Summary

The rebound effect occurs after everything is tidied up and clutter begins to recur. The answer is to tidy up all at once and as quickly as possible. The average time to tidy up a house is six months. It may seem like a long time but once it’s done, it won’t have to be duplicated. Discarding must be done before making storage decisions. Don’t store things away to throw away later. Not following this rule will result in complete failure. Before starting thought must be given to one’s desired lifestyle.

Items that have ceased to be functional or are out of date or style should be the first to go. It is easier to decide what to keep than to decide what to throw away. Holding each item and assessing the pleasure it brings is a...