Spring cleaning this weekend? 6 tips from professionals to make decluttering more manageable

When Holley Zilkowsky and her husband had their son, it was a bit of a revelation.

"We realized that we needed to downsize and the reason was to free up our time," she said.

The Williams Lake, B.C., family moved into a smaller home, reducing their living space by more than a thousand square feet.

Zilkowsky said she knew she didn't want to immediately fill it up with stuff, so anything they didn't think they needed went straight to storage in the garage.

"I was finding things I didn't even realize I had."

By reducing the number of their belongings, Zilkowsky said she's better able to use her space and stay organized.

She's not the only one seeking to declutter her home. Decluttering expert Marie Kondo's approach captured the imagination of many people in recent years, although it's an approach that won't necessarily work for everyone.

Celeste Imus, a professional organizer with Spotless and Sorted in Kamloops, B.C., for seven years, offers some tips to make decluttering more manageable.

Start small

It's easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about organizing an entire home, so Imus encourages people to pick a smaller space, like a closet or a small room, as a starting point.

"Rather than looking at the whole room or even the whole pile, you can put a sheet over part of it and just remove one object … and that can be an easier way rather than looking at the full picture."

By deciding on one item at time, Imus says people are better able to decide what to keep.

Take breaks

Decluttering can be hard work, so Imus recommends limiting a decluttering and organizing session to two hours or less.

"That's when our brains get bored and you can start to feel frantic."

She cites examples where people try to push for a longer organizing session and end up tossing out important items, like birth certificates. 

Find a buddy

Working with someone else can make the organization process more fun — and also help people more easily get rid of things.

University of New Mexico marketing professor Catherine Roster, who has been studying decluttering for years, says people are often reluctant to get ride of an item because of memories attached to it.

"Sometimes if you tell the story about that item ... and then you ask yourself, OK, I've had that memory. Maybe I can take a picture of it now and say goodbye to it."

Decluttering buddies can also help with things like moving objects or heavy items.

Consider comfort

While people might not think about it, decluttering can also be tough on the body.

Imus says it's easy for people to get sore sitting on the floor. She suggests bringing items up to table height, and sorting through things in a well-lit room with a comfortable temperature. 

Customize your process

Imus also notes that decluttering is an individual process.

While it's easy to get excited about the latest trends on social media, people ultimately need systems that work for them, she says. There's no need to stick to a specific folding style or storage aesthetic. 

"You're going to be tweaking and maintaining, and when the maintenance gets overwhelming and it's taking you longer and longer to do, that's a good sign that it's time to re-evaluate."

It's important to choose an approach you can maintain over time.

Cut yourself slack

There are many reasons people don't declutter and choose to hang onto items.

Among them, according to University of Manchester sociology professor Sophie Woodward, is that they don't want to be wasteful.

They also tend to keep things that were once useful, such old cords and keys without locks.

"People keep stuff because they want it to have a good future home," she said. "They don't even want it themselves, but they want someone else to take it."

But decluttering doesn't have to mean throwing out everything that isn't essential. Minimalism doesn't work for everyone, and it's important to remember different approaches will work for different people. 

"Sometimes it just makes you feel comfortable to have the things you love around you," said Imus.