How the ‘Room-by-Room’ Decluttering Approach Could Help You Finally Get Organized

There’s a reason why we write about so many different cleaning routines and decluttering techniques at REAL SIMPLE: There isn’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all method that works for everyone. And as someone who’s failed at several high-profile organizing methods—including Marie Kondo’s “spark joy” idea, I’ve been looking for something that really works. Enter the room-by-room decluttering method, which has been a go-to for many an organizing expert.

In fact, I consulted pro organizers for their take—and tips—to make the room-by-room decluttering method work, and tested it out on my own to see how successful it would be for me. Here’s everything you need to know before trying this technique in your own home.

How Room-by-Room Decluttering Works

This decluttering strategy is all in the name. You pick a room, fully declutter it, then move on to the next one. That means having bins for things you’re trashing, sending along to someone else, or moving to another room—and then finding a home in-room for the items that truly belong there.

It’s a favorite strategy of pro organizers. “We know that the room-by-room organizing method actually works because that is how most of us work with our clients,” says Katrina Teeple, professional organizer and founder of Operation Organization. “We work on one space until it is thoroughly decluttered and organized, instead of doing a little of here and there all over a house.”

Benefits of Decluttering Room by Room

As someone who perennially loses steam as she’s decluttering, there were a lot of potential upsides to a room-by-room approach.

You see big results faster

Doing a little bit here and there—a pile of paper on the desk, the shoes in the entryway—may help reduce the overall clutter in your home, but it doesn’t really move the needle on making it look drastically different. By focusing on a single room at a time, you get to that “big reveal” home makeover moment a lot faster—even if it’s only for a single room.

You create a nice space in your home

Once a room is “done,” it’s so much more enjoyable to spend time in it—as I discovered when I finally plowed my way through several piles of paperwork that had cluttered up my home office for literal years. Not only was I getting more use out of the room, but it offered a respite from the more cluttery spots that remained. “When you declutter going room by room, you have a clean sanctuary to go back to when you’re overwhelmed with your clutter and you need a break from what you’re working on,” says Cian Ballentine, founder of Cannonball Cleaners.

You get more motivation to keep going

Getting those big successes under your belt can make it more enticing to keep going—even when you move on to the more challenging rooms in your home. “Decluttering one room at a time will boost your confidence to move on to another room because you will see real progress and experience the feeling of completion, a feeling we can rob ourselves of if we are not intentional,” Teeple says.  “Doing a little of here and there all over a house doesn’t give the results needed to motivate the average person to keep going.”

Downsides to Going Room By Room

As with every other organizing method out there, there can be some potential hiccups that come with this technique.

You can make the clutter problem worse in another room

As you’re getting rid of stuff in one room, inevitably, you have to find a new home for it. And if the new home hasn’t already been decluttered, that stack of board games or random box of screws is going to end up as a bigger problem somewhere else. “One of the potential drawbacks is that one area of the house—like the basement—inevitably becomes a dumping ground for all the ‘I’m not sure where this lives’ stuff,” Ballentine says. “When you get to the point of cleaning the basement or the craft room or whichever room is where all these extra things ended up, then you have a difficult project ahead of you.”

You don’t see results everywhere

While you’re focused on decluttering one room, your other rooms may be getting less attention—so you may find that the stack of mail grows or the jumble of shoes becomes more problematic while you’re finishing the space you’re focusing on. That happened to my entryway, as not only wasn’t I focused on keeping it neat, I was bringing down all the “giveaway” items and stashing them there. (But a quick visit back to the rooms that were “done” helped keep me motivated!)

Tips for Room-by-Room Decluttering

Ready to test out this decluttering technique? Try these tips from experts—and my own experience—to ensure you end up with an organized home.

Start with a quick win

It can be tempting to start with a “tough” room first, like an overstuffed basement or a too-cluttered kitchen. But you might want to start with a room that’s already in decent shape or that’s a smaller lift to get a quick win in your column. I picked my bathroom, which only took a couple of hours to cross off my list before I was ready to move on.

Don’t leave the room

If you’re starting to sort through books in your living room, you may be tempted to go through the whole category at once, and start gathering your books from your bedroom nightstand, office, or other places where you have them stashed. But to stay successful, you need to stay put. “It may be tempting to get side tracked by solving another area’s clutter crisis while putting something away, but staying committed to one space at a time until it’s complete will lessen the overwhelm and get you to the finish line,” Teeple says.

Break big room projects up into smaller sections

For rooms that you may not get through in a single decluttering session—like your kitchen—consider breaking it up into mini goals. For instance, I took an hour to sort through my spices and organize them with a new in-drawer rack. It didn’t take long, and I got that feeling of satisfaction and a job well done.

Fine-tune your put-it-away bins

Rather than create a single bin that requires stopping at several places along the way, create room-specific put-it-away boxes or bags. That way, you collect everything that needs to head to the kitchen in one bag, and everything that belongs to the bedroom in another. This makes putting those items away so much faster.

Shift the put-it-away bins with you as you move to a new room

If you want to avoid creating a bigger clutter bomb in a room you haven’t worked on yet, consider moving your room-specific put-it-away bins from room to room with you, until you’re ready to work on a particular space, Ballentine suggests.

“If you are using the tote bags or laundry baskets way of going through each space, when you get to the living room you’ve got four bags of stuff that need to find homes in the living room; and when you get to the kitchen, you’ve got all the stuff that needs to be washed and put away; and when you get to the bathroom, you have to find storage spaces for all of the stuff that has ended up scattered.”

Don’t let your to-go stuff linger in your home

Guilty as charged! I tend to get all excited about sharing the things I no longer need with local charities or Buy Nothing groups—but then fail to find time to get those items out of the house to the people who can use them. Some ways to ensure they don’t end up sitting in your entryway for weeks on end:

• Set a deadline for getting rid of the items—and stick with it. Rather than “later,” set a date (and mark it on your calendar) for getting those items out of your home.
• Make an appointment for a charity who can pick up your stuff ASAP. If you get stuck at getting them out the door, look for charities near you who pick up donations. The Salvation Army, AmVets, and Vietnam Veterans of America may be willing to pick up clothing, books, and other small household items.
• Put it in your car instead. Yes, this clutters up your car—but it puts you one step closer to dropping the items off when you’re out and about running errands.
• Post a curb alert. Don’t have time to manage pickups with a Buy Nothing group? Some towns have a local “Curb Alert” group on Facebook, where you can simply put stuff near your curb and let people know it’s there. (Or go ahead and simply put it out in an open box with “Free” marked on it, and see if people pick it up!)

Make sure you fully finish before you move on

It can be tempting to get excited about a nearly completed room and just move on to the next. But Teeple recommends fully completing one room before moving on to the next. “Don’t skip reorganizing what you keep and maintaining the order you created with a few labels and good habits, like putting things back where they belong. Doing this is how orderly households stay organized and clutter-free.”