What is the Pile Decluttering Method? Our organizing pros reveal this 'functional, hands-on approach' will transform your space with ease

After ringing in the New Year, attention in the home turns from hosting and decorating to resetting and decluttering for the year ahead. But, as ever, it can be difficult to know how to get started.

So, why not make things a little more simple? The Pile Decluttering Method brings this task back to basics and breaks it down easily – and might be just the ticket to help organize your space and make more room for storage.

I spoke to an organizational expert on their Pile Method decluttering tips and which rooms to tackle with it this January.

What is the Pile Decluttering Method?

This simple method revolves around sorting or categorizing items and belongings into different piles to help you be more ruthless when decluttering.

Maria Anderson, cleaning and organizing expert at Henfield Storage, explains, 'This method requires that individuals immediately categorize items into distinct piles: keep, donate, discard or store. It gives you a clear picture of the volume of possessions you acquire, providing insights into what is actually needed versus what is not. This is a streamlined strategy that helps one reclaim a living area.'

It can be used all over the home for small and large clear-outs alike, whether you are decluttering a kitchen or decluttering a nightstand.

Why does the Pile Method work?

The Pile Method, much like the 5 second decluttering rule and 10-10-10 decluttering challenge, works well because it forces you to make prompt decisions. Indecisiveness is a common obstacle when it comes to organizing and decluttering so reducing the parameters within which you have to decide about an object can make the task easier.

Anderson adds, 'This process not only declutters the space but also helps in setting up a more mindful use of possession, which encourages organizational behavior and minimizes chances of future clutter build-up. It's a very functional, hands-on approach for achieving instant and observable results.'

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How to do the Pile decluttering method

It's straightforward and low effort.

1. Pick a space you'd like to declutter, or for tackling congested surfaces, gather up all the miscellaneous items lying around your house, particularly any that don't fit into your existing storage ideas. Collecting them in a basket, such as the Extra-Large Basket available at Wayfair will help make this part as quick as possible.
2. Then, taking cues from the chaos decluttering method, empty your basket out onto a large surface such as a dining table, or floor, and get sorting into four piles – keep, donate (or sell), discard or store.
3. Then, discard or recycle, and find homes for the items you will keep. Now you can enjoy your newfound, organized space without the chaos of clutter.

What rooms does the 'Pile Method' work best for?

The best part about this method as it can really be used anywhere around the house, but cleaning and organizing expert Anderson recommends it for clutter-prone rooms, such as bedrooms, living rooms and studies.

She says, 'Decluttering your bedroom helps categorize clothing, accessories, and general miscellaneous items to make cleaning and maintaining the organization easier to manage.

'The home office, on the other hand, will benefit too, as this Pile Method system easily gets rid of paper clutter and files, stationery materials, and various technology devices.'

If you're not sure where to start when decluttering a home office, our expert guide breaks down the rules organizing pros swear by.

'Living rooms are typically the nerve center of home activities and collectibles, which have the potential to be transformed into more peaceful and useful space,' continues Anderson. 'This method is versatile and can thus be applied to almost any room in the house.'

Next, learn about the 'Didn't Know' decluttering method, which Punteha van Terheyden, head of Solved here at H&G says 'seriously changed' how she deals with clutter at home and takes all manner of indecision out of the process with one simple rule: If you didn't know or remember you had an item, get rid of it.