The Wild But Effective 'Poop Rule' Will Change How You Declutter

Having an organized and decluttered home doesn't always come easy. After all, organization techniques like Marie Kondo's KonMari method might not work for everyone. Frankly, deciding what items to let go of can be hard, especially if you think you might find the possessions useful later on or if they carry a sentimental value. Removing clutter and figuring out which things to keep, toss, or donate can be a monumental task — that is, unless you have the right tricks to help you succeed. This hack might involve something you might not expect and could potentially just be grossed out by: poop.

Yes, you read that correctly. To try this rule, simply ask yourself this question: is the item important, useful, or valued enough that you would go through the trouble of washing it if you somehow got poop on it? Be honest, look around your home and you might find that there are simply some items you would definitely just toss into the garbage if they came into contact with excrement. This rule might be a little more clear-cut and easy to follow than debating the value of every little item you might want to get rid of. 

Frankly, clutter can be overwhelming to many people out there, but this trick may be especially helpful for keeping your home organized if you have ADHD, as TikToker @adhdorganized explains. It will be helpful for anyone who needs visual or mental hacks to help them stay on-track and make decisions. However, to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed, declutter one category of items at a time when following this rule. You may want to begin with your clothes, then move to decorations and knick knacks, and finally head to the playroom to consider toys.

However, know that there are two main caveats to this rule. First, while some people may find it helpful, others may consider it to be quite disgusting. Those who think they might throw away just about everything they own if it was covered in excrement might not find this trick that beneficial. Second, this rule is better suited when decluttering certain items over others. For instance, you might think that you'd throw away all your books if they were covered in poop, since they would be nearly impossible to clean. Furthermore, this rule also makes more sense for non-essential items and not necessary things like kitchenware or expensive items that would be easily damaged like electronics. If you find that this trick just doesn't work for you, check out some of our other best strategies for decluttering your home.