This Professional Organizer's Simple Storage Rule Makes Decluttering So Much Easier

Decluttering your closet can be very difficult to do. There is a lot of friction involved when it comes to deciding what to prune and give away. Sometimes we're worried we might need the thing we're about to toss, and other times a sunk-cost fallacy kicks in, making us think of the money we spent on the seldom-used item. Then there are the pieces we wish we could fit into or pull off but can't, and the items that have sentimental value and are hard to get rid of. If you're in this pickle and feel like you can't declutter more than a small donation box at a time, then you likely need some guidance on how to move things along. Luckily, professional organizer Kayleen Kelly has a great tip on how to prune, and that is to only keep as much as you can neatly store. 

These might sound like simple guidelines, but having these set perimeters gives you an idea of how much you should really declutter. Sometimes the task feels overwhelming because we assume we have to toss half of our closet to make it feel sufficiently organized. But in reality, you should only own as much as you can comfortably store in the space. Here is a closer look at the pro's tip. 

When it comes to organizing, Kayleen Kelly believes that you can't expect to make a jam-packed closet feel functional. No matter how many bins and organizers you buy, if you have too much stuff, it won't ever comfortably fit in the space. "The number one question I am asked is 'How much should I own?'" she shared in a TikTok video. "You may not want to hear the answer, but it's simple and straight to the point. How much storage do you have, and what can you comfortably fit in your space to make it functional?" Keeping this benchmark in mind will give you an idea of how much you need to purge. This makes the process easier because it also lets you know when you can stop pruning, which makes the task a little less scary.

The reasoning behind Kelly's tip is simple. "I always say you cannot organize yourself out of too much stuff," she shared in her video. Even if you buy thinner and matching hangers, if your wardrobe is stuffed to the max, it will always look disorganized because it cannot comfortably house all of your things. The only solution is to prune. According to the professional organizer, doing this will transform your cluttered closet. Even better, only your standout pieces will remain, since they will no longer be hidden behind heaps of mediocre clothing you didn't like wearing in the first place.

Now that you know that you should only keep as much as you can easily store, it's time to do the actual decluttering. To help you along on that journey, you can also use Kayleen Kelly's DeclutterCore Method. It uses four simple steps. First, remove everything from your closet, and separate any items that don't belong in there. (For example, your pickleboard set that should be stored in the mudroom.) Put that into a bin, and you can carry those items out at the end of the task. Then, group all like-items together, whether it's all your black boots or your piles of white t-shirts. This will give you an idea of what you have an overabundance of, allowing you to prune that first.

Then, when making decisions on what to keep and what to toss, you can use the pro's three-second rule. If you hesitate for three seconds on whether or not to toss it, simply keep it. This takes the fear out of pruning, as it permits you to keep whatever you waffle over. This allows you to declutter without going overboard. The last and final step is to contain, which consists of sorting things into bins, sorters, and organizers, giving every item a specific home. At the end of it, your closet should be airy and maneuverable rather than cramped and overstuffed.