What is the 1% rule for decluttering?

Asked by: Clair Gottlieb PhD  |  Last update: February 20, 2026
Score: 4.8/5 (15 votes)

The 1% rule for decluttering is a habit-building method that involves making one small, incremental improvement to your home or surroundings each day, rather than tackling overwhelming projects, leading to significant long-term results through consistent small actions, like tidying one shelf, folding a small pile of laundry, or clearing one surface. It focuses on making your space feel just 1% better to build momentum, reduce anxiety, and create a peaceful, more organized environment over time.

What is the 5 5 5 rule for decluttering?

The 5-5-5 Decluttering Rule (also known as the 5x5 Method) is a quick, manageable system where you pick five zones/areas, set a five-minute timer for each, and tackle decluttering/organizing in those focused bursts, totaling 25 minutes, making it feel less overwhelming. It's a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) approach to tidying, focusing on small, consistent actions rather than big, daunting tasks, often popularized by Steph of The Secret Slob. 

What is the core 4 method of decluttering?

The Core 4 Method was created by professional organiser Kayleen Kelly. It's designed to keep things simple and strip decluttering right back to the basics. The four steps — Clear Out, Categorise, Cut Out and Contain — give you a structured plan that says exactly what it does on the tin.

What is the 135 decluttering method?

In simplest terms, the 1-3-5 decluttering method is a method that seeks to break decluttering down into tasks of varying size and difficulty: 1 could be a large task, 3 is something more medium in nature, and 5 is five small steps towards your goal.

What should I remove first when decluttering?

Start with easy, high-impact areas or categories like trash, expired food, junk drawers, or the tops of surfaces (counters, tables) to build momentum. Focus on visual clutter first (old mail, trinkets) for quick wins, then tackle avoided items (like the coat closet or garage), and finally move to deeper categories like clothes, books, papers, and sentimental items, often by category rather than room.
 

To Declutter Faster, Start with What You Need

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What not to throw away when decluttering?

Don't be too quick to toss items with deep personal significance, such as family heirlooms or cherished photographs. Even in a digital age, certain physical documents remain crucial. Minimalists advise keeping important records like birth certificates and tax documents.

What is the 27 decluttering hack?

27 fling boogie: This is another clever tool to help you declutter. Walk through your home with a garbage bag and collect 27 items. Do not stop until you have 27. Then close the garbage bag and throw it away.

What is the four box method?

The method is commonly referred to as the "four box method" because features of a case are organized under four topics: (1) medical indications, (2) patient preferences, (3) quality of life, and (4) contextual features.

What room to declutter first?

Because the kitchen is a high-traffic zone, organizing this space can quickly ease stress and improve your daily routines. It also sets the tone for decluttering other rooms. If you can tackle the busiest space in the house, everything else becomes more manageable.

What is the Marie Kondo method of decluttering?

The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy.

What is the Ohio method of decluttering?

With OHIO, you can use a method that makes it easier to tackle existing piles or handle incoming papers. The idea: You commit to handling each item only once. As you open a letter or pick up a document from your pile, you make an immediate decision: file it, act on it, delegate it, or discard it.

How to be ruthless when decluttering?

Spring Cleaning; How to be ruthless at decluttering.

  1. The 80/20 rule: Generally speaking, we only wear 20 percent of the clothes we own 80 percent of the time. ...
  2. Is it broken, or does it need fixing? ...
  3. Ask yourself when you used it last. ...
  4. Ask yourself if you love it. ...
  5. If you're worrying, sleep on it.

Which is not a step in the process of decluttering?

Label data directly is not a step in the process of decluttering. Explanation: Removing the unnecessary elements to make the chart consists the clean data is known as Decluttering. It helps in improving the quality of the chart and is impactful.

What is the 10-10-10 rule for decluttering?

