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How To Use The Six-Month Rule When Decluttering
BY EMILY HOPKINS
While there's a small percentage of people that enjoy decluttering, the vast majority dread it since it often involves getting rid of things that you still want to keep. However, the six-month rule can help provide structure to the process and make the case to discard certain items you no longer use or need.
The basic premise of the six-month rule is that you should dispose of any item that you haven't used for over six months or ask yourself whether you will use the item in the next six months. This is particularly important to consider when decluttering the kitchen space, as items often go unused there.
Although the six-month rule is quite effective, it is largely only applicable to practical items, such as those kept in the kitchen and the living room. For example, items like seasonal holiday decorations are only used a few times a year and some items like souvenirs have sentimental value, so these may not fall under the six-month rule.
You'll find the decluttering process easier if you deal with clutter one room at a time, and the best place to start is in the rooms with the most storage. You also need to figure out what your plan is for the things you do intend to keep so that you don’t simply rearrange the clutter.