How to Start Decluttering When You Don't Know Where to Begin: The 4 Box Method

If you’re staring at clutter and wondering how to start decluttering, you’re not alone. Feeling overwhelmed is one of the biggest reasons people delay organizing their homes — not because they don’t care, but because they don’t know where to begin.

That’s where the 4 Box Method comes in. This simple decluttering system helps you make decisions quickly, stay focused, and actually finish the space you start.

What Is the 4 Box Method?

The 4 Box Method is a professional organizer–approved decluttering technique that uses four clearly labeled categories:

• Keep – items you use, need, or truly love

• Donate – items in good condition that no longer serve you

• Discard – broken, expired, or unusable items

• Relocate – items you are keeping but belong somewhere else in your home

By giving every item an immediate “home,” you eliminate decision fatigue — one of the biggest obstacles when decluttering for beginners.

Why This Decluttering Method Works

Many people try to declutter by organizing first — buying bins, moving piles, or rearranging shelves. Often you have what you need, and are simply moving clutter around to new spaces in your home.

The 4 Box Method works because it:

• Creates momentum through small wins

• Prevents overthinking

• Helps you declutter one space at a time

How to Start Decluttering Using the 4 Box Method

Follow these steps to begin decluttering your home without stress:

1. Choose a Small, Specific Space

Start with a drawer, shelf, or single category — not an entire room. This builds confidence and prevents burnout.

2. Set Out Four Boxes, Bags, or baskets

Label each one clearly: Keep, Donate, Discard, Relocate.

3. remove each item One Item at a Time

Ask yourself:

• Do I still need/use this?

• Do I need this in my current season of life?

• Can this serve someone else?

Place it in the appropriate box and move on.

5. Finish the Process

Place your “Keep” items back in the space you organized. Remove trash immediately. Place donate items in your car or by the door. Take your “Relocate” items to their proper homes.

If you need help decluttering your home, preparing for a move, or creating systems,
Help You Dwell is here to support you every step of the way.

Bathroom Refresh: Small Updates That Make a Big Difference

Your bathroom is one of the most-used spaces in your home—so why not make it a space you actually love? A few thoughtful tweaks can transform it from cluttered and chaotic into calming and functional.

1 | Declutter

• Toss any expired products (yes, even that half-used bottle you meant to try)

• Clear out duplicates or items you don’t love

• Pull everything out, inspect, and wipe down the surfaces behind

Why this matters: Starting from zero gives you visibility and clarity when redesigning storage.

2 | Define Zones + A Home for Everything

Divide your bathroom into functional zones (e.g. grooming, skincare, cleaning, linens). For each zone, assign a home for its items:

• Daily use (toothbrush, cleanser), use a small tray or clear organizer by the sink

• Skincare/Cosmetics, use drawer dividers, acrylic boxes, or canister

• Linens/Towels, fold or roll to display on open shelves, use a ladder, or store in the closet

  • Watch our suggestions on how to fold towels

• Cleaning & bulk items, under the sink cabinet, stackable bins

Tip: Use clear jars or canisters for cotton pads, Q-tips, etc.—they help you see when it’s time to refill.

3 | Embrace Minimal Display + Thoughtful Decor

• Choose 2–3 items to display (a soap dish, a tray, a plant, or a candle)

• Keep it simple & intentional — avoid “decor clutter”

• Hide the rest inside drawers, cabinets, or behind mirrored doors

  Bonus: A small plant (like a snake plant or pothos) or a framed print can soften the hardness of tile/ceramic and bring life into the space.
  Some local shops we love: Oglewood Avenue, Pope’s, & Stanley’s Greenhouse

4 | Upgrade Storage Solutions (Without a Reno)

You don’t need to gut your bathroom to improve functionality. Try:

• Slim rolling carts or narrow trolleys

• Over-the-door organizers or suction caddies

• Tension rods under sinks for spray bottles

• Drawer dividers or adjustable inserts

• Wall-mounted baskets or peg system

5 | Maintenance Rituals

• Clean mirrors and grout regularly to keep the space feeling crisp

• Weekly: Wipe down counters, discard trash, return items to their “home”

• Monthly: Declutter under sink, check expiration dates, re-fold linens

• Seasonal: Reassess what’s working, re-balance your zones, update decor

A bathroom refresh doesn’t need a full remodel. Purging, zoning, thoughtful display, and clever storage upgrades go a long way in making your space feel both beautiful and functional. 

Who knows what organizing one small space in your home or workspace could lead to?

As always, if these tasks sound just like what you need but time is limited, Help You Dwell would be honored to help you along your journey to order in your space. 

Organizing with HYD

Help You Dwell was established nine years ago because we love helping others. Every week our team members have the pleasure of meeting new faces and hearing new stories, which brings us lots of joy.  But often, when we walk into a new client's home, the first thing we hear is "sorry."  We want you to know that you never need to apologize for your home!  Your home is part of your story, and we all have a story, too. We never judge you and want you to know that we are always compassionate, professional, and respectful

So, what does an organizing session with us look like? Well, it begins with understanding that together, we are a team. As we walk through our plans to help you find order and peace in your home, we want to hear the story that brought you to where you are.  Our organizing sessions are really a four-part process: listen, plan, declutter, and organize.

At Help You Dwell we begin every organizing session by listening to your needs. After we have learned more about you and your home, we will begin walking through a plan for your space. There is no “one size fits all” approach for us. Our company understands that being organized means different things to different people, and we hope you never feel pressured by trends on social media and television, friends, or family to become a version of "organized" that doesn’t work for you.

When we are ready to spring into action, the first thing we do is help you declutter. You must declutter before you can organize. Decluttering means sorting and purging items. If we don’t declutter first, we are simply moving items around and spinning our wheels. When we declutter, we make space. When we make space, we can easily organize.

So how do we declutter? We like to put items into 4 categories: keep, donate, trash, and relocate. Remember, we are a team! We are there to help you make tough decisions about things you may be holding onto for varied reasons. Often when you have a teammate beside you, decisions are easier to make, and you feel “lighter” when you can be free from some of the clutter in your life. There are several organizations here in town that we love to send donations to. We can also take your donations if you don’t have time, or the task seems overwhelming.

Once we have decluttered, we can begin organizing! We will create systems that keep you organized, as well as discuss routines that work for you specifically. Doing this will free you up to spend more time being with the people you love doing the things you love.

We want you to be yourself, just with less stuff and more you.  You are worth the effort.