The 10% Rule: The Easiest Way To Declutter Your Home

Want to Get Organized?

decluttered cosmetics displayed in a bin
Photo: @doneanddonehome

Decluttering Doesn’t Have To Terrify You

If you follow professional organizers regularly, you’ll know that decluttering is the gold standard for getting your home in shape. Before you try to figure out where things will go, before you buy pretty bins and baskets, before you create routines and systems, you must declutter!

Does that strike fear into your heart? Does it make you want to give up immediately? Do you feel like we’re trying to convert you to minimalism?

Don’t panic, we’re going to share a secret with you – you can declutter like a boss and it can be painless and stressfree.

You don’t have to give away all your possessions. You don’t have to let go of the sentimental items you love. You don’t even have to make a huge dent in the amount of things you own.

a man's closet with the correct amount of clothes
Photo: @doneanddonehome

Here’s The Secret

All you have to do is reduce what you own by 10%.

10%!?! We can feel the anxiety from here. But it’s not as much as it seems! Take a deep breath and stick with us.

Let’s look at that pile of jeans you have hanging out in your closet. How many pairs do you have? For the sake of easy math (and really, who needs complicated math?), let’s say you have ten. How many do you wear? 5 or 6? So letting go of one should be completely painless. We all have that one pair that has never really fit quite right. They were probably a mistake from the moment you bought them in the store, but you had high hopes. No shame in that. But if you look at them honestly, you know you’re never actually going to wear them. Bye 10%!

color coded jeans in a closet
Photo: @doneanddonehome

You Still Have To Put In Some Work

See? So easy! Of course getting rid of one pair of jeans isn’t going to make your home magically organized. The point is, organization – no matter how you go about it – is an ongoing process. You can’t get organized one time and expect that to last forever.

This is where 10% will make a difference. Start in your closet. Go to your dresser (bye holey socks), move on to the junk drawer, even attack your pantry. Getting rid of a box of stale crackers or expired beans will set you on a path to success!

If you continue to reduce by 10% on a continuous basis, you’ll find you have so much more breathing room. It’s a system we use constantly in our own homes. It only takes a second to evaluate a space that seems a bit overcrowded or tight, and by removing just one item, you’ll begin to see how a space can work better for you.

Don’t believe us? Give it a try. If you get rid of 10% today, of any category in your home, that’s 10% more than if you did nothing! And if you want more results even faster, we have an entire course dedicated to helping you organize every single space in your home. Almost ten years of experience working in our own homes, the home of friends and family and the homes of our clients all condensed into one easy to read, non-judgmental space! Love Your Home Again is full of photos, printouts and examples to lead you to success!

a decluttered food cabinet
Photo: @doneanddonehome