Does this sound like you? 

You've gotten uncomfortable or even overwhelmed with what’s in your physical space or in your head, you enthusiastically jump in to do something about it, only to quickly become discouraged.

But, shouldn’t organizing or tidying make the clutter disappear? Well yes, sometimes, but not always. 

To ensure success, you need to understand the difference between decluttering, organizing, tidying and cleaning. Depending on the result you're after, you’ll be more likely to succeed if you choose the right activity.

These differences may seem obvious, but knowing them will help you speak Professional Organizer language, if you ever wish to work with one. For example, people often ask me for organizing tips. They talk about their lack of systems and, as true as that may be, clutter is often their real issue.

So, let’s establish some clear definitions

Clutter - A collection of things lying about

Clutter is somewhat subjective. A cluttered room for me might feel and look completely different for you. We all have a different perspective on what we consider clutter.

That’s why, as a Professional Organizer, I can’t be the one deciding what stays and what goes when I work with a client.

So, let’s say that… 

CLUTTER is anything that’s in the way, the extra, the superfluous that is taking space, physical or otherwise, that never or rarely gets used or loved.

There are different types of clutter: physical (the stuff in your home), digital (the stuff on your devices), mental (the stuff in your head) and sentimental (the stuff you feel an emotional attachment to).

It’s the stuff that generally complicates your life and makes you ask: why do I even have this?

The Difference Between Decluttering, Organizing, Tidying and Cleaning

Decluttering - Pairing down our possessions

DECLUTTERING is the art of removing items that no longer serve us, to make space in our homes, our devices, our heads and our hearts for what really matters.

That alone can alleviate feelings of overwhelm or stress we feel about our spaces. You can say that decluttering is the gateway to fewer, but better things.

It’s very important to know that decluttering is an ongoing process, and that’s where people get tripped up. We’ll always have to declutter to a certain extent, because stuff continuously comes into our lives, and that’s just part of being human.

One thing I know for sure as a Professional Organizer is that decluttering always makes taking care of your stuff and organizing easier. That’s why you want to start there.

Organizing - Deciding where everything lives

ORGANIZING is creating order around ourselves with the help of systems.

Organizing has you decide where your stuff lives in your spaces, and how you’re going to take care of it. It’s usually solving a problem with a specific method, a particular habit or a product that will make taking care of your stuff easier (or finding it faster). 

For example: a few bins at the entrance of your home for all the mittens, scarves and toques; sorting mail as soon as it enters your home; or organizing your photos into identical labelled folders for every year.

People get in trouble when they try to organize without decluttering first; which means they’re basically organizing clutter. No one has time for that!

If an object, an idea or a To-Do doesn’t have a proper “home“, it will always be in flux and feel like clutter. If you don’t have systems to “catch“ or contain all the things, thoughts included, they will come back to the front of your minds again and again, and that takes a lot of energy.

Tidying - Returning things to their homes

TIDYING is putting things back in their proper place.

Can you see that decluttering and organizing must come before tidying? Essentially, it’s putting away the things you were using for a specific activity or task, once you’re done. It will help you stay organized.

Tidying can happen everyday, like tidying your desk at the end of a work day, or doing a 5-minute reset in your living room after watching TV. 

If you declutter first and have systems in place (AKA organizing), tidying shouldn’t take long at all.

Cleaning - Bringing things back to their original state (or as close to as possible) so you can use them again.

CLEANING is the act of removing dirt, grime and dust.

In my own home I could declutter, organize and tidy all day long, but cleaning…ugh! It’s my least favourite part. 

Someone can clean without decluttering, organizing or tidying, but it’s definitely going to be harder. The more things you have in your space, the harder it will be to maintain.

So, if you find yourself using a lot of your precious time cleaning, maybe you want to look at decluttering and organizing first (pssst, we have solutions for that 😉). 

Are you still with me?

If so, you’re amazing! Here is what I want you to remember:

👉🏻 Want more breathing room - Make space (AKA Declutter)

👉🏻 Want to find your stuff really easily - Set up systems (AKA Organize)

👉🏻 Want to feel on top of things - Reset your space (AKA Tidy)

👉🏻 Want your stuff to last a long time - Take care of it (AKA Clean)

So which one do you feel you need to do in your space next?