
How to declutter your home in five steps, according to the experts
Overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in your home? Here’s how to thoroughly detox in a few simple steps
Now the Christmas decorations have been restored to their rightful position in the attic, the absence of tinsel and fairylights festooning your home’s halls may have unveiled something even more testing: an abundance of clutter. While we all aim for our houses to be sanctuaries of calm, it’s not abnormal to hoard a few too many things – but issues arise when you can’t differentiate the joy from the junk. If that sounds like you, we’re here to help.
Having tapped into the uber-organised creative nous of Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman, founders of The Declutter Hub, you’re in good hands. As the UK’s top decluttering experts, with a leading podcast boasting more than 2.5 million downloads, the duo are currently gearing up for the release of their new book next month. Here, they offer their five top tips for emotions-based decluttering and long-lasting organisation. Ta da.

Lesley Spellman, left, and Ingrid Jansen from The Declutter Hub

Incorporate a non-negotiable reset into your day
Designate times you want your home to be at its tidiest. If you’re a stay-at-home parent this may be after school drop off and after bath time. If you go to work, it may be before you leave for the office and after dinner. If you have a busy house, chances are you will need at least two resets a day, which may involve activities such as making your bed, putting on a load of laundry, doing the dishes, and clearing your work surface. Decide on the daily tasks that are non-negotiable in your house, share them with other members of your household and stick to them regardless of how tired you are. Before long, they will become a habit you don’t even think about.
Build up your decluttering muscle
In the same way as you would approach a physical muscle, treat decluttering and organising as a metaphorical muscle. When setting out to get rid of things, start with easier, less emotional rooms in your home, like the kitchen, bathroom or linen cupboard. You will still find items that are tricky to let go of, but normally these rooms are more straightforward to do, since the items have fewer emotions attached to them. Once your decluttering muscle has started to flex you can move onto more tricky categories like books, paperwork and sentimental items.
Start small
Declutter and organise one drawer or one cupboard at a time. Think of your energy levels, how much time you have and what other tasks might come your way and then allocate a short burst of time. Make sure to declutter when your energy levels are at their highest since it requires repeated decision making. If you’re not a morning person, leave the decluttering to later in the day. Also, break it down – one hour at a time works for many but don’t overstretch yourself. If you feel exhausted and overwhelmed after a decluttering session, you’re not going to be motivated to continue.
Designate donation and tidying spots
Have a designated spot in your home where you can keep things you find that you want to donate. It saves them from ending up in piles all over the house and makes it easy to declutter as you go. Just a simple crate, box or bag for life will do.
Also use a catch-all basket. All those things you find on your daily reset that belong elsewhere in the house can be gathered together and redistributed in one go, rather than taking several trips up and down stairs. It will save time looking for lost things and energy; a hallway or bottom stair is the perfect spot for your basket.

Operate a one-in, one-out policy
Decluttering your home is not just a one and done exercise. It needs to be a permanent cycle of evaluating what is in your home already and importantly what enters your home. If you know shopping is your achilles heel, you need to become more intentional about what you buy. If you are going to buy something new, decide in advance what one thing needs to go to make space for it. That way your home is clutter free and stays that way. If you are set on paring down, a one in two out policy might work better for you.
Read more: Inside Sims Hilditch’s £16m show home at The OWO, Whitehall