Top Decluttering Secrets No One Talks About

Some decluttering experts show you how to organize, and store clutter. This is not decluttering, it is shuffling clutter. Changing habits is one of the biggest decluttering secrets.

You’ve decluttered your whole house. You worked hard organizing and purging everything that wasn’t serving you. For a while, life feels good, with less mess, and less stress, but then somehow, a few months, or maybe a year later, the clutter sneaks back. What happened? If this feels familiar, you’re not alone.

Almost everyone who tries to declutter without changing habits struggles to stay clutter-free long-term.

Before you get discouraged, there’s a simple reason why this happens. It’s the same reason people yo-yo diet or revert to unhealthy behaviors after seemingly making progress. The key to staying decluttered, just like maintaining any lifestyle change, is changing habits.

Decluttering Isn’t Just About the Stuff

Think about a 12-step program for people with addictive habits like overeating, gambling, or drinking. What would you say helps them succeed? Is it just drinking less or eating differently? Well, yes and no. On the surface, the healing comes from changing actions, but that’s only half the story.

Real change happens when someone addresses the deeper habits that led them there in the first place. The same goes for clutter. Sure, you can clean out your entire house on a weekend. But if you don’t change the habits that caused things to pile up in the first place, it won’t last.

It will feel like in the blink of an eye, your home will be just as cluttered as it was before.

Simply put, the things that got you into a cluttered environment won’t magically change because you tossed some old boxes. You have to change what you do after the house is clean.

Understanding the “Why” Behind Your Clutter

No one wakes up in the morning and thinks, “Today’s the day I’m going to fill my house with junk.” It just happens. Over time, certain behaviors lead to clutter creeping back in.

Maybe you tend to impulse buy things you don’t need. Maybe you feel attached to items, even those that don’t serve a purpose anymore. These habits that seem simple on the surface are actually deeply connected to how you think and feel.

Do any of these sound familiar to you?

• Buying too much stuff.
  You get a thrill from shopping and sales, but soon, that stuff clutters up your space.
• Struggling to let go of things.
  Whether you’re emotionally attached to sentimental items or feel like you might need something “someday,” you might find it hard to part with stuff.
• Feeling like you never have enough.
  If you think you always need more—more clothes, more gadgets, more whatever—you’ll keep filling up your space.

What void are you trying to fill is the question. If you don’t address the underlying reasons behind these habits, you end up living in a cycle of clutter. It’s like losing weight—if you don’t change your relationship with food, diets are just temporary fixes.

Changing Habits is one of the decluttering secrets.

Habits dictate whether or not you stay decluttered. After your big weekend of cleaning, you have to make changes every day.

You only have a limited amount of space in your home. If you don’t control what’s coming in, things will eventually start to pile up again. This simple truth often feels overwhelming, especially when you’re dealing with the emotional side of things, but it’s crucial for long-term success.

• Do you constantly feel the need to buy new items because it is a 40% off sale?
• Do you keep boxes of sentimental trinkets that you haven’t touched in years?
• Are you afraid to let go of things because “you never know when you might need it”?

These are the kinds of habits that fill your space back up without you even realizing it. And whenever you try to declutter without working on these habits, you’re just organizing clutter, not truly addressing it.

Why Decluttering Advice Often Falls Short

There’s no shortage of organizing hacks online, but a lot of that advice is flawed. Why? Because it often teaches you how to manage clutter, not eliminate it. You’ve probably seen plenty of tips about storage solutions, labeled bins, and color-coded organizational systems. These may look nice, but they don’t solve the root problem.

Mastering decluttering isn’t about labeling things more efficiently. It’s about preventing the clutter from showing up in the first place. And that requires much more than a new drawer divider. You have to change the way you think about stuff. Clutter starts in our minds, not in our closets.

Another of the decluttering secrets is Consistency.

Everyone loves setting New Year’s resolutions—the gyms are full, and diets are popular in January. Yet, come February, most people have already fallen back into old habits. Staying decluttered works exactly the same way.

The good news is changing habits can be done and in time these new useful and helpful habits will become second nature to you, just like brushing your teeth!

The not-so-great news is you have to stay vigilant to these changes every day to see real changes happen. There is no magic bullet to staying clutter-free. This is a lifestyle choice, plain and simple.

Stay mindful every day, about what you allow into your space. You don’t have to swear off shopping, just ask yourself, “Will this item improve my life? Or is it just adding more stuff to manage?”

Decluttering itself is an inside job. It takes self-awareness, consistent effort, and the willingness to change your habits. Simply cleaning the space won’t keep it clutter-free. You have to work on the thoughts and behaviors creating the clutter.

Build New Habits That Prioritize Simplicity

If your goal is to live in a clutter-free home, then you need a game plan for maintaining it. There are some things to keep at the top of your mind and help get you started.

Here is a list of the most common excuses why people stay cluttered

• No time
• Depressed
• ADHD
• Don’t know where to start
• Overwhelmed
• No help from partner, spouse, family, or house-mate

Yes, these are excuses people use to resist things they do not feel like doing. These excuses feel plausible enough to you, I get it. So does the truth I counter these excuses with.

No time- almost everyone can spare one or two minutes a day to declutter 1 or 2 items a day. How much time do you spend scrolling on TikTok or streaming content?

Be mindful of purchases

Before buying something, ask yourself if it truly brings value to your life or if you’ll just find it adding to your pile of stuff in a month.

Create a “one in, one out” rule

Every time you bring a new item into your home, make it a point to let go of one that you no longer need.

Schedule regular reviews of your space

Life happens, and clutter tends to build up when you’re not paying attention. Dedicate time monthly to reassess what’s taking up space. A quick peek into each room will show if clutter is building.

Learn to make peace with letting go

Whether sentimental or practical, remember that holding onto things unnecessarily can weigh you down. Give yourself permission to part with items that no longer serve you.

The proof decluttering secrets work showed up in 3 large donation bags.

Diane dispelled the time excuse when we as a group decluttered each of the 40 days of Lent. We donated tons of clothing- lots brand new with tags still on.

Diane said it took her one minute to reach into her closet each morning as she dressed to pull out 2 items of clothing.

It took Diane one minute a day to donate 3 huge bags of clothing to a charitable women’s empowerment organization. If you get dressed each day you can find 1 minute to declutter one item.

Get Support with Like-Minded People

The best help comes from people in your same situation. This is the secret of success for members in 12 step groups. Go over to Declutterbuzz – our online safe and private Facebook group. The other members and I will help you.

Staying clutter-free takes more than just a massive cleanup session. It requires ongoing changes in how you approach your space, your stuff, and your habits. Eliminating your clutter is the easy part. The real challenge is in making sure it doesn’t creep back in.

Think of living clutter-free like sticking with a healthy diet—it’s all about forming the right habits and staying consistent. Focus on the why behind your clutter, tweak your daily behaviors, and you’ll find it much easier to maintain a tidy, peaceful home long-term.

Be patient, get comfortable letting go, and most importantly, stay mindful about what you allow back into your life. Do not forget to mightily reward yourself because you deserve hearty handshakes and heartfelt ‘way to go’ taps on your back!