Whatever your home cleaning and organization dilemmas are, different home organization philosophies are here to help you out in maintaining a clutter-free and tidy home.
All over the World Wide Web are millions of tidying and home organization tips. And, somehow it may overwhelm you and confuse you on where to start. Or, maybe make you think your organization dilemmas are impossible to be solved.
To inspire you to achieve a tidier and more organized home, here are different home organization philosophies you can try and apply:
The One In, One Out Rule
by Colleen Madsen
Colleen Madsen of 365 Less Things came up with the One In, One Out Rule to reduce her stuff one day at a time. With this rule, she got rid of unutilized items in every part of her home which she then gave away, sold, or threw away.
Colleen’s home organization philosophy is simple; for every item that comes into the home, something else must go out too. Although it sounds easier than done, it greatly prevents the over-accumulation of random household items.
The one item that comes in and comes out can be anything. For example, if you bought a new furniture, make sure to also get rid of an old furniture or any huge item as well. Always stick to this rule to maintain a spacious home.
To guide you, visit her 365 Less Things blog which is packed with guides in decluttering the home.
Project 333
by Courtney Carver
Courtney Carver’s Project 333 aims to challenge men and women of all ages to stick with dressing up with only 33 items or less for three months. This minimalist fashion challenge’s main goal is to help people live simply by dressing simply.
With the Project 333 challenge, your closet will be more organized, spacious, and clutter-free. If you think 33 items seem too little for you, you can choose another number. What’s important is to train yourself to live with lesser items.
With less clothing items and accessories taking space in your closet, there will also be less to clean and tidy up. More than that, you can even practice and improve your fashion skills in mixing and matching limited pieces of clothing.
For inspiration, check #project333 on Instagram or view Project 333’s Pinterest community board.
The KonMari Method
by Marie Kondo
When it comes to tidying methods and philosophies, Marie Kondo’s KonMari Method seems to be of the highest popularity. With the KonMari method, she’s helped many people transform their cluttered homes into spaces of serenity.
The KonMari method is popular for different tidying principles such as tidying all at once, tidying by category and not by location, tidying in the right order (clothes, books, papers, miscellaneous), and discarding things that don’t spark joy.
Kondo’s tidying philosophy doesn’t only drastically organize homes; it organizes lives too. In fact, it can help you reevaluate the things you own – whether they’re achieving a purpose, sparking joy, or merely holding you in the past.
If you follow Kondo’s KonMari method, all that’ll be left in your home will be things that spark joy.
The 12-12-12 Challenge
by Joshua Becker
If your home is full of clutter and in desperate need of organization, challenge yourself and your family members with the 12-12-12 challenge. It entails throwing away 12 items, donating 12, and returning 12 back to their proper homes.
Joshua Becker, a famed minimalist and the founder and editor of Becoming Minimalist, came up with the 12-12-12 challenge to make home organization fun and exciting. With his challenge, you can organize 36 home items at once.
For Becker and his family, the 12-12-12 challenge also becomes a fun competition. Truly, he brings home organization into a whole new level. You can try it in your home too and see how organized all areas of your home can be.
To get started in living a better life with lesser items, you can check out Becker’s top posts here.
The Five-Minute Philosophy
by Leo Babauta
We know that clearing out clutter can take too much time in your daily schedule. That’s why we love Leo Babauta of Zen Habits’ Five-Minute Philosophy which offers a practical solution for busy people who aim to organize their homes.
Instead of exerting all your home organizing efforts in a span of a day, Babauta advices to just allot a few minutes of your time – five minutes daily. Besides making home organization less taxing, it’s doable and easy to accomplish.
You would never feel overwhelmed with your clutter again if you follow this five-minute philosophy. All you need is to take five minutes daily to clear out your home’s clutter, one at a time. If you’re consistent, you’ll see great results soon.
For a jumpstart, check out Leo Balbauta’s great ways to declutter – five minutes at a time – here.
The One-Month Cardboard Box Test
by Peter Walsh
Peter Walsh, an Australian-American professional organizer and best-selling author, aims to help people live richer lives with organization. His One-Month Cardboard Box Test helps eliminate unused items from all areas of the home.
To do this test, just empty the contents of any specific drawer into a cardboard box. For a month, put an item into its drawer only if you take it out of the cardboard box to use it. If an item is still in the box after a month, you don’t need it.
Items that stay inside the cardboard box after a month are items you don’t really use anymore. Four weeks of no use only means these items are off to go. So, it’s better to throw them away or if they’re still usable, give them to charity.
You can start improving your life and your home with Walsh’s #31Days2GetOrganized challenge.
Review and examine the different home organization philosophies discussed above. Then, feel free to experiment which philosophy will work best for you and your home. You’ll be amazed that these philosophies will help you organize all other areas of your life too. Be inspired to tidy up!
