Let’s face it: Decluttering isn’t exactly easy. Whether you’ve struggled to get your kitchen, bedroom or living room in tip-top shape, you need to have a clear plan. Along with a practical decluttering checklist to tackle every space in your home, it’s worth knowing the top decluttering mistakes to avoid to make the process as stress-free as possible.
Here, professional organizer Rachel Rosenthal reveals six decluttering pitfalls that prevent you from streamlining your home and creating a more enjoyable living space overall, plus what to do instead.
Her number one piece of advice? “Decluttering should be a lifestyle, not a one-time event.” Read on for more of Rosenthal’s advice.
❌ Not pacing yourself.
Think twice before attempting to declutter your entire home over a weekend. Being overly ambitious isn’t exactly the best approach here, especially if you’ve been living with clutter for a lengthy period of time. “Decluttering is a process, and it’s important to be realistic about how much time and energy it will take,” Rosenthal says. “A room-by-room or even small space by small space approach, with breaks and mini-sessions, is much more effective.” You can even consider implementing mini decluttering sessions throughout the year to make it more manageable.
❌ Overlooking categories.
“The first step in any decluttering process should be sorting items into categories — putting like with like,” Rosenthal says. The goal is to get a sense of how much you have of each item. For instance, do you really need five different whisks? How about those 10 white button-down shirts?
“When I’m working with clients in their closets, we might realize they have 30 pairs of jeans. When I remind them that there are only seven days in a week, they often realize that they don’t need so many. Categorizing allows us to evaluate what’s necessary, what’s excessive and what should be let go.”
❌ Failing to engage with every item.
Believe it or not, every single piece in your home deserves attention during the decluttering process. Go room by room, and review each item to determine if it’s worth keeping: “People don’t take everything out and really evaluate whether it’s something they love, use or feel a genuine attachment to. Instead, they make excuses for why they should keep things that don’t serve them anymore.”
❌ Missing a room’s function.
While the goal is to eliminate unnecessary items in your space, recognize each room’s function, too. If your family tends to read books, watch movies and enjoy game night in the living room, outfit this space with items solely for these activities. “A decluttered home is about more than just clearing out the physical space—it’s about understanding how you live in that space and organizing accordingly,” she says. Every piece should have a designated home.
❌ Keeping things “just in case.”
“We’ve all been there — holding onto things because maybe we’ll need them someday. Whether it’s an expensive dress you haven’t worn in years, kitchen gadgets collecting dust or a stash of hotel toiletries, these ‘just in case’ items quickly add up and create clutter,” Rosenthal says.
If you haven’t used an item in a year and it doesn’t fit your current lifestyle, it’s time to part ways with it. You’ll feel so much better living in a space with things you truly love and use on a regular basis. “It will also make staying organized so much easier.”
❌ Forgetting to re-evaluate your lifestyle over time.
It’s only natural that the way you live in your home will evolve as your family dynamic, needs and interests change. Maybe you’re a new parent, just purchased a home or now live with a pet or two. All of these scenarios will impact your lifestyle and everyday habits. Case in point: When it comes to decluttering, “what works for one person might not work for you,” Rosenthal says.
Rather than immediately believing that the latest organizing trend on social media is a guaranteed fit for your situation, some deeper reflection is necessary to successfully declutter your home. “If you don’t address the root cause of why clutter accumulates in the first place—like not having an efficient system or not being mindful of new items coming in—your space will become cluttered again, no matter how many bins or baskets you have.”
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand’s home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, “What’s in My Cart.”
