Kayleen Kelly has been a professional organizer since 2014, but her passion for sorting and streamlining predates that by many years.
“I’ve loved organizing since I was a little girl — in fact, I used to take before-and-after pictures with my Polaroid camera,” she told HuffPost.
Throughout her decluttering adventures, she’s followed her four C’s, and she believes anyone can use this method. Formerly called the “Core 4 Method,” it’s now known as the “DeclutterCore Method.”
“The beauty of this method is that it can be applied to any space, whether you’re organizing a small linen closet or an entire kitchen,” Kelly said. “It breaks the process down into four simple, manageable steps.”
Step 1 is “collect.” Basically, gather all trash or anything that doesn’t belong in the specific space.
“Using a trash bag and a collection box, you can clear away visual clutter and create room to work,” Kelly said. “Anything that belongs elsewhere can be set aside to be rehomed once you’ve finished working in the space.”
Step 2 is “categorize,” meaning you group like items together to get a clear picture what you own and the quantities.
“Categorizing brings clarity and helps you make informed choices as you move into the decluttering stage,” Kelly noted.
Then you move on to Step 3, the true decluttering moment: “cut out.”
Kelly recommends taking a “gentle, judgment-free approach” as you go through each item individually and try to make a gut decision about what to keep and what to let go.
“If you’re unsure about an item, you don’t have to force yourself to let it go,” she said. “You can keep it for now and revisit it another time. This takes the pressure out of decluttering, makes the experience more positive, and helps you build confidence in your decision-making over time.”
Finally, Step 4 is “contain.”
“Once you’ve decluttered the categories in your space, it’s time to create your organizational system,” Kelly said. “Assign each category a designated home and determine which items need to be contained. This is where you make the most of your existing storage, furniture, bins and baskets to create a system that’s functional, practical and easy to maintain.”
It’s all about figuring out what makes sense for your life, space and day-to-day routine to keep your home organized.
The simple method has some clear benefits, but it might not be for everyone.
“The benefit of this approach is that you will increase the likelihood that you will succeed in clearing your path of the stuff and clutter that no longer serves you,” professional organizer Regina Lark told HuffPost.
This approach doesn’t put pressure on people to get rid of lots of things either.
“The biggest benefit is that you can take small steps and achieve big results without feeling overwhelmed,” Kelly said. “You don’t have to declutter and organize an entire room in one day.”
You can see progress without feeling like you must do everything at once and build confidence in your decision-making abilities, she added.
“The biggest advantage is that you can see everything you own in a particular category,” said Julie Naylon of No Wire Hangers Professional Organizing. “People often don’t realize how many duplicates or unnecessary items they’ve accumulated until everything is laid out in front of them. I also like the idea of being intentional about what goes back into a space. It’s a great opportunity to start fresh, almost like working with a blank canvas.”
By taking stock of everything you have at the beginning, you can be more strategic about the actual organizing process.
“People often buy the bins they want to use before they start the project,” said Katie Hubbard of Turn It Tidy. “However, once they sort and clean everything out to see what remains, the bins they purchased may not be practical. Items may be too wide, too tall, and not fit in the bins they already bought.”
Clearing up space and sorting things into categories makes it easier to find the right storage solutions.
“The only downside I have come across when using this method is that it is more time-consuming than throwing items into baskets and storing them,” Hubbard added.
Naylon also flagged a potential issue with the method.
“If you’re not working with a professional organizer, this approach can be overwhelming,” she said. “Completely emptying a closet, kitchen, or room can be daunting, particularly for someone who struggles with decision-making or has limited time. It can also create a bigger mess before things get better. If someone runs out of time or energy halfway through, they’re left with piles of belongings and a space that’s less functional than when they started.”
If you want to try it, organizers shared a few tips.
There are still ways to be strategic and maximize the benefits of the DeclutterCore Method.
“If you want to start using this approach, my best advice is to put it on the calendar,” Lark said. “Schedule a date with yourself to get the work done. Give yourself the time. If you find yourself struggling with decision-making, ask a friend to help and then reciprocate.”
For decisions that feel too hard, she suggested stepping away for a bit until you feel more grounded.
“I encourage people to break the process into manageable tasks,” Kelly said. “If you’re working on your own, start with the collect step. Set a timer for 15 minutes and focus on removing trash and returning items that don’t belong in the space to their proper homes. The next day, tackle just one category — T-shirts one day, jeans the next.”
Taking it one category at a time makes a big difference, she emphasized.
“Your home didn’t become cluttered overnight, so don’t expect to declutter an entire space in a single day,” Kelly said. “Give yourself grace, celebrate your progress, and remember that you’re building new skills and habits along the way. Consistency matters more than perfection.”
Lisa Zaslow, a professional organizer with Gotham Organizers, advised starting small so that you can finish what you begin.
“Rather than clear out an entire closet, which can create a big mess, start with a manageable section, such as the closet rod, shelves or the floor,” she said.
Make sure you go through each of the four steps with each small area, starting with collecting and categorizing.
“For example, tackle a bathroom closet. Look at the size of the bottles and other items,” Hubbard said. “Do you need a bin without a top, such as a lazy Susan, or are there small items that need to be contained in drawers? Choose the best storage solution to hold your items. Don’t forget to take measurements! The last thing you want to do is buy products that don’t fit.”
She also suggested labeling things and taking a moment to step back and appreciate your organization when you’re done. Allow yourself to feel connected and committed to your goal.
“It’s one thing to take a half-hour to tackle your messy junk drawer,” Zaslow said. “But if you truly want to create lasting organization systems to make your life easier, you need to commit to the process. And you’ll need to continue maintaining and updating your systems to stay organized. As I say to my clients, you can have the world’s most organized closet, but the clothes aren’t going to put away themselves.”