Who doesn’t love a good inspirational quote, amiright? In the midst of all the materialism and chaos in our lives, we especially need some quotes about decluttering. Here are a few of my favorites, the ones that help me reset my priorities and clean out my closets.
All that clutter used to be money.
This one hurts a little, right?
Joshua Becker, author and minimalist, has a bunch of gems. His books, especially The More of Less, are accessible, realistic, and motivating. You’ll see a few of his quotes here. If they resonate, consider picking up a few of his books — from the library ;).
Related Reading: The More of Less [Book Review]
Simple Space, Calm Mind
When your space is calm, your mind reaps the benefits.
Jennifer Noseworthy of The Simply Sorted Home cuts right to the bone with this quote. The simpler the quote, the higher the motivation. Want to be even more motivated? Go check out Jen’s Instagram account where she helps followers tackle their spaces.
Empty Space is A-Okay
After you see this in action, the second part of your decluttering journey begins! Empty space is a luxury.
Allie Casazza is a business owner, author, and mom. Through her podcast, books, courses, and social media, she encourages parents to declutter and live life on their terms. Her book, Declutter like a Mother, takes you room by room and helps you clear the clutter.
Related Post: Declutter Like a Mother [Book Review]
Clean Closet = Better Life
This quote is true for me in so many ways.
- Life with neat closets really is better.
- Letting go of items that no longer serve you is freeing.
- Focusing on something tangible, like cleaning out a closet, is a GREAT way to get out of a funk or work out a problem.
- Caring for your home can be an extension of caring for yourself.
Cheryl Richardson is an author and personal coach. Her work emphasises the benefits of self care — which I consider organizing to be a form of. Her books are widely available.
Easy Cleaning is the Goal.
Decluttering is very effective for making your home easier and to clean, but decluttering won’t keep your home always clean — especially if you live with other people!
Your home will get messy. There will always be laundry and dishes and dust, but it’s soooo much easier to get that all tidied up when you don’t have too much clutter.
Longing for Lost Items?
Fumio Sasaki is a pretty extreme minimalist, and while most people won’t get to his level of minimalism, he makes a good point. If you lost an item, would you miss it so much you’d buy it again?
You probably would if that item was truly valued and loved, but odds are tons of items in our homes could go missing and we’d probably never even realize.
Related Reading: Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki [Book Review]
Your Money is Already Gone
Decluttering can be painful when you consider all the money you’re essentially giving away, BUT if you think about it, the money was spent (and wasted) when you purchased the item. Giving the item away will give it a second chance to be used and valued by someone.
Stop Wasting Time
How annoying is it to search for lost items? Nothing makes me grumpier. Margareta Magnusson, author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning agrees. The less you have, the less you have to lose.
Related Reading: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning [Book Review]
Space vs Stuff
This little gem of a quote comes via The Home Edit. Life’s full of tough choices, isn’t it?
Simplicity Breathes
So simple, yet so true. Terry Guillemets writes quotes as a profession and this one is my favorite.
As far as decluttering quotes go, this one is quite effective.
Chaos precedes order
How many of you are intimidated by decluttering because you know it’s going to be hard and make a giant mess? Things have to get worse before they get better!
Don’t wait any longer for the inevitable! Dive in and declutter today — you’ll be grateful you did tomorrow!
Admire, don’t acquire
We need to get better at this as a society. We see it, we want it, we buy it. Then, we live with the consequences of our actions as chaos and clutter.
Decluttering is fantastic, but we also need to stop the incoming flow of possessions if we want to maintain our uncluttered spaces.
What’s Your Legacy?
Another great decluttering quote from Margareta Magnusson – this was is harsh, but true.
Death is inevitable and you can’t take your stuff with you. What kind of mess are you leaving behind for your loved ones to deal with when you’re gone?
The Solution is Less
Many of us think if we just have X, Y, or Z, then we’ll be happier and less stressed. Perhaps the solution is to get rid of A, B, and C.
Decluttering is good for the mind.
Your Home is for Living
Francine Jay, aka Miss Minimalist, tells it like it is. Are you using your home to live and love or are you using your home to store your crap?
Your home should be full of people and love, not stuff. Give Francine Jay’s book The Joy of Less a read if you need more inspiration!
Decluttering is Worth It
While this quote could apply to almost anything, I like to apply it to decluttering. For me, every hour I spend decluttering and organizing my home and my life has been an hour well-spent!
Stop Clutter Before It Starts
Another great quote from Joshua Becker reminds us that decluttering is fantastic but we can prevent the clutter in the first place by being smart consumers who are grateful for the items we already have in our lives.
It’s a mindset shift, for sure, but it’s an effective one.
Want to Clean Less?
If this decluttering quote doesn’t kick your motivation up a notch, nothing will.
Less items to clean, less to lose, less to take care of? Yes, please.
In addition to having less to clean, cleaning a decluttered house takes a fraction of time because there’s less to dust around, less to vacuum over, and less to move when you mop!
Just Decide
Honestly, I’d alter this quote by Barbara Hemphill just a bit. Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions and actions. Sometimes I decide that I’m going to donate items, that I’m going to return something to the store, or that I’m going to work on a project — but I don’t act on it and those items become clutter.
Decide and act for a decluttered home and life.
Decide What Matters
What are your priorities in life? What matters to you? What’s on your bucket list?
Are you pursuing any of that?
What do you Need?
Marie Kondo may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you are looking for decluttering inspiration, she’s a fantastic resource. Check out her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, for a step-by-step guide to determining whether the items in your home “spark joy.”
Out with the Old, In with the New
Free yourself from yesterday by decluttering. You never know where life with take you and what new relationships and experiences are waiting! Decluttering unburdens you and frees you up to live!
Best Quotes about Decluttering
Those are some of my favorite quotes about decluttering. Did I cover your favorite in this list? Drop a note below and let me know which one resonated with you or a favorite of yours that I missed!
