I'm no stranger to decluttering. I minimised my bedroom with the Ski Slope Method, stripped back my living room with Swedish Death Cleaning and almost gutted my entire flat as I gradually removed 465 things as part of the 30-Day Minimalism Game.
Put it like this: I test methods so regularly that I have to actively let the clutter collect in between (thank goodness my partner is messy). The trouble is, while effective, none of these techniques feel like a permanent solution. So I thought it was time to put my experience to good use and create one that ticks every box.
I wanted a method that wouldn’t overwhelm or consume my weekends, turning my home into a huge mess in the process. It needed to be flexible to work around my schedule. And I wanted something that wouldn’t let my home easily revert to a cluttered state – sounds too good to be true, but this is the declutterer’s dream.
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Above all, it needed to be manageable: not too demanding or offputting. I wanted to be able to keep up with my regular chores, too, so my home ticked along as usual. And so Declutter By Degrees was born.
The rules of Declutter By Degrees
- Choose what you declutter each day based on your routine. So if you shower first thing, it’s the shower caddy; if you get dressed first, start with your lingerie. By doing this, you’ll see the effects of your work immediately, which will motivate you.
- Keep your zones small and manageable; break them up if needed. So you might do your jeans one day and your shirts the next. Tackle cupboards one drawer or shelf at a time so they don’t overwhelm you. For a large storage cupboard, organise it portion by portion.
- Spend 20 minutes a day decluttering – that’s all. Use a timer if you want, but don’t rush. It’s not a game and you don’t want to make any hasty decisions. If you still have work to do after 20 minutes, save what's left for the following day. If you finish your area within 20 minutes, you get the remainder of the time off! Plus there’s no set time to complete your declutter: just do it bit by bit until you’re happy with the result.
- You get two days off from the method per week, so it doesn’t turn into a burden. You might want to have weekends off, or if you have plans one night, take that off instead.
- Don’t move on to your next area until you’ve removed the clutter from the current session.
- If an area you’ve previously decluttered appears to be reverting to mess, then that’s your next 20-minute target.
- Use the time to give the area a clean and consider whether storage solutions or a change in organisation would help you get more out of the space.
Handy storage solutions
Here’s what happened when I tried the Declutter By Degrees method
DAY 1 - I decided I’d declutter on weekdays and keep my weekends free for my usual cleaning routine. Day one began with my lingerie drawer. I pulled everything out and organised it into categories, before removing items I no longer needed. I donated a belt and a bra (after washing) to my local clothes bank, and several pairs of unused socks to my mum, who snapped them up. I also moved my summer socks into long-term storage. The drawer was renewed within 12 minutes. I decided to purchase a couple of lingerie organisers to make better use of the space and to keep things separated.
DAY 2 - My organiser for the lingerie drawer arrived, so I fitted that first. I was pleased with the results; I had less in the drawer than I started with, but it was all I needed and everything was much more accessible. Next was the left side of my bathroom cabinet, where I store my contact lenses, medicines and makeup. There wasn’t too much in there, so I managed to do all three shelves within the 20 minutes, but I needed to find new homes for the unopened items, which would take more time.
I messaged my family there and then to check if they wanted them, and I put the rest to one side to give away to my colleagues. I only kept the things I knew I’d use – everything else was out, including expired medicine and makeup (you can safely dispose of medicine at pharmacies). Product samples were lined up where I’d see and use them, and empty perfume boxes were recycled.
DAY 3 - I pulled out my T-shirt drawer and sorted through it. Four things were immediately set aside for donating or recycling, including a greying white T-shirt and a pair of old leggings. I also removed a souvenir T-shirt and some summer tops for long-term storage. I even had time to try on a couple of items to check if they still fitted me. Everything else was placed back neatly by category: leggings, work tops and T-shirts – all with two minutes to spare. I then had the weekend off to take a break, and could already see the results of my efforts. I decided some drawer dividers could help to keep this space organised, so I started doing some research and measuring up.
