How To Use The Container Concept To Tackle Your Clutter

Struggling with too much clutter and no idea how to keep it at bay? In this article we look at how to use the container concept to tackle your clutter in 7 simple steps.

WHEN IT’S TIME TO DECLUTTER

You know that feeling when you look around your home and feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff everywhere? Piles of clothes, papers, gadgets, or books that seem to grow on their own? You’re not alone – we’ve all been there. It’s easy to accumulate more things than we need, and before you know it, you’re living in a sea of clutter. The good news? There’s a simple way to manage it: the container concept (also known as the container method or container strategy).

Now, I’m not talking about buying a load of storage bins and calling it a day. The container concept is more of a mindset, a way to help you think differently about your space and your belongings. It’s about understanding that every area in your home – whether it’s a drawer, a shelf, or a room – is like a container with a limited capacity.

Once it’s full, it’s full, and something’s got to go. In this article I’m exploring how you can use the container concept to tackle your clutter in 7 simple steps. Let’s use this idea to regain control of your home and your sanity!

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CONTAINER CONCEPT?

Think of a container as anything that holds stuff. It could be a drawer, a cupboard, a shelf, or even an entire room. Each container has a physical limit to how much it can hold. The container concept is all about respecting that limit. If you’ve got more things than will comfortably fit in the container, it’s time to declutter.

Imagine packing for a holiday and trying to stuff more clothes into your suitcase. At some point, it just won’t zip up, and you have to start deciding what’s essential and what can be left behind. The same principle applies to your home. Your wardrobe, kitchen drawers, bookshelves, and even your garage all have a maximum capacity. If they’re overflowing, you’ve exceeded that capacity, and it’s time to pare down.

Step 1: Identify Your Containers

First things first: you need to figure out what your containers are. This might seem obvious, but it’s important to actually stop and recognise which parts of your home are containers for your stuff.

Let’s break it down:

• Wardrobe: This is your container for clothes.
• Kitchen drawers: These are containers for utensils, gadgets, and other kitchen bits.
• Bookshelves: These are containers for books, of course, but maybe also for DVDs, decorative items, or paperwork.
• Storage boxes or baskets: These are literal containers and can be helpful, but they’re not the only containers in your home.

Every space where you keep things can be thought of as a container with its own limits. The key is to realise that you have to work within those limits – not try to keep stuffing more in when they’re clearly full!

Step 2: Set Boundaries for Each Container

Once you’ve identified your containers, it’s time to set boundaries. Basically, you’re going to decide how much is enough for each space.

Take your wardrobe, for example. If you’ve got more clothes than can comfortably fit on your hangers or shelves, then you’ve hit the limit of that container. The solution isn’t to buy more hangers or a bigger wardrobe – it’s to take a look at what’s inside and figure out what doesn’t need to be there anymore.

This might mean going through your clothes and asking yourself:

• Do I wear this? If you haven’t worn something in the last year, chances are you don’t need it.
• Do I love this? Keeping things that make you feel good is important. If something doesn’t make you feel confident or comfortable, it’s probably time to let it go.
• Is this item worth the space it’s taking up? Every item you keep is taking up valuable real estate in your home. If it’s not serving a purpose, it’s just clutter.

The same approach can be applied to other areas of your home. If your bookshelf is full, instead of trying to cram more books onto the shelves, decide which ones you want to keep and which ones you can pass on to a charity shop or a friend. If your kitchen drawer is jammed with utensils, think about which ones you actually use and clear out the rest.

Step 3: Work Within the Container’s Limits

Here’s the golden rule of the container concept: once the container is full, you stop adding more. Sounds simple, right? But this is where we often go wrong. We keep trying to squeeze more into spaces that are already full, which leads to clutter spilling over into other areas.

Let’s say you’ve got a basket for storing extra blankets in your living room. If you keep bringing in more blankets but the basket is already full, it’s time to stop and reassess. Maybe you need to get rid of an old blanket you don’t use anymore. Or, if you really want to keep all the blankets, you might need to find another container for them, but don’t let them start piling up in random places.

By setting a limit on how much you’re going to store in each container, you’re giving yourself a clear boundary. It’s a simple way to stay in control and prevent things from spiralling into clutter chaos.

Step 4: Declutter with Purpose

One of the reasons the container concept works so well is that it gives you a clear goal when you’re decluttering. Instead of aimlessly asking, “Do I need this?” you’re working within a specific limit. The container tells you when enough is enough.

