• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Savvy Mama

Home Systems, Organization, Printables

  • Organization
  • Family
  • Printables
  • Meal Planning
  • Recipes
  • SHOP
  • Membership Login
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Home » Organization

63 Best Decluttering Quotes to Inspire an Organized Life

Brittany Kline | Updated April 15, 2024 Organization

Do you need a little nudge to tackle that mountain of stuff you've been avoiding? These decluttering quotes can give you the gentle push you need to clear out and have a tidier, more organized life.
Stack of books with Decluttering Quotes
This article may contain links from our partners. Please read how we make money for more info.

Ever feel like the mess around you is messing with your head? Well, you’re in good company.

Sometimes, all it takes to kickstart a major clear-out is a few well-chosen words.

That’s where this post comes in. It’s packed with quotes about decluttering that will do way more than just give you a little nudge.

These are some real gems of wisdom that get right to the heart of why decluttering matters.

These quotes aren’t just about making room in your closet. They’re about clearing out mental clutter to achieve clearer thinking and a greater sense of freedom.

Key Takeaways

  • Decluttering is about way more than just sorting through your stuff. It’s about clearing out the old to make room for the new, both in your home and in your head.
  • Have you ever read a quote from Marie Kondo or a funny saying that made you want to clean your room? A bit of wisdom, a laugh, and suddenly, living with less feels pretty great.
  • The cool thing about having a tidy space is that it looks nice and really does wonders for your mood. It’s all about creating a spot that sets the stage for living a happier, more chilled-out life.
  • Get help decluttering around your house with my FREE Decluttering Checklist! 

Decluttering Quotes

Just like the piles of excess stuff in our corners, the words you keep close can either crowd our minds or set them free.

These aren’t just phrases; they’re little beams of inspiration, each shining a new light on the heap of stuff you gather and the happiness found in letting go.

So, let’s get into some quotes that will encourage you to get cleaning and letting things go:

Quotes About Minimalism

clean living room

  • “The magic of minimalism isn’t in the absence of things, but the presence of breathing space.” – Unknown
  • “Owning less is better than organizing more.” – Joshua Becker
  • “Minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.” – Joshua Becker
  • “Minimalism is not a lack of something. It’s simply the perfect amount of something.” – Nicholas Burroughs
  • “This is the beautiful secret of minimalism: It may seem like it’s about stuff, but once you’ve cut through the clutter and adopted a new frame of mind, you learn that it’s barely about ‘the stuff’ at all.” – Erica Layne

Embracing Simplicity: Quotes on Living with Less

  • “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci
  • “Simplicity is not about deprivation. Simplicity is about a greater appreciation for things that really matter.” – Unknown
  • “The greatest step towards a life of simplicity is to learn to let go.” – Steve Maraboli
  • “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” – Hans Hofmann
  • “Simplicity is the glory of expression.” – Walt Whitman
  • “The less I needed, the better I felt.” – Charles Bukowski
  • “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
  •  “Simplicity boils down to two things: Identify the essential, and eliminate the rest.” – Leo Babauta
  • “I feel like I should want more, but I don’t. I want less. Less stuff, less rushing, less stress, less noise. I want simplicity.” – Brooke Hampton
  • “For the longest time, I thought I needed to be more organized: now I know I just needed less stuff.” – Alysa Bajenaru
  • “Simplifying allows us to slow down enough to savor this life.” – Emily Ley
  • “Outer order contributes to inner calm.” – Gretchen Rubin

The Impact Of Clutter Quotes

clean room

  • “Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein
  • “Later is the best friend of clutter.” – Peter Walsh
  • “Clutter is anything that does not support your better self.” – Eleanor Brown
  • “At its heart, clutter is a lack of peace.” – Kathi Lipp
  • “Clutter, even the word feels heavy when you say it.” – Kerri L. Richardson
  • “Clear clutter – make space for you.” – Magdelena Vandenberg
  • “You’re the boss of clutter, not the other way around.” – Monika Kristofferson
  • “Instead of thinking I am losing something when I clear clutter, I dwell on what I might gain.” -Lisa J. Shultz
  • “Under the influence of clutter, we may underestimate how much time we’re giving to the less important stuff.” – Zoë Kim
  • “When we throw out the physical clutter, we clear our minds. When we throw out the mental clutter, we clear our souls.” – Gail Blanke