DAYS 4-5 - I wore jeans on these days, so I decluttered the lowest drawer of my chest of drawers. I moved summer items to long-term storage, donated a couple of items that no longer fitted and gave a pair of unwanted linen trousers to my mum. Shamefully, there were also a couple of pairs of brand-new jeans in there. I wanted to set the dye before wearing them or it would transfer everywhere, including car seats and handbags, so I spent 20 minutes the next day doing just that: I soaked them in saltwater to lock the dye, then put them in a cold wash. Everything in the drawer was reorganised by category. And I can finally wear my new jeans!
DAY 6 - I did my hair in the morning, so I decluttered the right-hand side of my bathroom cabinet. I got rid of expired sheet masks, moving those still in date next to my bath, where they’re more likely to be used. I also removed an old electric toothbrush that no longer worked and set aside several old lipsticks that were barely used. After being emptied, these can be recycled, along with other makeup containers, at many Boots and Superdrug stores, but I donated mine to the GHI for dishwasher testing! I also moved my travel bottles of shampoo and body oils into the shower, where they’ll be used.
DAY 7 - I wore a dress, so I focused on my dresses that evening. There wasn’t much work to be done as I’d recently tried the Reverse Hanger technique, which had sorted most of these. Having said that, I still got rid of three dresses – two well-worn and another that no longer fitted, which I listed on Vinted that weekend. What remained was categorised: work dresses, evening dresses, summer dresses, etc. I’ve also now switched my plastic hangers over to velvet ones to save space and improve grip.
DAYS 8-9 - I was working from home, so I turned my attention to my desk. I moved all my business cards into my digital contacts before recycling them, then moved three empty notebooks to the bookcase, where they wouldn’t be in the way. There was lots of junk paperwork that could be recycled, too, and I ordered and fitted a desk organiser to sort the rest. I also had lots of old issues of GH on my desk, from which I wanted to cut and file my work, so I spent the next day doing that.
DAY 10 - Next came my jewellery box. I went through my necklaces, only keeping the ones I wear regularly. I gave an unworn one to my mum. Another was looking tarnished, so I set this and some earrings aside to be cleaned at the weekend. I also found a stack of memory sticks in here from press events and university, so I need time to go through those, too.
DAY 11 - As I grabbed my shoes to head out of the door, I realised these were next. I didn’t think there was much to do as I’d recently decluttered my shoe rack. But I still found plenty! I removed a pair of dusty boots to sell, sent a pair of sandals to the clothes bank and set aside some cowboy boots that were too tight (I’d try wearing them indoors to see if I could bear to wear them in). I categorised the rest and saved quite a bit of space – I could even fit a pair of my partner’s shoes on the rack, although his are huge by comparison.
DAY 12 - The following day was too hot to declutter, so I skipped it and saved it for the weekend. By this point, I’d moved on to decluttering based on what I did when I got home from work. On day 12, I reached for my vitamins from the junk drawer – then realised what I’d done. There was a large pile of receipts in there to go through, and quite a bit of expired makeup. I kept hold of warranties and offered an unused business card holder to my sister, who happily accepted.
DAY 13 - I grabbed a glass of squash when I got home, so I sorted through my glassware next. There wasn’t much to be decluttered thanks to the 30-Day Minimalism Game. But I reorganised it and even found some fancy-coloured glassware to place front and centre. I resisted decluttering the mugs for now – that was a problem for another day. This took 12 minutes in total.
DAY 14 - It was chilly, so I took my coat to work for the first time in a while; that meant my coats were up next. I moved two summer jackets from the coat hooks into garment bags for long-term storage. Another coat needed a freshen up, so I set that aside to take to the dry-cleaner’s. The rest were already categorised. I only left the coats worn regularly on the hooks by the front door.
