9 Questions To Help Declutter Your Home and Life

Clutter has a sneaky way of multiplying until your drawers, shelves, and sanity all feel a bit overcrowded. But don’t despair, sometimes all you need are the right questions to help you let go. Keep reading for 9 simple but powerful questions that will guide you toward a clearer, calmer home and life!

When it comes to decluttering and getting organized, there’s no set of instructions that works for everyone all the time.

There’s no checklist of things you should or shouldn’t keep. There’s no perfect system. There’s no “one right way” to do it. And there’s certainly no magical solution to prevent clutter from eventually building up again.

How’s that for motivational? 😂

Your home, family, life, and junk drawer are unique… but what if I gave you a set of simple questions that, when answered honestly, could drastically expedite your decluttering efforts?

Sound good?

As you continually work to declutter your home and as you consider new purchases to bring into your home, use these 9 questions as your guide…

1. Do I actually like this item?

This might seem obvious — but it’s still worth asking, because if you don’t even like the item in question, it’s not worth the space in your home.

Also, if you’re hanging on to an item because you feel you should like it (memorabilia, brand-name clothing, a gift from a relative, etc.), I can save you a bunch of stress and angst by giving you permission to declutter those items now. It’s unlikely you will suddenly start liking the item, so why not enjoy the extra space!

Make it a mission to surround yourself with things you love and enjoy — not things you feel obligated to hang on to or things you are trying to force yourself to like.

And for things you don’t love but other household members DO love, create a space for their loved items that isn’t always in your space (maybe in their bedroom or closet).

2. How many of the items do I have/need?

There are times when it’s useful to have several of the same thing (we have at least 8 flashlights and use them in different areas of our home). There are other times when we can easily make do with only 1 or 2 of an item, so I purge the rest.

On the rare occasions I need or want more than the number I have, I can either borrow something from a friend or make do with another item I already have in the house (see #8 below!)

3. How many uses does this item have?

This is the first question I ask myself when considering any new kitchen gadgets! It’s so easy to get caught up in buying fun kitchen gadgets (especially when I find them at thrift stores), but if the item only does one task and it’s not a task I need on a regular basis, the item stays on the store shelf!

I also question this when buying clothing — if it won’t mix and match well with most of my other clothes, I don’t buy it. If I need something for a special occasion or a kid’s item they might only wear a few times, I try to borrow the item so I can simply return them and enjoy more space in our own closets!

If I neglect to ask this question, I end up with lots of things I don’t use or wear very often… which brings us to the next question…

4. When did I wear/use this last?

If you can’t remember, it’s time to declutter!

Also, make a mental note not to purchase those types of items in the future. Whether it’s a style of clothing that no longer flatters your figure, a type of snack your family no longer enjoys, or decorations that are no longer your style — just stop buying them in the first place!

5. Does this item have real value for me?

Sometimes the “value” is monetary; other times it is sentimental value that causes us to keep various items in our home. Either way, this is an important distinction when decluttering.

Expensive things or very sentimental items likely hold more precedence than dollar store items (assuming you actually use them, like them, and have a place to store them).

However, just because something was expensive or is sentimental does not automatically give you a free pass to keep it forever and ever.

6. How much space does this item take up?

It’s one thing to hang onto a few of your favorite baby clothes or special books… it’s another thing to hang on to your grandmother’s entire set of bedroom furniture when you don’t have an extra room for it.

The space something takes up should be an important factor in deciding to keep an item or not. If the item is very large, it should have significant value and use to warrant the space it takes away from other items/activities in your home.

7. Is this a just-in-case item?

We all have them. That old sweatshirt “just in case you need something to get dirty in” or a half-broken coffee maker “just in case your current coffee maker dies mid-brew.”

My advice… declutter these items if the “just-in-case” scenarios have never actually happened.

Also, refer to my next question.

8. Can I make do without this item?

I’ll save you the hassle and say YES… most of the time!

In our day and age of thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, and overnight delivery, we can find almost anything we need within a day or two… in the meantime, we can live without the item in question until the new one arrives.

Or, consider borrowing a rarely used item from a friend, neighbor, or family member when you actually need it.

9. Is this item worth the resources it uses?

Does the item really deserve the space, time, money, and other resources it uses?

Remember, you need to clean around it, maintain it, pay for it, update it, wash it, etc., etc. Spending extra resources on items you barely use and don’t even love is not being a good steward of your resources.

As with all habits, it will take time to consistently remember to ask yourself these questions — but they will eventually become second nature if you ask them regularly.

You’ll automatically run through some or all of these questions as you contemplate a potential purchase or as you go through your cabinets and closets in an effort to purge, and you’ll think to yourself, “That wasn’t so bad!”

Which question resonates most with you?

And would you add any questions to my list?