Many people use the terms decluttering and organizing interchangeably, but they’re actually two different processes.
Here’s a simple comparison table that explains the differences.
| Decluttering | Organizing |
|---|---|
| Focuses on reducing the number of belongings you own. | Focuses on organizing the belongings you decide to keep. |
| Helps you decide what to keep, donate, relocate, or discard. | Creates functional systems so everything has a designated place. |
| Removes unnecessary items to create more space. | Maximizes the space you already have. |
| Decision-making is a major part of the process. | System-building is the primary focus. |
| Can include donation removal and taking out trash. | Can include folding, labeling, categorizing, and arranging belongings. |
| Helps reduce clutter and create a simpler home. | Helps make your home easier to maintain day-to-day. |
| Often comes before organizing. | Usually happens after decluttering is complete. |
| Results in fewer belongings to manage. | Results in a more organized and functional home. |
| Answers the question, “Do I want to keep this?” | Answers the question, “Where should this go?” |
| Goal: Own less and eliminate unnecessary clutter. | Goal: Create simple, easy-to-maintain organizing systems. |
Decluttering
Decluttering is the process of removing items from your home that you no longer want or need. By letting go of items you no longer use, you create more space in your home, make it easier to find what you need when you need it, and simplify your day-to-day routines. Donating items you no longer want can also allow someone else to benefit from them.
Ultimately, the less you have, the easier it is to stay organized. Having fewer items to manage often saves time, energy, and effort in the long run.
Learn more about our decluttering services and the benefits of hiring a professional decluttering service.
Examples of Items Removed During Decluttering Sessions
See the difference a decluttered space makes. For this project, we helped our client both declutter and organize her closet and bedroom.
Organizing
Organizing, on the other hand, is what comes after decluttering. Organizing is the process of creating systems for the items that are staying in your home. Whether it’s a closet, kitchen, garage, or bedroom, organizing is about creating practical systems that work for your lifestyle and make your spaces easier to maintain.
Those systems may include organizing products like bins, baskets, or drawer dividers, but they don’t have to. Organizing isn’t just about making a space look neat; it’s about making the space function better for you and your everyday life.
As professional organizers, we almost always recommend decluttering before organizing. If you skip decluttering, you’re often just moving items from place to place that you may not even use or need. Extra items can get in the way of creating effective systems and can contribute to more clutter over time.
That said, decluttering is always optional. If you’ve already decluttered, don’t feel like you need to declutter, or simply want help refreshing and organizing your spaces, organizing alone can still make a huge difference.
Most of our clients who reach out for decluttering help also want organizing assistance, as the two go hand in hand. Once you’ve decided what stays, you can create systems for the items you have left, making your home easier to manage and maintain.
Learn more about our organizing services.
Examples of Before & After Photos from Organizing Projects
Signs You Need Decluttering More Than Organizing
Sometimes a space doesn’t need more bins or labels. It simply needs fewer items. You may need decluttering more than organizing if:
- Items are spilling out of drawers, cabinets, bins, or containers
- Your current organizing products no longer hold what you own
- Clutter piles keep forming on counters, floors, chairs, or tables
- You have trouble finding what you need when you need it
- You keep buying duplicates because you can’t see or find what you already have
- Items get lost, buried, or forgotten about
- The space feels stressful or overwhelming, even after you try to straighten it up
- Things don’t have enough room to be put away easily
Of course, you can always buy more organizing products, but sometimes the better solution is to declutter first. When you have fewer items, it becomes easier to create a system that is simple to use, easy to maintain, and actually works for your day-to-day life.
Professional Decluttering vs. Professional Organizing Services
| Professional Decluttering Service | Professional Organizing Service |
|---|---|
| Best for homes with too much clutter. | Best for homes that already have the right amount of belongings but need better organization. |
| Helps you decide what to keep, donate, recycle, or throw away. | Organizes the belongings you’ve already decided to keep. |
| Guides you through the decision-making process. | Creates practical organizing systems that are easy to maintain. |
| Removes excess belongings to free up space. | Gives everything a designated home. |
| Donation removal is often included. | Organizing products may be recommended when helpful. |
| Focuses on simplifying your home. | Focuses on improving how your home functions. |
| Often the first step before organizing. | Often follows a successful decluttering session. |
| Ideal if you feel overwhelmed by clutter. | Ideal if you know what you’re keeping but need help organizing it. |
Not sure which service you need? Many clients benefit from both. We often begin by decluttering your space and then organize everything you decide to keep into simple, easy-to-maintain systems.
FAQ
What’s More Important: Decluttering or Organizing?
Neither is necessarily more important than the other, as they truly go hand in hand.
Decluttering is the process of letting go of items you no longer want or need, while organizing is the process of creating systems for the items that are staying in your home. Both play an important role in creating spaces that are easier to maintain and manage.
That said, there is a saying that the less you have, the less you have to organize. The more you declutter, the fewer items you have to manage, which often makes organizing easier and reduces how often you need to refresh and maintain your spaces.
At the same time, organizing is equally important. Without systems that work for you and your lifestyle, even a decluttered home can become difficult to maintain over time.
