The four-box method might be the easiest way to declutter your home

There are lots of decluttering methods out there but the four-box technique might be the simplest approach there is.

You may already have used a version of it in previous clean out sessions, because it is based on the main decisions people make when decluttering.

All you need to get started is four boxes; these could be cardboard, foldable fabric boxes or plastic containers and some labels.

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What is the four-box method?

This method involves sorting items in a room or area into one of four boxes.

The box categories are keep, rubbish, donate/sell and storage.

While most of the box categories are straightforward, the storage box is for items you don't use often but still want to keep, such as seasonal décor.

Once you have your boxes ready start going through your stuff and separate them into one of those four boxes.

Why does the four-box method work?

The four-box method works because of its simplicity and straightforward categories.

"The beauty of the four-box method is that it provides structure and quick decision-making, which can reduce emotional overwhelm," Chas Greener, organisation expert and creator of Chas' Crazy Creations told Good Housekeeping.

"By limiting options, it helps people move through spaces efficiently without getting stuck in perfectionism or sentimentality."

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How to do the four-box method

Take four boxes of similar size and stick on clear labels identifying them as either; keep, donate/sell, storage or rubbish.

Choose a room or area of the home to sort through and give yourself ample time for it. A bedroom might need a few hours but a cupboard or drawer might only need half an hour to an hour.

Then go through your things and decide which one of the four boxes each item should go into.

"Try to keep the 'keep but store away' pile as small as possible, because when you store things away where you can't see them, it's easy to forget about them. This is how you might end up with duplicates, and a loft full of boxes of which you can't remember the contents of," Hester Van Hien, home decluttering and organising consultant from Tidylicious, told Ideal Home.

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What happens next?

When you've finished sorting deal with the boxes as soon as possible by emptying the rubbish box into the bin, putting away the items you want to keep and storing the less used items.

Before putting the things you're keeping back in their place it's worth cleaning the surface and potentially the item, for example, if it needs dusting, first.

Also take this time to consider if you need a new storage system or location for these items that would work better than your current set up so that it doesn't become messy and disorganised as quickly.

As for the donate/sell box, send or take the items where they need to go sooner rather than later otherwise you're just shifting clutter to a different space.

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