Do decluttering methods work? An expert’s guide to the most popular

It’s the apparent solution to everything from crafting a beautiful home to maintaining a clear and calm mind. Decluttering has always been part of the home organiser’s arsenal but since the launch in 2019 of Marie Kondo’s Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, it has gone into overdrive.

While charities have been swamped with unwanted donations, “before and after” transformations have proven irresistible to audiences keen to recreate similar results at home. But just as the dust settles on the latest organising method to hit peak popularity, a new approach comes to the fore.

But do they work, or are they just promising an unattainable illusion of perfection?

Lissanne Oliver has been a professional organiser for more than 20 years, helping clients let go of their clutter.Credit: Joe Armao

Lissanne Oliver has been a professional organiser for more than 20 years. A specialist in clearing deceased estates and downsizing, she has walked thousands of clients through the process of letting go of possessions that no longer serve them.

Here is her take on the four most popular decluttering methods.

KonMari

Still the most popular method doing the rounds, KonMari uses a five-step plan of sorting possessions into categories based on whether they have purpose, or “spark joy”. Those that fail the test are “wished well” and discarded. Categories start with clothing, then books, papers, komono (miscellany) and mementos. Kondo sent shockwaves through book loving circles by claiming each household should have no more than 30 books. Two years ago, she added further fuel to the fire, admitting she had given up on a tidy house after the birth of her third child.

Pros: Oliver says her approach – responding to possessions on an emotional level – has merit but you needn’t stick to the categories she has proposed.

“It’s a more random strategy but you can have a lot of fun making the genres your own,” she says.

Oliver notes that some cultural norms in Japan differ to those in the west when it comes to possessions.

“The Japanese are notoriously respectful and I think Australian culture can lack that when it comes to our belongings,” she says. “Things you respect are well cared for, so it’s obvious that broken, damaged or unusable should leave your life. Classic clutter. Get your repair on, or get it moving.”

Marie Kondo sent shockwaves through booklovers’ circles when she suggested households should limit it to 30 books.Credit: ISTOCK

Cons: The main issue Oliver has with this method is time.

“Decluttering in one shot is fairly unrealistic for most people,” she says. “They’d need a heap of time and importantly, mental and physical energy: most would benefit from professional assistance. It’s a lot of work and decluttering means loads of decisions, many of them micro rather than macro.”

Swedish death cleaning

This one emerged in 2017 with the release of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson, who was already an octogenarian at the time (she still describes herself as being aged between 80 and 100). The concept is that once you turn 50, you begin to shed things you no longer need, be it furniture, photos or fabrics, as a gift to those you leave behind. It’s a slow process but a continuous one, and it starts with letting your loved ones know of your plans.

Start with getting rid of less personal items – it could be clothes or books – and then you can move onto things you want family and friends to have. It’s a different journey for everyone and involves conversations, passing down stories and, importantly, simplifying your life as you age.

Pros: Oliver says there is a lot to love about this approach.

“This is a beautiful, mindful practice that one can do at any age – there’s no need to be in your golden years. It gives me a warm feeling just thinking about it.”

She says the focus on story telling is pleasing, as is the gifting of items while you’re still alive. It’s also an act of love.

“There’s less of a burden on others after you die – you’ve managed most of it for them.”

Cons: “I can’t think of any. Scandinavia progressively leads the way in many areas of life,” she says.

The process of Swedish Death Cleaning will look different to everyone but story telling is almost guaranteed.Credit: Getty Images/Image Source

1-3-5 method

Martha Stewart is a fan of this one. The idea is to break tasks down into small, medium and large to not only tackle clutter, but stay on top of it. So, for each large task, you should also complete three medium tasks and five small tasks. Larger tasks will take more time – perhaps a wardrobe clear out – but smaller tasks, like deleting some files from your computer, will take minutes.

This system relies on repetitive action, completing tasks everyday, which is not necessarily achievable in busy households.

Pros: Oliver says by allocating tasks by size, it’s a good method for maintaining focus.

“I would guess it’s saying tackle a sizeable task: an area or genre (hanging clothes) before more frivolous or incidental like the contents of a drawer. Excellent,” she says.

Cons: The main concern is that this is a fairly rigid system, which sets you up for failure.

“I would suggest working this backwards – I love ticking off little jobs first so the larger projects then have my full attention,” she says

DOOM

Not as ominous as it sounds, the DOOM method is almost the opposite of 1-3-5 and chances are you’re already practicing it. It stands for Didn’t Organise, Only Moved and it’s the sort of thing you might do a half hour before guests arrive, racing around the house dropping miscellaneous clutter into boxes to sort later. It does, however, require you to revisit at a later time and do a proper sort through.

Pros: Oliver likes this method for the quick fix it promises.

“This is hilariously good,” she says. “It’s what I’ve long called ‘scoop n dump’. It’s an absolutely fantastic methodology to keep visual clarity.”

If this is your method of choice, she suggests using identical DOOM boxes for an aesthetically pleasing result.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s shoe boxes or fancy containers, it can be paper bags. Anything works – even uniform washing baskets.”

Cons: The most obvious issue with the DOOM system is that it requires you to come back to it and sort through your stuff. If you don’t, you’ve just created a bigger problem.

“Volume may be your nemesis,” she says. “Think of it like your inbox and emails going to a folder but you’ve not dealt with them, you just let them fester.

“You have to have a plan to revisit this stuff. Regularly. I’ve never had a client revisit ‘scoop n dump’ on their own accord, so you have been warned.

“They are little coffins in your cluttered graveyard.”

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