Ultimately, it’s not about choosing one over the other. The goal is to find the right balance between the two. Most of our clients find that when they declutter and organize together, they’re able to create spaces that not only look better but also function better and are easier to keep organized long-term.
Do I Need Organizing Products to Organize My Home?
No. Organizing products are completely optional and are simply an additional recommendation in some cases.
Whether you need bins, baskets, drawer dividers, or storage furniture really depends on your space and how you live. For example, if you live in a smaller home or a shotgun house with limited closet and storage space, you may benefit from products that maximize areas like under the bed or utilize vertical storage.
The amount of storage you need also depends on how many items you’re keeping. In some cases, organizing products can make a huge difference, and in others, they’re not necessary at all.
Before organizing a client’s space, we always evaluate the space first and make recommendations only if we think they’ll genuinely help. We’re not trying to make our clients spend extra money on products they don’t need. Our goal is simply to create practical systems that work best for your home and lifestyle.
How Often Should I Declutter My Home?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. How often you should declutter really depends on your home, your lifestyle, and what works best for you.
Some people prefer to do a quick reset once a month, while others may declutter a few times a year. As a professional organizer, Olivia Parks personally does some form of decluttering at least once a week. That doesn’t mean she’s decluttering her entire home every week. It may be one closet one week, a kitchen cabinet the next week, or a quick reset of another area that’s started to collect clutter.
While that may sound excessive to some people, Olivia thrives in organized spaces and finds it easier to relax, focus on work, and enjoy everyday life when her home feels tidy and under control.
She also believes that the more consistently you declutter, the less you actually have to declutter over time. When you’re regularly letting go of items you no longer use or need, clutter has less of a chance to build up in the first place, making your home easier to maintain.
Ultimately, it’s about finding a rhythm that works for you. The more items that come into your home and the busier your lifestyle is, the more frequently you may need to declutter.
Of course, many people simply don’t have the time, energy, or physical ability to keep up with decluttering. That’s why we provide decluttering services. We help individuals and families save time and effort by helping them sort through their belongings, remove items they no longer want or need, and even take care of donation drop-offs to make the process easier.
Can You Organize Without Decluttering First?
Yes. You can absolutely organize without decluttering first. Decluttering is always optional, and we never force clients to get rid of anything they want to keep.
That being said, decluttering can make the organizing process easier. When you have fewer items in a space, you usually need fewer organizing products; it’s easier to create a system, and it’s easier to find what you need when you need it.
For example, if you recently decluttered or you already know everything in the space is something you use, need, or want to keep, then we can focus on organizing what you have. But if a space is overcrowded, decluttering first can help create a more functional system that is easier to maintain long-term.
How Do I Know if I Need Decluttering or Organizing?
The first thing to ask yourself is whether you actually need everything in the space.
Take a look around the room and ask yourself: Do I use these items? Do I need them? Do they still serve a purpose in my life? If the answer is yes, you may not need to declutter at all. Decluttering is always optional. Some people simply have a lot of belongings that they genuinely use and want to keep.
However, if you notice you’re holding onto items you rarely use, no longer want, have outgrown, or think someone else could benefit from, it may be a good time to declutter before organizing.
If you decide to keep everything, then ask yourself whether your current setup is actually working for you. Can you easily find what you need? Does everything have a home? Do you constantly feel frustrated when using the space? Does it become messy again just a few days after you tidy it up?
If your answer is yes to those questions, then you likely need better organizing systems.
In many cases, clients benefit from both decluttering and organizing. Decluttering reduces the amount of stuff you have, while organizing creates simple, functional systems that make your space easier to maintain and enjoy.
Is Hiring a Professional Organizer to Help Me Declutter and Organize Spaces in My Home Worth It?
Yes. Hiring a professional organizer to help you declutter and organize your home is absolutely worth it for many people.
Whether you need help decluttering and organizing your entire home or simply organizing spaces that already have too much clutter, a professional organizer can save you a tremendous amount of time, energy, and stress.
A professional organizer handles the entire process for you.
We help with the physical work of decluttering, provide the boxes and supplies needed for sorting, help you decide what to keep, donate, or discard, take donations to local donation centers, and then organize everything in a way that makes your home more functional.
We also fold, categorize, sort, label, and create simple organizing systems that are customized to how you and your family actually use your space.
What might take you weeks or even months to complete on your own can often be accomplished by a professional organizer in just one or two sessions, depending on the project’s size.
While professional organizing is an investment, it’s an investment in your home, your time, your peace of mind, and your quality of life.
Because this is what professional organizers do every day, we know how to work efficiently, stay focused, and create practical, easy-to-maintain organizing systems long after the project is complete.
Do decluttering and organizing services cost the same?
Yes. At Professional Organizer New Orleans, we price our decluttering and organizing services the same.
Helpful Resources on Decluttering
- Common Decluttering Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
- How To Declutter Your Home When You Feel Overwhelmed
- 7 Decluttering Before & After Photos to Boost Your Motivation
- We’ve Helped Over 500+ Clients Declutter Their Homes in New Orleans. Here’s What We Found
- 10 Things New Orleans Professional Organizers Declutter First
