What Is The Highly Effective 20/20 Rule For Decluttering?

If you've been feeling overwhelmed lately, take a moment to glance around your living space. While you may not realize it, the state of your home could be having a huge impact on your mental health. Perhaps your house is clean but looking a little chaotic or cluttered. Maybe you've been thinking about paring down your items but find that decluttering is an almost impossible task.

Decluttering is extremely important to maintaining a well-functioning and peaceful home. As Organized 31 points out, if you have an excess of possessions, organizing won't do you any good – you'll just move items around your home without seeing any real progress. This is why decluttering, or getting rid of items you no longer use or need, is so necessary.

If you have trouble getting rid of items, you'll benefit from the information below. There's a method that could help you decide to get rid of lots of your unused possessions, and it's called the 20/20 rule.

Perhaps, while attempting to declutter, you find yourself holding onto items "just in case" you may need them in the future. If so, you may want to try out the 20/20 rule. According to the Decluttering School, this method says that if you can replace something for less than $20 and in less than 20 minutes, you should get rid of it. This means that the cheap kitchen gadget you haven't used for years or the basic T-shirt in the back of your closet can be donated, because with a simple trip to the store and a small amount of money, it could easily be replaced. 

This rule is so helpful because it gives you permission to get rid of things without the fear of possibly needing them in the future. It's also highly effective — The Minimalists say that almost everything they have gotten rid of they haven't ever had to replace in the future. Additionally, they also use this rule when traveling, and say it has made their lives so much simpler.

If you're needing additional decluttering advice, below are more tips you could follow. These will help you pare down your excess of items so you can feel freer and have a more peaceful home.

Clean Plates suggests beginning by placing similar items in piles. This'll allow you to see how much of one item you own so you can declutter duplicates. Another great tip is to find a place for everything (and it can't be on the floor or the counter). This will give each possession a home that it can be returned to after being used. And, remember to return each item to its rightful place, so that the clutter doesn't continue to build.

Additionally, Jane at Home says that she separates items into three piles when decluttering: keep, donate, and maybe. The maybe pile allows her to give certain items a second look so she can be confident that she's not getting rid of something she wants or needs. This pile could also be a great place to implement the 20/20 rule.