Tidying Up Quotes

  • “The magic of tidying up is about choosing to surround yourself with things that spark joy.” – Marie Kondo
  • “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” – Isabella Mary Beeton
  • “I’m going to make everything around me beautiful – that will be my life.” – Elsie de Wolfe
  • “Letting go of clutter does more than just free up space; it liberates energy.” – Laura Staley
  • “You will never get organized if you don’t have a vision for your life.” – Linda L. Eubanks
  • “Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.” – Charles Warner
  • “When you clear the clutter, you make room for your life to happen.” – Unknown
  • “Your home is living space, not storage space” – Francine Jay
  • “Tidiness makes it easier to see the beauty.” – Alexandra Stoddard
  • “You can’t reach for anything new if our hands are still full of yesterday’s junk.” – Louise Smith
  • “Don’t own so much clutter that you will be relieved to see your house catch fire.” – Wendell Berry

Cleaning Motivational Quotes

How to Get Motivated to Clean, Woman Happy Cleaning Her Home

  • “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
  • “Every journey begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
  • “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
  • “Your home should be the antidote to stress, not the cause of it.” – Peter Walsh
  • “You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
  • “Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.” – Nathan W. Morris
  • “Organize your life around your dreams – and watch them come true.” – Unknown
  • “The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t.” – Marie Kondo
  • “A year from now you will wish you had started today.” – Karen Lamb

Quotes On A Decluttering Mindset

  • “Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor. It’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living.” – Peter Walsh
  • “Decluttering can be a wonderful tool for making significant changes in your life by clearing out the old and making room for the new.” – Karen Kingston
  • “Cleaning with children in the house really is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos.” – Joleigh Little
  • “Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decisions fueled by procrastination.” – Christina Scalise
  • “Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” – William Morris
  • “Cleaning is not just about getting rid of dirt. It’s about creating an environment where you feel happy and comfortable.” – Unknown
  • “Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.” – Nathan W. Morris
  • “Clutter is not just physical stuff. It’s old ideas, toxic relationships, and bad habits. Clutter is anything that does not support your better self.” – Eleanor Brownn

Funny Decluttering Quotes

Mom with daughter having fun cleaning together

  • “You know you have too much stuff when you can’t remember where the floor is.” – Ellen DeGeneres
  • “Clutter is my natural habitat. I just call it ‘floor-to-ceiling decor’.” – Melissa McCarthy
  • “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, what is an empty desk a sign of?” – Albert Einstein
  • “I’m not saying my house is a mess, but one time, a cleaning service came over, took one look, and sent for backup.” – Phyllis Diller
  • “My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.” – Erma Bombeck
  • “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and the by-product is apparently my garage.” – Jimmy Kimmel
  • “I always say if the shoe fits, buy it in every color. And if your closet is too full, it’s time to buy a new house.” – Joan Rivers
  • “We hold onto things that we don’t need, like our high school jeans that we hope to fit into again one day, but it’s okay to let go. I’ve moved on to stretchy pants.” – Ellen DeGeneres

Tips for Successful Decluttering

Essential Kitchen Cleaning Supplies

Now that I’ve given you plenty of motivation, here are some tips for decluttering:

  • Start Small, Dream Big: Don’t sweat the big stuff! Begin with a tiny corner, like that drawer you’ve been avoiding.
  • The One-in, One-out Rule states that every time you snag something new, say goodbye to something old. For example, new shoes? Toss those worn-out ones gathering dust.
  • Say “No” to Sentimental Clutter: We all have those keepsakes that tug at our heartstrings, but let’s be real- are they all worth keeping? Be picky about what truly brings you joy!
  • Keep the Momentum Going: Once you kickstart your decluttering groove, don’t let it fizzle out! To prevent clutter in the future, keep up with a good cleaning schedule.
  • Go Digital, Go Free: Say goodbye to bulky photo albums, and hello to cloud storage! Digitize your memories and watch your physical clutter disappear faster than last night’s pizza.
  • Clear Your Digital Dust: Don’t let digital clutter slow down your devices! Spend Sunday organizing your files and ditching those apps you downloaded once and never touched again.

FAQs

What is decluttering?

Decluttering is all about taking a good look around and deciding which things are just filling up our spaces and minds with clutter.

It’s about figuring out what needs to go so that you can make room for the important things.

Remember: “The objective of cleaning is not just to clean, but to feel happiness living within that environment.” – Marie Kondo

Why is decluttering good for me?

Decluttering Checklist Donating Decluttering And Cleaning Up Wardrobe

Starting a decluttering process is like giving your living space and your mind a breath of fresh air.

Think of it as ditching yesterday’s junk and all that excess stuff that’s just hanging around, taking up space.

Getting rid of the clutter means you can actually find what you need, when you need it, without going on a treasure hunt every time.

And there’s this amazing ripple effect – when your surroundings are tidy, your mind feels clearer.

How can I get motivated to declutter and let items go?

