Organising and decluttering your home doesn’t have to be a daunting task and it shouldn't have to cost the earth in order to be effective.
We can make a huge impact on how our home looks and feels, simply by making a few well thought out purchases and getting creative with the way we run our households.
We’ve consulted some of the UK’s top decluttering experts to see how they make even the most boring tasks more effective in their daily lives, so that you can take some handy inspiration from their most-used methods. Read on for their mundane but life-changing tips and tricks...
A kitchen timer for one-minute reset zones
Tidying doesn’t have to take all day and by purchasing a simple egg timer, or setting an alarm on your phone, you’ll be good to go with this life-changing tip. Nicola Lewis, author of Mind Over Clutter, tells Country Living: “A home doesn’t stay tidy by deep cleans, it stays tidy by micro resets.”
How to do it: Choose 3 small drop zones, for example, the kitchen counter, the hallway table, or the bedside cabinet. Once a day, set a one-minute timer per zone and reset it back to how you like, nothing more. No organising. No perfection. Just returning items to their homes.
Why it works: It prevents clutter from building emotional weight. One minute feels doable, even on tired days, and consistency beats motivation every time.
Rattan baskets for the ‘drop basket’ method
Another method that may seem boring, but is actually a great way to organise your clutter, is the ‘drop basket’ method of organising. This is because life is busy; this is a realistic solution that really does benefit the home, says Nicola.
How to do it: Have one basket per floor for things that don’t belong there or don’t have a home. Empty the basket when it’s full, not daily.
Why it works: It stops clutter spreading in that area of the home, it gives you time to sort the area, and it’s less overwhelming to deal with if it’s all contained in one basket. All you’ll need to do before you get started is to purchase some affordable baskets.
A label maker to label your products
A boring but essential organisation task is labelling your products. Heather Tingle, Professional Organiser and Declutterer, tells Country Living: “I love my Dymo Label maker, as it's so useful and removes much of the thinking process, allowing us to instantly see where something needs to go rather than guessing.”
How to do it: This method is especially handy in the kitchen when used with clear plastic containers. For example, in fridges - labeling cheese, fruit, salad, or snack boxes makes it quicker to know what you need to buy when creating a shopping list. The same containerising and labelling method can be used for cleaning materials such as dishwasher tablets and household cleaning products, too.
Why it works: It creates a designated 'secure home' for items so they don't get moved about, and you know instantly if something is lost or needs replacing. Labeling shelving edges for different crockery items also ensures that even if there is nothing already in that space, others can follow the system when emptying the dishwasher or being tasked to put pots away.
A Marie Kondo book for folding clothes effectively
Folding clothes is the ultimate boring task, but Heather tells Country Living: “Almost 10 years ago, I started using the Marie Kondo Method of folding clothes into rectangles and storing them vertically in drawers rather than laying horizontally on top of each other – and it's truly been a game changer.”
How to do it: Fold clothes neatly into rectangles. Instead of placing your clothing items horizontally, the Marie Kondo method involves stacking them vertically, side by side, enabling us to truly see what items we have available.
Why it works: It means you can see instantly what items you have available to wear and that you can take out what you need – without causing any disturbance or rummaging around in the drawer, says Heather. As you no longer only see the top layer of items, the rest don't become invisible, which can lead to buying duplicates and forgetting favourite items just because you haven't worn them lately.
Heather explains: “Putting laundry away is also easier, because everything has a clear slot, and you can fit more in a drawer by storing them this way too. If a drawer won’t close easily, that’s a sign that there’s too much in it. When items are horizontal, everyone still tries to squish them down to fit them in. This doesn't happen with vertical folding, as it makes space obvious. This helps people keep only what comfortably fits whilst storing more.”
For an extra organisational boost and to add to the aesthetics, Heather suggests grouping clothes by colour.
Home organisation edit
Label maker
Tava Handwoven Utility Baskets
Kilner 1.5 Litre Square Clip Top Jar
The Edited Life Back of Door Organiser
Becky is a freelance journalist based in Somerset, UK, specialising in all things home, gardens, lifestyle, and entertainment. With a love of classic rom-coms and a penchant for romanticising her own everyday life, she enjoys embracing cosy, slow living with her family and their crazy Welsh collie, Cookie. Becky has been published in publications such as Cosmopolitan, The Independent, The Evening Standard, The Telegraph, Collider, Happiful Magazine, OK! And many more.
