Cards on the table (literally): I’m the sort of sentimental old fool who hangs onto birthday and Christmas cards for years because it feels mean throwing them away, so you’d best believe my home often feels a tad cluttered.
As our family has grown, though, we’ve found ourselves desperately in need of more room. Enter the fray, then, the ‘One Bag A Day’ method, aka one of those easy-peasy decluttering methods that's perfect for those who, like me, find it tricky to declutter when they’re overwhelmed.
Best of all? It requires zero prep, so it's simple enough to pick up and do whenever you find yourself with a spare moment (no small thing for anyone who, like me, has a new baby and a toddler to juggle!). Here's what you need to know.
What is the ‘One Bag A Day’ decluttering method
The ‘One Bag A Day’ decluttering method is a brilliant way to maintain a clutter-free home, because it calls for you to set to work little and often. The snackable version of decluttering, if you like!
You make it your mission to fill up one bag each and every day with items from around you're home that you're happy to donate, recycle, or send to landfill.
This might look like a stash of old magazines/newspapers, books and cookbooks you have zero intention of reading, outgrown or unloved clothing, expired food and beauty products, broken toys, holey socks and pants, empty notebooks, and so on.
All of this means that it's particularly 'great for people who are new to decluttering or feel overwhelmed with their clutter', according to Dani Hardy of Dani Declutters.
'You can set your goal for a certain number of days, focus on a certain area, or even set a time limit per bag to make this decluttering method fit your needs,' says decluttering expert Dani Hardy. 'It's up to you!'
Honestly, anything that demystifies the decluttering experience is a win by my books – and, while I'm a big fan of Swedish death cleaning as a starting point, it works best when paired with something like the ‘One Bag A Day’ method to really keep your home looking its tip-top best.
What you will need
Honestly, the clue is in the name with this method; you don't really need anything other than bags aplenty, like the ECO WAVE Compostable Bin Liners from Amazon.
Of course, if you fancy being very clever, you could try using something like Amazon's FOLODA Reusable Rubbish Bin Liner – it's thick, durable, and washable, making it ideal for decluttering jobs like this.
How to do it
Whether you have your ultimate decluttering checklist to hand or not, the ‘One Bag A Day’ method is honestly the easiest way to streamline your belongings – so much so that I'm a full convert.
It's so easy, in fact, that you don't really even need a step-by-step guide; you just need to grab yourself a bag and get stuck in.
'The “One Bag A Day Method” is simply that; every day you go around the house filling a bag with unwanted items to add to landfill, recycle, sell or donate,' says Dani.
Honestly, it's as easy as that. I tend to do a quick tidy-up most evenings, to undo the damage my whirlwind toddler has done during the day, so I just made sure to add a bag to the mix.
At first, it felt tricky to fill an entire bag, so I stuck to using smaller grocery bags for the first few days. As I found my rhythm, though, I found it easier than ever to get rid of stuff; expired beauty and food products, too-small clothes, old/broken toys, plastic food containers that have lost their lids... you know the drill.
Dani agrees that adding some sort of routine to this method is helpful, explaining that, 'with a lot of my clients, I recommend having a "Donation Station' somewhere in the house – mine is by the front door'.
'On a daily basis as you find items that you no longer want, rather than putting them back and thinking "I must get rid of that' pop it in the donation station,' she says.
'This could be a top that you have never worn as you never liked it, or a toy that your child has outgrown. This will help you reach your daily one bag goal.'
As someone who enjoys videogames, you'd best believe I'm a fan of small, manageable goals – as well as anything that helps gamify the decluttering process, à la the scavenger hunt decluttering method.
This means that filling one bag a day and checking it off my to-do list is easily as good a mood booster for me as... well, as living in a tidy and decluttered home. Go figure.
The ‘One Bag A Day’ decluttering method is one of those effortless techniques that feels like a real life hack. I found that it changed the way I think about clutter, allowing me to let go of items I'd been hanging onto for way too long and clearing up some space in the process.
Better still, it gave me a real sense of smug pride each day as I was able to tick a goal off my to-do list without very much effort at all. Not to get all Wicked about it, but, while I can't say if I've been changed for the better, I know that I've been changed for good – and my home is all the easier to manage for it.
Fingers crossed a deluge of Christmas gifts doesn't set me back again, eh?
