CATEGORY-BASED versus ROOM-BASED DECLUTTERING

Decluttering by category is sorting through all similar items together regardless of location.

PROS

• Works well when items already have a designated home

• Focusing on a single category at a time reduces the mental load of jumping between unrelated areas, leading to more confident and faster decisions

CONS

• Often impractical when items are scattered

• Some items may be missed if you forget to think about every drawer and nook

• May not be realistic for larger families or homes because gathering all of one category for multiple people can be overwhelming

Decluttering by room is fully clearing and organizing one space before moving on.

PROS

• Fully transforming one room at a time gives you immediate, dramatic results that motivate continued progress

• Having at least one transformed room provides a calm retreat

• Completing simpler rooms first generates momentum and confidence for more challenging spaces such as basements and garages

CONS

• Items removed from one room can pile up in other rooms, creating new clutter hotspots