Waste Time Organizing Things You Don't Want

Imagine spending hours organizing your closet, yet you don’t wear half the clothes in it. Why would you want to organize every pen in your office if two-thirds of them are out of ink? What’s the point of organizing your kitchen cabinets if you don’t want the set of dishes from your mother-in-law? Trying to categorize and tidy various spots in your house before assessing what you want to keep is a waste of time.

You’re spending valuable time and energy on items you don’t even want. Therefore, declutter first, so you only organize the things you plan to keep. Once you pare down the clutter and have a clear picture of what you have, then it’s time to start organizing.

2. Your Finished Space Functions Better 

One of the primary hallmarks of good design is a functional space. A closet that contains items you love to wear works a lot better than one brimming with things that don’t fit or outfits you loathe. Likewise, it’s much easier to access what you need when stuff you don’t use or want isn’t getting in the way.

When you declutter before organizing your belongings, you’ll end up with a more efficient space. Weeding out the excess and only organizing what you need and use is a better way to create a space that works well. Consequently, your organized office, closet, kitchen, or any other place you plan to tidy up allows you to breathe easier and be more productive.

3. Decluttering First Means No Spending On Unnecessary Storage Solutions

Eager folks who want to get organized often think that the solution to their dilemma is brand-new, shiny storage solutions. They purchase matching bins and baskets and start stuffing things inside to straighten up their home. At first glance, this approach may seem like it’s successful. You don’t see the clutter anymore, and the space looks more aesthetically pleasing. 

However, what it usually leads to is even more chaos. Now, you have all your stuff plus a ton of extra storage containers. You’re still managing way too much inventory, and you’re feeling more stressed than ever.

Decluttering first gives you a better idea of the storage you need for your items. Therefore, you don’t waste money on a bunch of containers that aren’t the right size or type or that you simply don’t need.

4. You Have More Space To Work With

Take a good look at the inspiration photos for your organizing project. What is it about them that entices you? The idea of an organized home might be on the list, but it’s also likely the calm, streamlined design.

You love the idea of not having things piled on top of each other, crammed together, or stuffed tightly into bins. It’s the negative space — that little bit of room between each box, the airiness between shelves. It’s not having to wrestle your closet to free a dress, only to find it wrinkled from being so cramped.

When you declutter items, you free up valuable space for your organizing efforts. Once you finish organizing, you get to enjoy the sprinkled-in gaps that provide much-needed moments of visual rest.

5. Declutter Before Organizing To Avoid Overwhelming Choices

Most people likely have quite a few things they don’t want anymore. It’s a lot harder to decide where to put something when you don’t even like it. Where should you put the blue giraffe statue your co-worker gave you for Christmas? Should you put it on the coffee table, tuck it into a bookshelf display, or hide it on your upper closet shelf? Hmmm, decisions, decisions.

It’s worth the time to go through your belongings and decide what stays and what goes before you try to find places for them. Then, when it is time to start organizing, the process will be much less overwhelming.

You’ll know that the energy you’re spending on finding homes for these remaining things is worth it. They’re the things you love, use, and want to keep in your life.

Start With These Decluttering Tips

Now that you understand why decluttering first makes the most sense, here are a few tips to get started.

• If you’re dreading decluttering, start small. For example, start with the junk drawer in the kitchen before you declutter your closet. Work your way through small areas and do more as you go.
• Gather supplies beforehand to make getting unwanted items out of your house easier. For example, make sure you have boxes and bags for donatable items, trash bags, markers to label containers, and tape to secure boxes as necessary.
• Don’t hesitate to enlist the help of someone you trust to give you an honest opinion and a gentle (or assertive) push to declutter. An extra pair of hands and unbiased eyes can help you battle decision fatigue.
• Schedule time to declutter, so you avoid distractions and can maintain your focus. Take breaks frequently, so you don’t become exhausted and frustrated, and make sure to stay hydrated and have some snacks.

The More Efficient Way To Organize Your Home

Decluttering before you organize is a much more efficient way to put your house in order. You won’t waste time, energy, or money processing, cataloguing, and tidying items you plan to get rid of or don’t use.

You also create a more functional home when you aren’t wading through excessive amounts of stuff to access what you need. But decluttering first doesn’t mean you have to live in chaos.

You don’t have to pull every single item out of every nook and cranny in your house at once. Start with one small space and work your way up as you get more in the groove.

Related Guides:

• How To Declutter Your House In One Day
• Tips For Organizing When You're Overwhelmed
• Tips For Keeping A Clean House If You Have A Large Family