I’m a Professional Organizer and I Swear By the Core 4 Decluttering Method (2024)

One of the things I enjoy most about getting organized, whether in my own space or for my clients as a professional organizer, is the creativity involved. Home organization is like an art form; every space and situation is unique. In other words, there’s no right or wrong way to do it. However, the same can’t be said for decluttering—which is an essential step to take before the organization process.

Decluttering should always happen before organizing because it’s silly to spend time and energy figuring out where to put things you don't actually need or want to keep. Almost every pro organizer uses the same decluttering system, known as the Core 4 Method.

This simple four-step technique will simplify the process if you’re on a journey to pare down your things. Follow these four steps in any area of your home to declutter it from top to bottom.

What Is the Core 4 Method?

Attempting to declutter an entire house can be overwhelming for anyone, even a professional. This is why it’s essential to break the project down into parts. Start by choosing a room, closet, corner, or drawer and follow four simple steps: Clear out, categorize, cut out, and contain.

First, you'll clear out the space you've chosen so you can start with a blank canvas. Then, group every item by category, cutting out (or donating) items you don't need to keep. Then, use a container system to put everything back in place in an organized fashion. Try starting with a small space. As you start to gain momentum and confidence, move on to another, larger, or more difficult space.

If you’re up to the challenge, the ideal starting point is one of the common clutter hot spots, like the basem*nt, attic, or garage. Clearing these spaces first opens up room to relocate things that don’t need to be stored in other spaces, such as specialty servingware in the kitchen, when you eventually get there.

How to Declutter with the Core 4 Method

Step 1: Clear Out

The first step to decluttering is to remove everything in the space. If it's the junk drawer, use the kitchen table or island countertop as your work surface. Starting with the garage? Park cars on the street and place everything in the driveway before moving onto the second step.

Pulling everything out of the space you’re working in at the beginning of the process ensures you’re not missing anything. It also gives you a blank slate to reorganize later on. Plus, it creates the perfect opportunity to clean the now-empty space before doing so.

The next two phases will involve sorting through the items, creating categories, and getting rid of things. But if you notice any trash or something you’re willing to donate while clearing the space out, go ahead and toss it or set it off to the side now.

Step 2: Categorize

Once you've taken everything out of the area, you can start to sort it. Group items by similar categories that can be stored together. Your categories will be different for each space, but may look something like this:

The junk drawer:

• Electronics (a charger, pair of headphones, batteries)
• Office supplies (pens, a notepad, pair of scissors)
• Tools or utility items (a screwdriver, a flashlight, measuring tape)
• Household items (spare key, flower food, furniture markers)

The garage:

• Gardening gear (hand tools, pots, seed packets)
• Auto maintenance supplies (windshield wiper fluid, car-washing kits, ice scrapers)
• Sports equipment (balls, bats, helmets)
• Tools (power tools, toolboxes, nails and screws)
• Lawn care tools (rakes, a hedge trimmer, the lawn mower)
  

Again, your specific space may produce different categories, so sort by what makes the most sense for your household. I like to use sticky notes to clearly label each section so you reduce confusion as you go along, especially if you’re decluttering with family members or have recruited a friend to help. Put empty bins to work by using them to contain categories consisting of smaller items.

Step 3: Cut Out

Chances are, you’ve already gotten a jumpstart on this part of the process—which is great! It simply means that this step will take less time, but it’s still important to carefully consider the items left. Once you have everything contained into categories, create the following new piles:

• Rehome the things you’re keeping but belong elsewhere, such as an errant lipstick in the junk drawer that should be stored in the makeup drawer of your bathroom vanity instead.
• Toss any trash items that are not able to be recycled.
• Recycle the things you no longer need, cannot be donated or sold, and are recyclable.
• Donate items you no longer need and are in good working condition.
• Sell high-ticket items (such as a designer handbag or a new-ish TV) that you no longer need and can recoup some money by selling.
  

Step 4: Contain

Last but not least, it’s time to reorganize the things you’re left with after going through the first three steps. Whenever possible, use containers to keep items in their respective categories. Go a step further and label storage totes, open bins, shelves, and even drawer organizers to make it easy for anyone in the house to find and return things. Repeat this process every so often (more frequently for high-traffic areas) so your home stays clutter-free forever.