MomSkoop
A cluttered home can make you feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unable to relax. When your space is filled with too much stuff, it becomes harder to think clearly and enjoy your surroundings. The good news is that a few simple decluttering rules can transform your home into a calm, peaceful retreat where you actually want to spend time.
1. Keep Flat Surfaces Clear
Ever notice how a messy counter makes the whole room feel chaotic? Countertops, tables, and desks attract clutter like magnets, but keeping them mostly empty creates instant calm.
Make it a daily habit to clear off your kitchen counters before bed. Only leave out items you use every single day, like a coffee maker or fruit bowl.
When flat surfaces stay clear, your eyes have a place to rest. Your brain interprets this visual simplicity as order and peace, making the entire space feel more relaxing and welcoming.
2. One In, One Out Rule
Want to stop clutter from creeping back into your life? Every time you bring something new home, remove one similar item you already own.
Bought a new shirt? Donate an old one from your closet. Got a new book? Pass along one you’ve already read.
This simple swap keeps your belongings at a manageable level without requiring massive purging sessions. You maintain balance naturally, and your home stays peaceful because stuff never piles up faster than it leaves. Plus, someone else gets to enjoy what you no longer need.
3. Create a Home for Everything
Clutter happens when items don’t have a specific place to live. Keys get tossed on tables, mail piles up on counters, and shoes scatter across the floor.
Assign every single item in your home a designated spot. Keys go in a bowl by the door, mail gets sorted at a desk, shoes live in a basket or closet.
When everything has a home, putting things away becomes automatic instead of stressful. You’ll spend less time searching for lost items and more time enjoying your peaceful, organized space where everything makes sense.
4. Follow the 90/90 Rule
Here’s a powerful question to ask about any item: Have I used this in the last 90 days, and will I use it in the next 90 days?
If the answer is no to both, it’s probably time to let it go. This rule cuts through the emotional attachment we feel toward things we’re keeping just in case.
You’ll be surprised how much you’re holding onto that serves no real purpose in your daily life. Releasing these items frees up space and energy, making room for what truly matters and creating that peaceful atmosphere you crave.
5. Limit Decorative Items
Did you know that too many knick-knacks can actually make you feel anxious? Each decorative object competes for your attention, creating visual noise that prevents relaxation.
Choose quality over quantity when it comes to decor. Display only your absolute favorite pieces—things that bring you genuine joy or hold special meaning.
Rotate seasonal decorations instead of leaving everything out year-round. When you limit what’s on display, each item gets to shine and your space feels intentionally curated rather than cluttered. Your home becomes a gallery of your most treasured pieces.
6. Use the Four-Box Method
Feeling overwhelmed about where to start? Grab four boxes and label them: Keep, Donate, Trash, and Relocate.
Work through one room or area at a time, placing every item into one of these categories. Keep only what you use and love, donate what’s still good but no longer serves you, trash what’s broken, and relocate items that belong in other rooms.
This method gives you a clear system that takes the guesswork out of decluttering. You’ll make faster decisions and see progress quickly, which motivates you to keep going until your home feels peaceful again.
7. Embrace Empty Space
Empty space isn’t wasted space—it’s breathing room for your mind and soul. Many people feel the need to fill every corner, shelf, and wall, but this creates overwhelming visual clutter.
Allow some areas of your home to remain purposefully empty. Leave gaps between items on shelves, keep some walls bare, and resist filling every inch of floor space with furniture.
These open areas give your eyes and mind a place to rest. They make rooms feel larger, more peaceful, and easier to clean, transforming your home into a true sanctuary.
8. Digitize Paper Clutter
Paper multiplies faster than rabbits. Bills, receipts, school papers, magazines, and mail can quickly take over your home and create stress.
Scan important documents and store them digitally in organized folders on your computer or cloud storage. Shred what you don’t need and unsubscribe from junk mail.
Set up a simple filing system for the few papers you must keep in physical form. Going mostly paperless dramatically reduces visual clutter, makes finding documents easier, and gives you more physical space to enjoy. Your desk will thank you, and so will your peace of mind.
9. Implement the 10-Minute Nightly Reset
What if you could wake up to a peaceful home every single morning? Spend just ten minutes before bed doing a quick reset of your main living spaces.
Put away items that migrated to the wrong rooms, wash dishes, fold the throw blanket, and return remotes to their spot. Fluff pillows and wipe down counters.
This tiny habit prevents clutter from accumulating and compounding. You’ll start each day in a calm, organized space instead of facing yesterday’s mess. Those ten minutes are an investment in tomorrow’s peace of mind and a smoother morning routine.
10. Purge Duplicates Ruthlessly
How many spatulas, scissors, or phone chargers do you really need? Most homes have multiples of the same item scattered in different places, taking up valuable space.
Go through your belongings and identify duplicates. Keep your favorite version of each item and donate or discard the rest.
You don’t need five can openers or three sets of measuring cups. Eliminating duplicates frees up drawer and cabinet space, makes finding things easier, and reduces decision fatigue. Your streamlined collection will serve you better than an overwhelming abundance of similar items ever could.
11. Practice the Touch-It-Once Rule
Stop shuffling things from place to place. When you pick something up, deal with it right then instead of setting it down to handle later.
Sort mail immediately over the recycling bin. Put laundry directly into drawers instead of leaving it in baskets. File papers as soon as they arrive.
This rule eliminates those annoying piles of stuff waiting to be dealt with eventually. You save time and mental energy by handling tasks once instead of repeatedly moving items around. Your home stays naturally organized, and that nagging feeling of unfinished business disappears, leaving only peace.