The 10-10-10 decluttering rule (or challenge) involves setting a timer for 10 minutes, choosing a small area, and getting rid of 10 items you don't need, then repeating the process, often with the goal of removing 100 items in 100 minutes (or 10 sessions) for a manageable, quick, and consistent way to declutter without getting overwhelmed, as described in Yahoo, Apartment Therapy, Martha Stewart, and Livingetc.
 

How to declutter very fast?

How to Declutter Fast: 6 Simple Tips and Tricks

  1. Tackle the worst room first. The messiest room is probably the one that bothers you the most. ...
  2. Three-point clutter attack. ...
  3. Put everything in its place. ...
  4. Create clutter baskets. ...
  5. Declutter first, then clean. ...
  6. When in doubt, move it out.

What is the rule of 3 for cleaning closets?

The "Rule of 3" for cleaning closets means if you can't think of three different ways you'd realistically wear an item (three outfits or three occasions within a year), it's time to get rid of it to declutter your wardrobe effectively. This method helps you quickly decide on items you might otherwise keep out of habit, focusing on practical use to create more space and a functional closet.
 

What are the biggest decluttering mistakes?

  • 5 Common Decluttering Mistakes.
  • Mistake 1: Getting Overwhelmed and Not Starting at All.
  • Mistake 2: Not Having a Plan or Setting Goals.
  • Mistake 3: Buying Organizing Containers Before Decluttering.
  • Mistake 4: Thinking Sorting & Organizing are the Only Tasks in Decluttering.
  • Mistake 5: Trying To Do It All On Your Own.

What is the correct order to clean your house?

The best order to clean a house is top-to-bottom, starting with decluttering, moving to dusting high surfaces, then cleaning wet areas (kitchens/bathrooms) with cleaners that need dwell time, and finishing by vacuuming/mopping floors, ensuring dirt falls onto uncleaned areas, say experts from Cleaning Institute, CR Maids, and Merry Maids. This systematic approach prevents re-cleaning and makes the process efficient.
 

What makes a house look cluttered?

Hiding the the stuff we need, but don't want: Craft materials, extension cables and cords, holiday decor, and those pesky items that you don't use frequently but do need to keep for the occasional times you do need them are big contributors to clutter.

What is the Jonsen model?

One of the most commonly used models is the Four Topics Model devised by Jonsen et al. This is a case based approach that allows an organized review of the facts and issues in a given case, according to four topics: medical indication, patient preferences, quality of life, and contextual features.

What are the 4 categories for decluttering?

You can follow the four-box method by organising items into the following categories:

  • Keep: Items you love, use, and need.
  • Store: Items that you want to keep but don't use on a day-to-day basis.
  • Donate/sell: Good quality items that deserve a second life.
  • Discard: Anything beyond repair that can be disposed of.

What are the 4 P's of ethics?

ETHICA-4P: an Ethics Toolkit for Harnessing Integrity in Complex Arenas (ETHICA) through the consideration of Place, People, Principles and Practice (4P's). This site provides an ethics toolkit for researchers, practitioners and others who conduct or support research in complex, low income or fragile settings.

How do you drastically declutter?

Here are several interesting decluttering tips to get you started on decluttering your home:

  1. Start with 5 minutes at a time. ...
  2. Give one item away each day. ...
  3. Fill an entire trash bag. ...
  4. Donate clothes you never wear. ...
  5. Create a decluttering checklist. ...
  6. Take the 12-12-12 challenge. ...
  7. View your home as a first-time visitor.

What is the 33 wardrobe rule?

"333 dress code" usually refers to either the minimalist fashion challenge involving 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 pairs of shoes to create outfits, or the business casual/smart casual policy for specific restaurants like Three Thirty Three, which discourages gym wear, tank tops, and flip-flops for a polished look.
 

How to declutter 10 minutes a day?

The 10-10 decluttering method is pretty simple — choose an area, set a timer for 10 minutes and get rid of 10 items in that space. "If you notice other items you don't need, remove them as well, but make sure to stick to the 10-minute timeframe," says professional organizer Tonia Tomlin of Sorted Out.