What is the 20/20 Rule for Decluttering, Tips from a Professional Organizer in Cleveland, Ohio

When to Use the 20/20 Rule: for Decluttering Everyday Items

We have lots of items in our homes, many thousands of items, and some of them are sentimental and they're very meaningful.

You're keeping them because they're from a loved one, they're from a special day, they're from a friend or remind you of a friend. Sentimental items are not appropriate for the 20/20 rule.

The 20/20 rule is good for everyday items that people use all the time and are just easily obtainable.

I'm thinking of bathroom items, linen closet items, kitchen items, and a lot of the small kind of items that you have around your home. Those are the kinds of items that are good for the 20/20 rule.

A question that I like to think of to ask along with the 20/20 rule is: how often do I use it?

If you're not using it very often, that's where the 20/20 rule can come in and be helpful. If you're using something every day, you're not going to want to use the 20/20 rule.

What the 20/20 Rule Actually Means

So, what is it? The 20/20 rule is that most items can be gotten within 20 minutes of your home for $20 or less.

When NOT to Use the 20/20 Rule

If you live in a rural area where there are no stores nearby, where it's very difficult to get items, you would not want to implement the 20/20 rule.

You want to implement this if you're in an area where there are stores within 20 or 30 minutes of your home and they have the things that you need.

Also, if there are specialty items that are hard to obtain or hard to find, that's when you're not going to want to use the 20/20 rule.

Real-Life Examples of Items You Can Let Go Of Using the 20/20 rule

People use the 20/20 rule when they are trying to declutter.  First ask yourself, can I let this go?

You might be saying to yourself: “I might need it. I haven't used it, but I might need it.”  Those are just-in-case items.  Just-in-case items are the same types of items that you would apply the 20/20 rule to.  

Another question that you can ask yourself is: would I even know I have it? Because if you wouldn't even think that you would have it, there's no point in keeping it.

I pulled some examples of items that I think the 20/20 rule would apply for.

Items from a first aid kit that haven't been used in years. Hair clips and small accessories. Extra charging cables. Cleaning cloths. Note pads. Lotion. Small toys. Books that are easy to replace. Entertaining supplies like napkins that were used once and then stored away.

These are the kinds of items that build up over time and can often be replaced easily if needed.

I had a recent client where we were working on their pantry and they had a giant bin of koozies taking up space. They only used three of them regularly. The rest were just building up over time.  The client made the smart decision to let the vast majority of koozies go and they are enjoying an emptier pantry today as a result!

What to Do If You’re Struggling to Let Things Go 

If you're struggling with the 20/20 rule, there are a couple things to think about.

One thing is you might be a collector. Some people naturally see value in everything and see opportunity in items. That can make it harder to let things go.

Just because you don't want to throw something away doesn't mean you have to keep it in your home. There is a lot of opportunity for a second life through donating.

Another suggestion is to phone a friend. Get an outside perspective. Someone else can help you see more clearly whether something is worth keeping.

And if you're still struggling, it might be time to bring in a professional organizer or a neutral third party who can help guide those decisions.

Lastly, just choose a few items to let go of and start. As you let go of things and realize you didn't miss them, that builds your confidence for future decluttering.