I tried the 80/20 decluttering rule – it's been perfect for organising my home in time for autumn

With autumn on the horizon, many of us are taking the opportunity to declutter our homes so we can enjoy all that cosy season has to offer. September feels like the perfect time to reset, tackle our to-do lists, and get rid of anything we no longer need.

The best professional decluttering methods can help. In a bid to organise my home and make it the sanctuary I want it to be, I've tested many decluttering methods over the past few years, including the 1-3-5 decluttering technique, 'decision fatigue decluttering', the move-out method and many more.

So it's fair to say that I know when a new decluttering method is actually helpful versus when it complicates things unnecessarily. So when I heard about the 80/20 decluttering rule, I was keen to put it to the test. Would it genuinely help me curb the clutter in my home and get things ready for autumn?

I tried the 80/20 decluttering rule to organise my home: it's a game-changer

After trying the 80/20 decluttering rule firsthand, I can confidently say this method is worth a try. It's seriously made me rethink whether or not I actually need to bring something into my home. I also consulted with a decluttering expert to gain her thoughts on this technique (spoiler: she's also a fan).

What is the 80/20 decluttering rule?

The 80/20 decluttering rule is designed to stop us from filling up empty cupboard space. The idea is that you only fill up 80% of the space available, and leave the remaining 20% free. Of course, you don't need to get the measuring tape out and work out how much space 20% is exactly. The rule is there to act as more of a guide.

Decluttering expert Rebecca Crayford is a fan. "I always say to clients that there's nothing better than opening a cupboard or drawer and actually seeing some space, rather than feeling you need to fill every available inch just because it's there," she says.

I also like the idea of having space in my cupboard and drawers. Even though we can keep the contents hidden, it's pretty stressful when we open a cupboard door to find everything stuffed in there, jumbled on top of each other with some items spilling onto the floor.

'It's stressful, time-consuming and makes it much harder to stay organised,' Rebecca agrees. 'When you purposely leave some space, you can see what you have, find what you need quickly and know exactly where things go when you put them back.'

The 80/20 decluttering rule is also designed to help us rethink our shopping habits going forward. Do we really need to buy something just because we have the space to store it at home? Pausing to ask ourselves this question can actually be pretty powerful; I've since discovered.

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Trying the 80/20 decluttering rule

The first place I was desperate to try the 80/20 decluttering rule on was my cleaning cupboard. I've been putting off sorting this cupboard for months, despite feeling frustrated every time I opened it. I was greeted by clutter, visual overwhelm, and a sense of guilt that I wasn't using all the products in there – not the feelings I want to have in any area of my home.

It's a spacious cupboard, so I'd filled it to the max. But with the 80/20 rule actively encouraging us not to do this, I had high hopes it would help me sort my cleaning cupboard out once and for all.

And I'm pleased to say, it did. I pulled everything out of the cupboard and onto the kitchen floor, which was helpful for getting a visual overview of what exactly I was storing. There were items in there I'd completely forgotten about, plus items I knew were past their best.

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It was easy enough for me to figure out how many items I needed to get rid of to lose 20% of the cupboard's contents. I decided what could go, and then started putting the rest back into the cupboard (after giving the shelves a long-overdue wipe-down first). I was pretty amazed at just how much space getting rid of a few items had created. 20% doesn't sound like a lot, but it makes a big difference to cluttered and chaotic places.

The cleaning cupboard looks so much better now. I quite like seeing the empty space in there – it instantly imbues a sense of calm, which is the opposite of how it was before.

Armed with this success, I decided to tackle my toiletry storage next. This area is usually my downfall when it comes to decluttering, as I always manage to convince myself that certain toiletries will get used one day. And nine times out of ten, that day never comes.

Determined to free up 20% of the space in each storage basket, I again decided to pull everything out. It was a similar story to the cleaning cupboard; I was finding things I'd completely forgotten about, and some items, I'm ashamed to say, had an expiry date of 2022.

I quite liked combining the 80/20 rule with the 'didn't know' declutter method, where you get rid of anything you didn't know you had. It forced me to be a little bit more brutal, and I liked the flexibility that the 80/20 provided here – there's room to try it alongside one of your other favourite methods, if you have one.

Lastly, I tried the 80/20 rule on my socks and underwear drawers. Again, an area I've been wanting to get on top of for a while, and struggling to. I didn't think a person could have an emotional attachment to their socks, but there we are – I somehow always make an excuse to keep them even when they're past their best.

Again, the 80/20 method worked a charm. I had to get rid of a fair few bits to be able to see space in the drawers, but I felt great afterwards.

Verdict: should you try the 80/20 decluttering rule?

I can confidently recommend the 80/20 decluttering method, and I think it's perfect for those of us who are guilty of stuffing our cupboards full unnecessarily. It might not work in every area of the home – some drawers and cupboards simply will be more full than others – but seeing space where possible really does work wonders (for the mind as much as the home).

September feels like the perfect time to give the 80/20 rule a go. I know I'm looking forward to a calmer and more organised home in the cosy months ahead.