If you’ve been putting off a major decluttering job because you know it’ll be anything but quick, you’re not alone. Tackling an entire room that’s been swallowed by clutter can feel so overwhelming that it’s often easier to shut the door and promise yourself you’ll deal with it another day. That’s where a good decluttering method comes in. And lately, the onion decluttering method has become one of my favourites.
As a household advice writer, I’ve tested more decluttering methods than I can count. Some are brilliant for quick wins, while others help you stay organised long-term. But I’ve always been on the hunt for a method that makes those really daunting jobs feel manageable. The kind of room overhaul that’s been years in the making, where every shelf, drawer and corner seems to need attention.
The onion decluttering method tackles those overwhelming spaces layer by layer, stripping away the clutter in a logical order until you’re left with a clean and organised core. To put it to the test, I used it to help bring some much-needed order to one of my colleague’s wardrobes (a self-confessed shopaholic, no less). Here’s how this five-step method transformed one of the most chaotic spaces I’ve ever tackled.
What is the Onion Method?
The Onion Method is a decluttering technique I’ve coined for tackling spaces that feel completely overwhelming. Rather than making dozens of keep-or-donate decisions all at once, you work through five simple layers, removing one type of clutter at a time. Like peeling an onion, each layer strips away the obvious clutter before moving on to the harder decisions, leaving you with a clean and organised centre.
It’s designed for complete room resets rather than quick tidy-ups. Whether you’re facing an overflowing wardrobe, a garage you can barely walk through or a spare room that’s become a dumping ground, the method gives you a clear place to start and builds momentum as each layer makes the space noticeably easier to manage.
It is quite a ruthless approach, so it won’t suit everyone. But if you’re ready for a proper reset, it’s one of the most effective ways I’ve found to make a daunting decluttering job feel achievable.
The five layers of the Onion Method
Layer one: remove anything broken
Start with the easiest wins. Anything that no longer works, is beyond repair or has been waiting months to be fixed can go. Broken items create visual clutter without serving any purpose, so removing them first gives you an immediate sense of progress, without having to make any truly hard decisions.
Layer two: remove duplicates
Now look for multiples. Whether it’s six spatulas, four almost identical black jumpers or a drawer full of spare phone chargers, keep the best version and let the extras go. Most of us own far more duplicates than we realise.
Layer three: remove items you never use
With the obvious clutter gone, focus on the things you never reach for. Clothes with tags still attached, kitchen gadgets collecting dust or books you’ll realistically never read again all must go. If something hasn’t earned its place in the last few months – or even years – it probably never will.
Layer four: return things to where they belong
Not all clutter needs throwing away. A surprising amount simply needs putting back in its proper home. Gather anything that’s wandered into the room, from paperwork and mugs to tools and children’s toys, and return it to where you’ll actually use it.
Layer five: challenge your ‘just-in-case’ items
This is where you tackle the things you’ve kept for a future that may never come. Clothes you’re hoping to fit into again, cables for devices you no longer own or equipment for hobbies you once thought you’d keep up. By leaving this stage until last, you’ve already built momentum, making these emotional decisions much easier.
How I used the Onion Method on a chaotic wardrobe reset
To see whether the Onion Method really worked, I enlisted the help of one of my colleagues. Angela Trofymova, Head of Testing at the Good Housekeeping Institute, admitted her wardrobe had become completely overwhelming and nobly submitted it for my version of testing.
Clothes were packed tightly on to every rail, tangled necklaces hung behind the door, handbags were stacked on top of one another and mystery boxes filled every spare shelf. Years of beauty products, forgotten tech and family keepsakes had gradually taken over. It was the perfect space to put the Onion Method to the test.
In the first layer, broken jewellery, snapped handbag straps, moth-eaten clothes and a surprisingly large collection of broken coat hangers all disappeared almost immediately.
We also gave ourselves a 15-minute rule. If we couldn’t find the missing belt, clasp or matching item within that time, it counted as broken and off it went. We removed an entire bag of damaged items before making a single difficult decision.
Next went the duplicates, this was the biggest transformation in my opinion. Angela admitted she’d occasionally bought similar pieces simply because she couldn’t see what she already owned, so I knew I would be in for some clutter treasure.
The biggest surprise? Twelve pairs of blue jeans. While none were identical, many were almost impossible to tell apart. Once she’d chosen her favourites, the rest went into the donation pile. The same thing happened with black jumpers, instantly creating breathing room on the rail.
The ‘never-used’ stage became much easier than expected thanks to one tell-tale sign: tags. Several clothes had never been worn, suggesting they’d been impulse buys or forgotten sale bargains. Interestingly, not all of them left the wardrobe. As we sorted, Angela rediscovered pieces she’d completely forgotten she owned and even packed a few for an upcoming holiday. See, I’m not that mean! Sometimes decluttering isn’t about getting rid of things – it’s about finding them again.
The shelf above the wardrobe had quietly become a dumping ground, so I knew there was plenty needing a re-home. Books were reunited with Angela’s colour-coded bookcase, coats moved on to the hallway rack and a forgotten box of biscuits she’d hidden from her sons months earlier finally resurfaced. Simply returning these items to where they belonged made the wardrobe feel dramatically calmer.
This was by far the hardest layer for both Angela and I, and will likely be the most emotional part of the declutter journey for anyone trying it out at home. Baby monitors, maternity jeans and several other items had survived purely because of the stories attached to them.
Rather than asking whether Angela liked them, we asked whether she realistically expected to use them again. That small change in mindset made the decisions much easier.
My verdict
I was genuinely impressed by how effective the Onion Method proved to be. By separating decluttering into layers, it removes the pressure of making every decision at once, making even the most chaotic spaces feel manageable. Each pass through the room delivers a visible improvement, which creates momentum and makes it much easier to keep going. It’s particularly effective for large-scale projects, where knowing where to start is often the biggest hurdle.
That said, it’s not a method for the faint-hearted. If you’re particularly sentimental or only looking for a quick tidy-up, working through five rounds of decluttering may feel too intense. It also works best when you’re prepared to be honest with yourself, especially when you reach that final layer.
Overall, though, I think it’s one of the most thorough decluttering methods I’ve done. If you're ready for a complete reset rather than simply moving clutter from one place to another, the Onion Method offers a clear, logical framework that leaves you with not just a tidier room, but a space that’s genuinely easier to live in and keep organised.
Handy storage solutions
