The 20/20 Rule: Declutter 20 Things In 20 Minutes

      Comments Off on The 20/20 Rule: Declutter 20 Things In 20 Minutes

Decluttering your home can seem like a daunting task. Where do you start? How do you know what you can live without? There are lots of different methods that you can try to help you declutter in a pain-free way, such as the 20/20 rule. 

What Is The 20/20 Rule?

The 20/20 rule is designed to help you decide what to do with those ‘just in case’ items. As you declutter, there will be plenty of items that you do know that you don’t want or need anymore. Those are the easy ones. There will also be items you aren’t sure about. You haven’t used it in a while, but maybe you will. You might be saving these items. The easiest way to decide how to deal with these items is to apply the 20/20 rule..

Could the item you’re deciding on be replaced for less than £20 in under 20 minutes? If you can, get rid of it. If it does turn out you need it, you can replace it easily. For example, by this rule, if you’re deciding about something with sentimental value it would be spared the cull as you couldn’t replace it, where as you would clear out that DVD you bought a year ago but still haven’t taken the cellophane off of. 

This rule might feel wasteful at first, but is actually a very effective way to declutter and simplify your life. You might find you need to replace one or two items after using this system, but in all likelihood, most of the things you get rid of you will find that you don’t miss them at all and won’t need to replace them. If you’re really not sure, you could store these maybe items in self storage and see if you miss them. 

20 Things In 20 Minutes

If you find decluttering difficult or boring, working in short bursts can be an easy way to get it done. Choose a space to work in, like the spare room, the cupboard under the stairs or your children’s toy box. Set a timer for twenty minutes and start work, using the 20/20 rule. Aim to declutter 20 items that you don’t need anymore. When the timer rings, take a short break for a few minutes, then set another twenty minute and go again. Keep going until you’ve decluttered your 20 things. Get the children involved and teach them the 20/20 rule too so they can help with decluttering their own things, such as old toys. 

To stop the 20/20 rule being wasteful, use it to identify things that can be donated. For example, if you’re clearing out old toys, and you get to a doll that your children don’t play with anymore that is still in good condition, and it cost less than £20 and could be replaced in less than 20 minutes, then you can add it to a box to drop off at your nearest charity shop. You can declutter and simplify your own home, without throwing away anything that is still in good condition, and might make someone else happy.