I’m a decluttering pro and my simple five-step method will help to clear out any room quickly – it works for everyone
A DECLUTTERING expert has revealed his simple five-step method that will help to clear out any room quickly.
It’s officially Spring, which means many people will be clearing out their living spaces ready to let the sunshine through and start afresh.
But learning to part ways with some items may be a bit more difficult than you imagined, which is why The Peter Walsh method may be just the trick.
Research has shown there’s a link between clutter and your sense of wellbeing.
According to WebMD, getting rid of excess stuff can benefit your mental health and make you feel calmer and more in control.
Peter, who has a master’s degree in psychology, has previously offered up a lot of organising tips and tricks in his books.
These include: Let It Go: Downsizing Your Way to a Richer, Happier Life and Enough Already!: Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You.
Peter has also wanted to show families how destructive their clutter could be, and how they can deal with it and in order to do this, he uses a five-step guide.
Here, we reveal his decluttering method and five-step guide to carrying out the process.
Clear it
Start off by cleaning everything out. If you’re choosing to declutter your kitchen, put everything in different bins and stick those bins into another room.
Take each section of the room, bit by bit – instead of pulling everything out of your bedroom, start with your desk area, or wardrobe area, and do each bit in stages.
Set an intention
Create a vision for the space and follow it through.
It could be to have a lot of space in your kitchen so you can cook more often, or your vision for your wardrobe could be to see all your clothes and accessories easily.
Ask yourself what you want from the space, and envision yourself living it.
Sort it
After you remove everything from your room into another room, it’s time to start sorting through it and you need to do this by separating it into two categories which are the “vision” pile and the “out-the-door” pile.
If the product or device you have aligns with your vision, then keep it – and if it doesn’t, then throw it away or donate it.
Bin it
Get rid of what you don’t need by going through the “out-the-door” pile and donating designated items, and recycling the others.
It is important to ensure that the items are not stored anywhere else, and Peter reminds declutterers that “procrastinating” on getting rid of items leads to more clutter.
Envision what you want
Finally, Peter says to move everything from the “vision” pile back into the room and start arranging it into spaces that fit your goal.
And a crucial part to decluttering is to make sure everything you do has its own place.
Many people have commented on the method, and praised the step-by-step guide.
One wrote: “This is very similar to what we are doing right now after a kitchen/dining room/living room remodelling project.
“We emptied all three rooms and are determined to only bring back what we need when we need it.
“We did not expand our space, but we did totally reimagine how we store things in the kitchen.
“I cook all the time and it’s been a revelation how many tools I really use.
“Our plan is to take anything that doesn’t make the cut after six months (2 months to go!) and toss, freecycle, donate or put it in a yard sale.”
Another added: “I agree to have a vision as to what you like to own and what reflects your personality.”
A third said: “This is a brilliant idea. I’m going to try it asap.”