One way to get motivated and take the first step in crafting the life you want is to start with a 15-minute challenge- set a timer and go!

It turns creating space into a mini-game, and before you know it, you’ve made a dent to get rid of everything you want to get rid of.

Picture your storage space neat and cozy- that’s the dream! Keeping this image in mind can really motivate you.

You can hang some pep-talk quotes around your place. They’re like little nudges from wise friends to keep at it.

Question why you’re keeping each item. If the physical stuff is not useful or doesn’t spark joy, it might be time to say goodbye.

What are some helpful quotes to encourage decluttering?

Finding the right words can sometimes be the nudge to get started decluttering. Here are some cleaning quotes that touch on those keywords and might just spark that motivation:

“Clutter is the physical manifestation of unmade decisions fueled by procrastination.” – Christina Scalise

“Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions.” – Barbara Hemphill

“Outer order contributes to inner calm.” – Gretchen Ruben

How do I organize what’s left after I purge?

organizing closet

After ditching the stuff you don’t need, it’s game time for organizing. Think of putting what’s left into groups- like with like.

  1. Tech Haven: All your gadgets, cables, and chargers.
  2. Memory Lane: Photos, keepsakes, and other sentimental stuff.
  3. Paper Trail: Bills, documents, and mail.
  4. Hobby Zone: Crafts, books, games, or whatever you’re into.

Got your groups? Now, find homes for them- boxes, shelves, or even a corner of a room. If each thing has its spot, your place stays tidy without much fuss.

Lastly, give it a little love each week. A quick tidy-up keeps the chaos at bay and your space feeling just right.

What else can I declutter besides my stuff?

Decluttering isn’t just for your stuff. It’s like hitting the refresh button on more than just your entire house.

Think about cleaning up your digital mess- emails, photos, and old apps.

Now, about toxic relationships- this is about hanging out more with folks who make you happy and less with those who don’t.

It’s not about being harsh; it’s just choosing where to spend your energy wisely.

And your mind? That’s the big one. Dumping old worries and bad habits and cutting down on old ideas can really change the game and lead to a simpler life.

Maybe get into some simple habits to improve things- try a bit of meditation or just give yourself a break to not think about anything for a while.

Final Thoughts

Woman folding clean t-shirts at home

Decluttering isn’t just about emptying spaces; it’s a form of self-care, a way to make room for the life you truly want to live.

You can get organized after you have less to deal with, and keep it that way with the right motivation and hard work. 

Think of those decluttering quotes I shared as your cheer squad telling you that you’ve got this and you can take action to control the chaos at home!

So, take a breath, grab some boxes, and let’s declutter with purpose, making space for the incredible journey ahead.

  • Share it!
  • Send it!

Related Articles You Might Like

  • FREE Cleaning Schedule Template Collection for a Tidy Home

    FREE Cleaning Schedule Template Collection for a Tidy Home

  • 10 Smart Charts That Will Make You a Pro at Cleaning Anything

    10 Smart Charts That Will Make You a Pro at Cleaning Anything

  • 23 Winter Cleaning Hacks Every Mom Needs to Know

    23 Winter Cleaning Hacks Every Mom Needs to Know

  • FREE Monthly Checklist: 9 Steps To Organize Your Month

    FREE Monthly Checklist: 9 Steps To Organize Your Month

  • How to Organize Your Life with a Notebook: 15 List You’ll Love

    How to Organize Your Life with a Notebook: 15 List You’ll Love

  • 25 Genius Ways To Keep Your House Smelling Good Consistently

    25 Genius Ways To Keep Your House Smelling Good Consistently

About Brittany Kline

Hi, I’m Brittany Kline—a mom, home systems expert, and culinary enthusiast passionate about helping busy families simplify life—starting in the kitchen. With a master’s degree in education and years of experience creating streamlined home solutions, I specialize in practical meal planning, effortless home organization, and family-friendly recipes that make life easier (and tastier) for moms everywhere.

As a former educator turned household management pro, I understand the daily chaos that comes with raising a family. That’s why I’ve dedicated my work to helping moms take control of meal planning, grocery shopping, and kitchen routines—so they can spend less time stressing and more time enjoying family meals.

My recipes and meal-planning strategies have been featured in leading publications such as Forbes, TIME, USA Today, and Business Insider, among many others. Whether you’re looking for quick weeknight dinners or tips to make meal prep stress-free, I’m here to help you turn chaos into calm. Click here to read all of my posts.

Primary Sidebar

Footer

Connect with us!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • TikTok
  • YouTube
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Press

As Featured On

Navigate

  • Advertise With Us
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer

© 2025 The Savvy Mama. All rights reserved. Please see our disclaimer.