September’s here – aka the second new year! Not only do the kids go back to school this month, but we’re also keen to take a step back and start afresh, getting ourselves and our homes ready for the winter, otherwise known as a September reset.
A September reset is a chance to adjust your daily routine and get those niggling jobs out of the way. We often declutter at this time because it’s all about making time for ourselves and tackling those tasks that will make the biggest difference to our mood.
The thing is, even with the utmost motivation, decluttering will still take its toll on your energy. To make things easier, we recommend trying one of these decluttering methods to give you a route and mindset to follow.
The 12:12:12 method
If you want an easy clearout with minimal decision fatigue, the ‘12:12:12’ method is one to try. Created by Joshua Becker at Becoming Minimalist, it’s as simple as this: you need to find 12 things to throw away (or recycle), 12 things to donate and 12 things to rehome (items that aren’t where they should be). So that gets rid of 36 things in total as part of your September reset.
It’s a straightforward process, but it takes more time than you’d think, especially if you’re decluttering one distinct area. It works well because it focuses your attention on what needs to go, rather than what needs to stay, so you’re unlikely to question yourself. Rubbish and misplaced items are easy to make quick decisions on, while choosing 12 items for donation sounds more manageable than tackling a large, cluttered room.
The fork method
Caroline Caron Dhaouadi of Homefulness explains that the ‘fork’ method involves breaking down the clutter from one small area into four distinct categories (just like the prongs of a fork): functional, optional, replaceable and keep-worthy, or F.O.R.K. for short.
Functional items will have purpose, while those that are optional might not be necessary, but could still bring you joy (just like the KonMari method). Replaceable things are those you could easily source again, while keep-worthy are those that mean the most and might hold sentimental value.
By grouping your items into these categories (or failing to), you can easily spot any duplicates as well as meaningless clutter, helping you to clear the excess. We rate this method because it values your emotion and isn’t all about practicality. It makes you ask yourself what things really mean to you, so you won’t accidentally throw away something you regret.
The move out method
This declutter method was created by Katie Holdefehr, author of Embrace Your Space. The rules are simple; you need only imagine you’re moving home as part of your September reset. As you do, consider what you would pack – and what you would let go.
While you think things through, ask yourself: would I really value this item enough to haul it to my new home, or would I just chuck it? The honest answer tells you what it really means to you and whether it should be decluttered. Using this mindset is a great way to overcome doubt and decision fatigue. If you won’t miss these things theoretically, you won’t miss them literally, either.
Here’s what happened when our household advice writer tried the ‘move out’ method for herself.
The declutter like a tourist method
If your September reset involves impressing guests as much as yourself, the ‘declutter like a tourist’ method method is the way to go. It’s as simple as this: you approach your home as if you were a tourist, with fresh eyes, and see for yourself what needs decluttering based on the areas they’d use.
So you might tackle the shoe rack and coat stand in the hallway first, followed by the bedside drawers and all the bottles in the shower. If you need help knowing where to start, you can always ask a friend over for honest feedback – just don’t take it personally! By decluttering like this, you’ll address the most obvious zones of clutter, rather than pulling out every single drawer and cupboard.
The four-box method
Wherever you’re decluttering as part of your September reset, the ‘four-box’ method is a good way to lighten the load and organise the chaos. Just get four boxes and label them: keep, donate, throw away and rehome. Then, as you sort through, move each item to its dedicated box. That’s it.
This is the go-to way to declutter, although it leaves room for error if you struggle to let things go. If you notice the keep pile is stacking up, but the donate pile is running thin, you know you need to address your thought process. In this case, the fork method might be more ideal. But, for non-sentimental items that inspire little emotion, the four-box method is a champion.
Wardrobe declutter kit
