Clutter

5 Questions to Steer Guilt-Free Decluttering

Answer these questions to help you decide what to keep and what to toss.

By Tracy McCubbin Verified Updated on January 9, 2025
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Having a hard time getting rid of clutter? From “thrower’s remorse” to environmental guilt, the emotions tangled up with deciding what to keep or throw away are complex. We know that less stuff is a must for an organized home, but getting rid of possessions is still so difficult. To aid your decluttering, answer these five questions to whittle down your stuff and feel good about it.

Getting Rid of Clutter: Questions to Help You Decide

1. Do you use it on a semi-regular basis?

Semi-regular use means you actually use the item — not just intend to — a couple of times a year. The exception is seasonal items, like a Thanksgiving platter you’ve consistently used for years.

2. Is it currently making you money?

  • Is the item helping you generate income?
  • Do you use it for work?
  • Does it help you pay your bills on time?

The item(s) must be actively helping you make money. The pile of stuff that’s been gathering dust for years that you might sell online or through a garage sale doesn’t count.

Online selling: Is it worth your time?

Extra cash is nice, but selling items online should be a worthy investment. Consider the many steps involved: photographing the item, writing a description for it, posting it, watching the sales, fielding questions, preparing it for delivery, and dropping it off at the post office. Is this all worth how much you’d be getting from the sale? Consider how much work goes into selling and if you have the time to spare.

[Get This Free Download: 22 Clutter-Busting Strategies for Adults with ADHD]

3. Can you buy it again for a reasonable price or borrow it?

Are you hanging on to items in hopes that they’ll come in handy someday? Worse, are you wasting money storing the unused item? Consider getting rid of it entirely. Take camping equipment. Keep it if you’re an avid camper. But if not, sell off the items and, when a camping trip does come up, either buy some items cheaply or borrow them from a neighbor.

4. Do you have a place to store it within your space?

The key phrase here is “within your space” — do you have room for your item? If not, then a) don’t keep the item or b) get rid of something else to make space for the item. To stay organized, you must acknowledge and work with the space you have. Don’t build a shed or rent a storage unit that will cost you hundreds per month.

5. Do you LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it?

We all have items that make us happy and remind us of special moments or people. Keep those items. But as you decide if you really love an item, remember: If everything is special, then nothing is special. The rooster collection you adore and have been working on since childhood? Keep it! The Beanie Babies that you keep in storage because you swear they’ll make you millions one day? Probably not. (FYI: “Collectible” is a marketing term.)

Still not sure if you love, love, love an item? Try the “poop rule,” a decluttering method espoused by TikTok creator @adhdorganized that’s gone viral for its unusual ask: “Pick up an item and think — is this important enough that I would wash poop off of it?”

[Read: How Do I Get Rid of My Sentimental Clutter?]

Overcoming “But I Don’t Want to Be Wasteful”

  • Try Buy Nothing groups, where you can give and receive items for free in the name of decluttering, sustainability, and community.
  • Some stuff is just trash. When you hesitate to throw something away — especially if it’s broken and unusable — because you don’t want it to end up in the landfill, you’ve effectively made your home into a landfill. Holding on to trash won’t solve the landfill problem. Instead, not consuming and avoiding purchases of items you don’t want, need, or use will make a difference.

Click here for a handout version of these questions and more decluttering tips from Tracy McCubbin.

Getting Rid of Clutter: Next Steps

The content for this article was derived from the ADDitude ADHD Experts webinar titled, “How to Organize a Messy Home: Strategies for Clutter and Stress in ADHD Families” [Video Replay & Podcast #520] with Tracy McCubbin, which was broadcast on September 10, 2024.

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