DAY 15 - I was feeling peckish when I got home from work, so I grabbed a packet of crisps; why did I do that?! I considered cheating and sorting my junk post instead, as I’d touched that first, but that’s something I usually tidy anyway, so doesn’t count. I pulled everything out of that food cupboard. Sadly, there were a few opened items that had expired, and even a Christmas pudding I never knew we had (now gifted to my partner’s family). I reorganised what remained by type and moved soon-to-expire items to the front. I also ordered a couple of lazy Susan turntables to give me better access around the corner of the cupboard.
DAY 16 - I put a wash on once home, which meant one of my cleaning cupboards was next. After giving the shelf a much-needed dust, I organised everything by type and what was used most often. Stain removers went at the back, followed by carpet cleaners and floor cleaners, with detergents at the front. Items I’d never or rarely used were taken into the office to offer out. It’s better to find a new home for household cleaners once opened if you're not going to use them often, as these can expire.
DAY 17 - I spent my 20 minutes sorting through the clutter that was accumulating in my living room. I made a list of things I needed to do at the weekend: charity-shop run, upload items on Vinted, etc. Then I moved some items to their new homes. The room looked much better.
DAY 18 - Then came another cupboard in the kitchen – the one where I keep the squash (you can tell I’m a creature of habit). This was speedy to clean. Some items in here I’d purchased for testing and knew I’d never use, so I offered them to other members of the family. I also pulled out a blender to get myself using it, recycled a few instruction manuals and folded the spare tea towels so they weren’t in a mess. It looked almost empty by the time I was finished!
DAY 19 - Today, I filled a water bottle before getting on the train, so I tackled my water bottle collection. Sounds silly, but these soon mount up – I had eight in total in my cupboards! I offered them out and my partner’s mum, dad and sister took four of them. Another was well-used, but as it was from Orla Kiely, rather than recycle it, I decided to repurpose it as a vase on my kitchen table. It matches the tableware and looks great. I gave one to my partner and kept the remaining two, as they’re sentimental and personalised.
DAY 20 - A handbag fell on my head when I opened the wardrobe, so those were up next. I have a real problem with bags; I have loads but never use most of them. I counted 12 in the wardrobe and three under the bed. That includes one new one I found inside a bigger one – please try not to judge! So, where to start? One bag had been well-worn but was gifted to me, so I initially didn’t want to let it go. After consideration, I knew I wouldn’t use it again, so I decided it was time to find it a new home. Another bag I bought secondhand on eBay. It’s designer, but I never use it, so it was time to try selling it on. There was even a bag with the tags still on that I realised was far too big. I’m still deciding whether to sell it, as I love my bags that much…
The verdict
It took commitment to keep up with five days of decluttering a week, but once the timer had started, it was over in a flash. Plus it gave me the opportunity to declutter spaces I usually wouldn’t.
For instance, after the first month, I had to declutter the fridge and freezer, and I will admit those hadn’t been organised for a while! It’s also been great to wake up each day and see my home gradually get decluttered – but without the regular chores building up. It’s truly made a difference to my day, and while most of the spaces I’ve sorted have stayed sorted, it’s good to know I can revisit them when needed.
As with any method, you do need to keep up with the clutter you sort and be patient. Things can’t always be removed straight away, but you should always have a plan in place to make sure it doesn’t become a permanent addition.
Of course, there can be setbacks. I still haven’t got around to cleaning my jewellery or going through those memory sticks. So add these jobs to your 20-minute routine; no matter how small the task seems, it’s gradually making a difference to your home.
I should also say that this method is designed more for everyday clutter – I wouldn’t recommend timing yourself when sorting through sentimental items, as that can lead to bad decisions.
One last note: only invest in storage solutions once you’ve measured them out and you’re sure they’re right. I couldn’t find extendable dividers to fit my chest of drawers, but luckily, my father-in-law can build some for me, so it won’t add to the clutter. Also, it’s better to keep a list of the storage solutions you want and order those in bulk to save on postage and packaging.
If you’ve been less than impressed by other decluttering methods out there, I urge you to give this one a try. It’s made a big difference to my home in as little as a month. Have fun Decluttering By Degrees!
