Many of us put off decluttering because we simply don’t know where to start, or where to finish. Going into decluttering or organising blind and spontaneously can often lead to long, never-ending recces that take hours and achieve very little. Not to mention this kind of approach opens up to plenty of procrastination.
Which is why decluttering methods can be so handy, especially ones with clear, cohesive steps. Methods that follow patterns and have strict rules are great for keeping us motivated and locked in on our end goal. Which is why I thought I’d give the SPACE decluttering method a go, as the end goal I had in mind this time was going to take some determination.
I decided to (finally) organise and declutter one of the shelving units in Good Housekeeping HQ’s very own beauty and fashion cupboard. An area not exactly known for its organisation, it was a perfect task to test this method and see if it really could keep me on track and bring some much needed order to a very disorderly space. Here’s how I got on, and if it’s worth trying in your own home.
What is the SPACE decluttering method?
The SPACE declutter method was coined by organising pro and author of Organizing from the Inside Out, Julie Morgenstern. She developed the method through years of working as a professional organiser with clients facing a wide range of clutter challenges, from desk drawers to entire office spaces. She observed that successful organising consistently followed the same sequence: understand what you have, declutter, assign everything a home, use storage to create limits, and maintain the system. She created the SPACE acronym as a simple, memorable framework that can be applied to any project and adapted to fit how each person naturally lives, works and approaches decluttering. And it’s just 5 clear steps.
Step 1: S = Sort by grouping similar items together in piles.
Step 2: P = Purge by getting rid of what you know you don’t need.
Step 3: A = Assign by giving everything you’re keeping a proper and appropriate home.
Step 4: C = Containerise (not sure if it’s a real word but I like it) by putting those items into organised containers.
Step 5: E = Equalise by maintaining your system.
It really is as simple as that. The idea is that clear, cohesive and consecutive steps make it much easier to stick to a plan. And sticking to the plan is essential for achieving your decluttering goals. Deviate from the plan, and procrastination creeps in, stick to the plan, and motivation is kept high thanks to gradual visual progress. Well, that’s the hope at least.
What happened when I tried the SPACE decluttering method
To put the SPACE method to the test, I tackled the Good Housekeeping fashion and beauty cupboard. This is where all the clothes, accessories and beauty products sent in for photoshoots, product testing and features end up, so it’s no surprise that it regularly becomes overwhelmed with stuff. Some might call it a bombsite, I call it a challenge.
While we're incredibly lucky to receive these items, anything that isn’t returned to brands or used straight away can quickly pile up. The cupboard’s lack of organisation is something of an office legend, making it the perfect place to test a decluttering method.
My specific target was a shelving unit our writers use every day that had, let’s just say, become a little out of hand.
I started by working through it shelf-by-shelf, pulling everything out and sorting items into categories on the floor. I actually found that the first two steps – Sort and Purge – happened naturally at the same time. As I emptied bags and boxes, I immediately came across things that could go straight in the bin, such as empty packaging, expired beauty products and broken items. Clearing these out early on was surprisingly motivating because it meant I could see the progress almost immediately.
Once I’d decided what was staying and could see everything grouped into neat piles, the task suddenly felt much less overwhelming. From there, I assigned every category a home, thinking carefully about what actually belonged on this shelving unit and what should live elsewhere as well as what location would be convenient for the writers – convenience is key for making sure you maintain the system after you’re done. For example, old copies of Good Housekeeping and a stack of books had ended up there simply because it was convenient at the time, but they served no real purpose in that space. A useful tip is to think about how often you use an item and store it where it’s most practical to access.
Next came the containers. Grouping similar items together in baskets and trays instantly made the shelves feel more organised and made everything much easier to find. I’d definitely recommend adding labels to the method, too, as they’d make maintaining the system even easier.
When everything was put back, the transformation was dramatic. I was so ruthless with the decluttering that I actually cleared an entire shelf. The space looked calmer, tidier and far more functional. Better still, our fashion and beauty writers loved the new set-up, with dedicated homes for everything from tote bags and spare bags to beauty products and stationery. My reward for the hard work? A few very nice beauty samples – not a bad payment, if you ask me.
My verdict
Overall, I’d definitely use the SPACE method again. What I liked most was how straightforward it is. Having five clear steps stopped me from jumping between tasks (or wandering off to make another cup of tea), and breaking the job down into stages made a daunting decluttering session feel much more manageable. I also found that Sort and Purge naturally merged into one, which sped things up without affecting the end result.
If I had one criticism, it’s that the method could be a little overly simplistic for some. It tells you how to organise, but not how to make the harder decisions about what to keep and what to let go of. If you’re someone who struggles with the emotional side of decluttering, you may want to pair it with another method that offers more guidance on that front like the KonMari method, which asks you to consider the emotional value of each item and whether it still ‘sparks joy’.
That said, if your biggest obstacle is simply getting started and staying focused, the SPACE method is excellent. It kept me on track from start to finish, transformed one of the messiest cupboards in the office into a genuinely usable space and, perhaps most importantly, made it feel like a job we could all actually finish.
Handy storage solutions
