Is This Former ‘Slob’ the Next Marie Kondo?

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If you’re turned off by the pious decluttering dogma of Marie Kondo, then self-professed former “slob” Dana White could be more your speed.

This housewife and mom of three embarked on her own “deslobification process” eight years ago, when her Dallas home was such a mess, it was making her feel “like a total failure.” She decided to declutter and document every step in her blog, A Slob Comes Clean.

Over time, she whipped her house into shape—and gained a following with her honest, I’m-no-better-than-the-rest-of-you confessions, which became the basis for two books: “How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind” and the newly published “Decluttering at the Speed of Life.”

So if you want some tips to declutter without the preachiness, check out some of White’s best organizational advice below, drawing from her own hard-won experiences.

Decluttering advice from a former slob, Dana White

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Start with your foyer

Organizing your home can be overwhelming—especially when you’re facing a house full of junk.

“There’s a mental block for a lot of people when it comes to decluttering,” says White. “The hardest part is getting started.”

One of the best places to begin, she says, is the foyer. “It’s a small space, and cleaning it will give you an immediate sense of relief,” she says.

Also, your entryway is the first area you see when you set foot in your door, so you’ll feel calmer as soon as you’re home.

“Prioritize according to visibility,” says White. And then work your way in from there, space by space, surface by surface.

Set small milestones to stay motivated

White says many people are tempted to look for a free week to “do it all at once,” but that’s not realistic.

“Work whenever you have time, and eventually you will make real progress,” she says.

Your long-term goal, of course, is to clear the clutter throughout your house, but White recommends setting short-term goals that are attainable. For example: “Today I’m going to declutter this closet/tackle that junk drawer.” That way, you can achieve small victories and see your progress.

“That will motivate you to continue decluttering,” she says.

Find a home for everything

Not sure what should stay or go? White asks herself this question when deciding whether an item is worth keeping: “If I needed this, where would I look for it?” If she knows the answer, she puts the object there immediately. If not, she finds a home for it and sticks to it—or else it gets tossed in the trash, donated, or sold online.

Put things where you’ll use them

For years, White accumulated a collection of cookbooks that were just gathering dust on top of her fridge. Then one day it dawned on her what the problem was.

“It was in an incredibly inconvenient spot,” she says. “Since I’m not one to use cookbooks as regularly as I should, having to get on a chair to get to them made it even less likely that I would use them.”

To remedy this problem, she created a cookbook shelf in the kitchen pantry. Since the books are easily within reach there, she uses them more often. This simple approach works for all your items: Keep them where you’ll be inspired to use them, or else you won’t!

Use money as a motivator

While White encourages declutterers to donate—which she says is the fastest way to get clutter out of the house—she acknowledges that many people find it hard to donate valuable items. One option is to sell items on eBay—something White once did frequently. But marketing goods on eBay isn’t as simple as selling them at a yard sale.

“At a garage sale, the buyer checks the item for stains or flaws,” White explains. “If you list something on eBay, the buyer expects you to do that and to be thorough and honest in your description.”

In other words, full disclosure is a must unless you want those items coming back at you as returns from unsatisfied customers.

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