What is the difference between decluttering, tidying, and organising? And which does your home need most?

These words are often used interchangeably however, decluttering, tidying, and organising are three distinct processes, and understanding the differences is key to maintaining an orderly home.

What is the difference between decluttering, tidying, and organising?

It may seem straightforward to distinguish between these three processes, but the surge in home organising on social media has led to their frequent interchangeability, causing confusion about the complete process necessary for keeping a home tidy.

While jumbling up these terms is not inherently wrong, it can make it more challenging to prevent a house from becoming messy when the steps are mixed up or one is overlooked entirely.

Decluttering

Declutter (verb) – to remove things you do not need from a place, in order to make it more pleasant and more useful.

Decluttering is a process most of us are familiar with, involving the removal of belongings when our homes have accumulated items with no designated places.

Though decluttering is often confused with tidying, some people interpret it as eliminating visible clutter. While decluttering accomplishes this, the focus is on eliminating cluttered items, such as decluttering a closet and donating old clothes to a charity, rather than merely ‘decluttering’ (tidying) a coffee table and returning items like remotes and books to their proper places.

I suggest people declutter and focus on only one space at a time or the process is overwhelming. When you declutter a family room, for instance, you might remove and recycle magazines or catalogues that have been read or are no longer wanted. You declutter a closet or a chest of drawers when it’s difficult to put clothes away or can not easily find items you want.

Organising

Organize verb (MAKE A SYSTEM) – To do or arrange something according to a particular system:

Organising is one of the most satisfying steps and is crucial if you want your house to remain functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Organising goes a bit further. It’s about arranging your belongings logically and efficiently, creating systems that help you find things easily. This is what you do when you want to make your space more functional, like setting up labelled storage bins or arranging your closet.

This step is best performed after you have decluttered and cleared out old belongings that you no longer use. After all, it makes very little sense to try and organise kitchen appliances in a cabinet, so they are easy to use if you haven’t decluttered a kitchen first to make space and clear out appliances you no longer use.

Tidying

Tidy- tidy adjective (ORDERED)- having everything ordered and arranged in the right place, or liking to keep things like this:

Tidying is the final step in keeping a house neat and is often confused with organising. You should avoid tidying before you have a good home organising system in place; otherwise, you will be trying to stash away belongings that don’t have a proper home – essentially just moving messes around.

Tidying becomes necessary when things are not put back correctly, leading to a disorganised environment. Regular tidying sessions prevent the need for extensive decluttering and organising efforts by maintaining order on an ongoing basis, e.g. you have tidied the coffee table or the children’s bedroom.

Why it’s important to use the right process.

Using the appropriate term for the specific task you’re undertaking is essential for achieving your desired results and avoiding unnecessary pitfalls. Applying excessive decluttering without considering the value and usefulness of items can lead to regrets later.

Items might be put away, but if they lack designated spaces, you’ll find yourself back in disarray soon. Ensure your tidying efforts are supported by proper organisation techniques, and it will even help you to clean a house fast, too.

Think of the process like this.

Once you have decluttered, then organised, and set up systems to best suit you, remember to do the regular tidying. If things start to build up again another declutter will be needed. However, I do recommend all my clients to regularly declutter even if it is just in line with summer and winter.

So, ultimately your home needs all of these three but you must start with the decluttering to make the whole process much easier.