Feeling overwhelmed by clutter but don’t have an entire weekend to spend organizing? Try the 1-3-5 decluttering method—a simple approach that breaks a big cleaning project into manageable steps.
Whether you’re tackling a messy bedroom, overcrowded closet, or cluttered kitchen, the 1-3-5 method helps you focus your energy where it matters most. The result? A cleaner, more organized home without trying to do everything at once.
What Is the 1-3-5 Decluttering Method?
The idea is simple: divide your decluttering project into one big task, three medium tasks, and five small tasks.
- 1 major task: Choose the biggest project that will make the greatest difference.
- 3 medium tasks: Pick three smaller projects that require less time or energy.
- 5 small tasks: Finish with five quick jobs that take only a few minutes each.
This approach keeps decluttering from becoming overwhelming. Instead of looking at your entire home and wondering where to begin, you have nine specific tasks to work through.
Step 1: Tackle the Big Job
Start with your one major decluttering task.
This might mean clearing an entire room, tackling an overloaded storage area, or sorting a large collection of belongings.
Begin by moving through the space and removing obvious clutter. Create separate piles or boxes for:
- Items that belong somewhere else
- Items you want to keep
- Items to donate
- Items to throw away or recycle
- Items you want to place in storage
Once the obvious clutter is gone, you’ll have a much better idea of what you’re actually working with.
Don’t worry about finding a permanent home for everything immediately. First, clear the space. Then organize what remains.
Step 2: Choose Three Areas to Organize
Now it’s time for your three medium-sized tasks. Choose areas that will make a noticeable difference in your home.
1. Bedroom
Start by clearing the surfaces.
Remove unnecessary items from dressers, nightstands, shelves, and other bedroom furniture. Put belongings that don’t belong in the bedroom back where they belong.
Then ask yourself:
Do I use it, need it, or love it?
If the answer is no, consider donating, recycling, discarding, or storing it.
2. Closet and Clothes
Your closet doesn’t have to be tackled all at once.
Start with one drawer, shelf, or section of hanging clothes. Look for clothing that is:
- Worn out or damaged
- No longer the right size
- Uncomfortable
- Outdated and unlikely to be worn
- Something you haven’t worn in a long time
Keep the clothing you actually enjoy wearing and donate items that could benefit someone else.
Working one section at a time makes closet organization much less intimidating.
3. Kitchen
Your kitchen should work for you—not become a storage area for things you never use.
Go through cabinets, drawers, countertops, and the pantry. Look for duplicate, broken, or rarely used items.
Pay particular attention to:
- Small appliances you never use
- Food containers without matching lids
- Chipped or damaged dishes
- Duplicate kitchen tools
- Expired food
- Pots and pans taking up unnecessary space
If an appliance is broken or hasn’t been used in years, it’s probably time to let it go.
For items you don’t use regularly but aren’t ready to part with, self storage can provide another option.
Once you’ve finished your three major areas, give the room a thorough cleaning from ceiling to floor. Decluttering is a lot more satisfying when you can enjoy a truly clean space afterward.
Step 3: Finish With Five Quick Decluttering Tasks
You’ve handled the heavy lifting. Now finish strong with five smaller projects.
1. Clean Out the Refrigerator
Check expiration dates and toss anything that’s past its prime.
Consolidate duplicate items and organize food so older products are toward the front. Following a first-in, first-out approach can help reduce food waste.
2. Declutter Your Cosmetics
Take a look at your bathroom vanity and makeup collection.
Cosmetics don’t last forever. Check product labels and manufacturer recommendations, and discard products that are expired, dried out, damaged, or no longer used.
A few minutes of bathroom organization can make your morning routine much easier.
3. Organize the Medicine Cabinet
Your medicine cabinet can quickly become a collection of empty bottles and products you no longer need.
Check medications and follow the label or pharmacist’s instructions for safe disposal of expired or unwanted medicine. Keep only what you currently need and use.
4. Sort Your Shoes
Shoes can quickly take over closets and entryways.
Pull everything out and group your shoes together. Set aside pairs that are damaged, uncomfortable, no longer fit, or haven’t been worn in years.
A smaller, organized shoe collection makes it much easier to find what you need.
5. Refresh Your Linen Closet
Take a look at your sheets, blankets, towels, and washcloths.
Get rid of linens that are badly stained, torn, excessively worn, or missing their matching pieces. Keep the sets you actually use and neatly fold everything that remains.
And if this gives you an excuse to buy some soft new towels, we’re not judging!
What If You Still Don’t Have Enough Space?
Sometimes decluttering reveals an important problem: you don’t necessarily have too much stuff—you simply don’t have enough space.
There may be furniture you’re saving for your next home, seasonal decorations you only use once a year, recreational equipment, family keepsakes, or other belongings you aren’t ready to part with.
That’s where self storage in Montgomery, NY can help.
A storage unit gives you a place to keep belongings you want while freeing up valuable space at home. Instead of cramming boxes into closets, garages, basements, or spare rooms, you can keep less frequently used items organized and accessible.
Declutter Your Home Without Getting Rid of Everything
The goal of decluttering isn’t necessarily to own as little as possible.
It’s about creating a home where you can find what you need, enjoy the space you have, and keep everyday clutter under control.
The 1-3-5 decluttering method gives you a straightforward way to get started:
1 big task. 3 medium tasks. 5 small tasks.
That’s it.
Start with one area today, and you’ll be surprised by how much progress you can make in a short amount of time.
Need More Space? Think Self Storage.
If you’ve decluttered your home but still need somewhere to keep the belongings you aren’t ready to part with, Montgomery Self Storage can help.
Montgomery Self Storage is a local, family-owned self storage center serving the Montgomery, NY community looking after what matters most for over 20 years.
Our facility features:
- Clean, well-maintained storage units
- Well-lit areas
- Closed-circuit video surveillance
- Routine pest checks
- Convenient storage options for household belongings
Have questions about storage? Give our friendly team a call at (845) 457-6229.
Montgomery Self Storage
9 Factory Street
Montgomery, NY 12549
Phone: (845) 457-6229
SelfStorageMontgomeryNY.com
Make space for the things that matter—and let the clutter go. Montgomery Self Storage: Still Local, Still Family-Owned
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