My "1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Method" Helps Me Declutter in Seconds
My kitchen island is inevitably a dumping ground. Given that the island is located in one of the busiest rooms in my home, plus a few paces away from the basement door where most family members enter the house, it’s inevitable that all kinds of things end up here at any given point of the day. Backpacks, empty coffee mugs, water bottles, mail, tools, cat toys, dirty dishes, and grocery bags all land in this spot. I do, however, get it cleared before dinnertime.
My secret strategy for tidying this space before the evening meal is my “1, 2, 3, 4, 5 method” of decluttering. I start by finding five items out of order on the top of a countertop, in a room, or strewn about the floor. I count the items as I go and place them back to where they belong. This helps me stay focused.
It’s a simple-enough method for my whole family to use. My sons (ages 12 and 7) can easily look at the kitchen island and know which items need to be returned — if they are unsure, then I count and make a pile for them — to their places or tossed in the trash. I ask them to grab five and go! After they’ve grabbed their items and placed them where they belong, I remind them to always return to me after they’ve put the item back. Chances are there will still be things that need to be cleared or another task I need them to complete.
If a room or countertop still isn’t picked up after the five items, then I repeat the process until the designated area is cleared and back in order. Typically two or three rounds of this process of picking up items and placing them in their designated spots will do the trick, and the space is cleared or ready to be cleaned.
This method works for a couple of reasons in my household. First, the counting method keeps me on track and only takes seconds to complete. Plus, even the youngest of family members can do it; both my sons have been clearing items away since they learned to count.
An entire island covered in clutter can feel overwhelming, but I’ve found that if I segment the chore of decluttering out into choosing just five items to put away, then it becomes an easy set of steps and processes that I (or family members!) can tackle quickly.
This method can be used indoors or outdoors in any area of your house. I’ve found it works incredibly well in the most-used rooms in the home: the kitchen, the living room, and even kids’ messy bedrooms. I even use it with my sons and neighbor friends to help clean up outdoor toys in the yard. Regardless of the room I use it in, most often I have a sense of order in the room and everyone feels a sense of accomplishment for a task completed quickly and efficiently.
Further Reading
I Tried the 90/90 Rule and My Closet Is Now Fully Decluttered
See How a Stager Used Paint to Transform a 1950s Living Room