Let’s take the example of your kitchen again. If your utensil drawer is overflowing, you don’t need to agonise over every single spatula. You just need to declutter until everything fits neatly in the drawer. You’re not aiming for perfection; you’re aiming for a practical solution that works within the container’s capacity.

The same applies to bigger spaces like your garage or loft. These areas can become dumping grounds for things you don’t know what to do with, but they’re still containers with limits. If you can’t park your car in the garage because of all the clutter, you’ve exceeded the garage’s capacity as a container. Start working through the space, letting go of what you don’t need, until you’ve brought it back within its limits.

Step 5: Embrace the “One In, One Out” Rule

One of the best ways to keep clutter at bay is to adopt the “one in, one out” rule. It’s exactly what it sounds like – every time you bring something new into your home, you get rid of something else.

Let’s say you buy a new pair of shoes. Instead of just adding them to your already full wardrobe, you find an old pair that you no longer wear and donate or recycle them. This keeps the balance in your container (your wardrobe) and prevents clutter from building up again.

This rule applies to all areas of your home. If you’re bringing in a new kitchen gadget, get rid of an old one that’s gathering dust in a drawer. Bought a new book? Great! Pass on one that you’ve already read and don’t plan to read again. It’s all about maintaining balance and making sure your containers don’t start overflowing again.

Step 6: Regularly Reassess Your Containers

Even when you’ve decluttered and organised your home, life happens. New things come in, old things stick around, and before you know it, clutter creeps back in. That’s why it’s important to regularly reassess your containers.

Every few months, take a look at your wardrobe, kitchen, paperwork filing system, or whichever area tends to get cluttered quickly, and ask yourself if you’re still within the container’s limits. If not, it’s time for another round of decluttering.

Don’t think of this as a chore – think of it as maintenance, like giving your home a little tune-up to keep things running smoothly. When you do it regularly, it takes much less time and effort than letting things build up until they’re out of control.

Step 7: Be Kind to Yourself

Finally, remember that dealing with clutter is a process. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or frustrated, but the container concept is here to simplify things. You’re not aiming for perfection; you’re just trying to create a space that works for you.

It’s okay if your home isn’t Instagram-perfect. The goal is to make it functional and comfortable for you and your family. So, take it one step at a time, container by container, and be kind to yourself along the way.

HOW WE USE THE CONTAINER CONCEPT IN OUR HOUSE

The container concept is one of the easiest, most effective ways I’ve found to help my kids and husband to deal with their stuff. If you’ve been around my blog for a little while, you probably already know that I’m a minimalist, my husband is a messy hoarder, my eldest daughter is messy and my youngest daughter is a tidy hoarder.

The different approaches and tolerances of clutter for each of us makes for quite an interesting mix of challenges but also creative solutions that we’ve tried and tested over the past decade! This is also why I completely understand that decluttering poses different problems for different people in different households and finding strategies that work for YOU is vital.

The container concept has been a great way for my kids to keep their bedrooms clear and tidy and for my husband to manage his tools, gadgets and stuff. If they don’t have room in the allocated space, then it’s time to make some decisions. They can have as much storage as they feel they need and looks about right in their designated areas (my kids have their own bedrooms and my husband has a shed at the bottom of the garden).

But, the container concept is great because the decisions about what to keep are kept more practical and logistical. It doesn’t rely on minimalist me or my kids or husband to determine when it’s time to declutter – that’s far too subjective and emotional when decluttering feels tough, scary or overwhelming. When a container is full, it’s obvious and it’s time to sort.

Instead of my family feeling like their clutter is controlling them, they then have power over their clutter and this subtle mindset shift is key. In fact, studies have shown that people think more positively about a decision when it is framed in a positive light – ‘the framing effect’. So, the container concept helps us reframe our worries about decluttering into something more positive – and usually more successful!

Their decluttering doesn’t need to be big or time-consuming, it just needs to be enough to sort through that container to the point at which the contents fits its boundaries.

This makes for easier, less stressful decision-making and helps them build confidence that they can manage their stuff without it taking over!

CONCLUSION

The container concept is a simple yet powerful tool for managing clutter. By recognising the limits of your space and working within those boundaries, you can create a more organised, peaceful home without feeling overwhelmed. It’s not about buying more storage solutions – it’s about shifting your mindset and making intentional choices about what you keep in your life.

So next time you’re staring at a pile of clutter, remember: you CAN do this, perhaps you just need a strategy. Use the container concept, work within your limits, and watch your home transform into a space that truly works for you!

Do you use this strategy in your home? Do you find it helpful for some members of your household who struggle with their stuff? I’d love to hear from you so please leave a comment at the end of the article!