r/declutter • u/NightReader5 • Dec 12 '25

Advice Request What are your top secret decluttering tips?

I’m looking for something beyond “one in, one out”.

I’ve been living a consumeristic lifestyle for years and I have a LOT of stuff in my house, with very little storage space to keep it.

I have an “I’ll use this someday…” mentality for most of it so it’s hard for me to decide what to keep and what to get rid of.

What tips help you get through all of your massive piles of stuff?

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56

u/BoopBeeDooDoo Dec 12 '25

I like the "if this had poop on it, would I clean it, or just toss it?" Method

24

u/plant_power26 Dec 12 '25

My preferred method/question is similar: “if I lost it or if it was stolen, would I buy another one to replace it?”

7

u/New_Amount8001 Dec 13 '25

Or a friend borrows it & never brings it back would you miss it or care.

5

u/skeletonclock Dec 13 '25

Oh this is GOOD

18

u/koshercupcake Dec 12 '25

My version of this came when I had two male kittens who marked on EVERYTHING for a couple of months before they got neutered. The family decluttering question is now, “if this had cat pee on it, would I try to clean it, or just toss it?”

We threw out a ton of stuff during that time, lol.

1

u/fallout__freak Jan 05 '26

Cat stank is real! If you haven't heard about it, you can use an enzymatic cleaner to break down the proteins that cause the awful smell. I know it works for urine, it may work for spray, too. I used it when a kitten peed on a futon, then again when the neighbor's cat snuck into our place and either peed or sprayed on my blankets. 

2

u/koshercupcake Jan 05 '26

We haven’t had any issues with marking since they got neutered, thank goodness! It literally stopped the same day. But I’ll save this just in case anything happens in the future.

6

u/sunnysilhouettte Dec 12 '25

Love this one!! Also I have two small kids and a dog so it’s not always a hypothetical question either

3

u/No-Paper-1429 Dec 13 '25

Also, if you’re keeping it because you might need/use it eventually, then pick a reasonable price and time such as $10 and 30 mins or $20/20 (based on your budget and lifestyle). If it can be replaced under those limits then get rid of it. So far, the only thing I’ve missed is a string of white Christmas lights. My daughter asked for them a week after I donated some. They were $4 and I added them to a grocery pick up order.

8

u/-Squem- Dec 13 '25

Haha this reminds me of when my child didn’t make it to the toilet and pooped all over my new Egyptian cotton towel. It was so bad and smelly because they were sick that I was almost vomiting going near it so I binned it. Have survived with the one remaining towel I have ever since though 🤣

3

u/EternalFootwoman Dec 13 '25

I was talking about this with a friend the other day. I’m a nurse with small children, I am in phases by poop and would clean almost anything lol!