In a world where possessions often define us, what happens to the things that belonged to someone who is no longer here? Are we obligated to keep them, or is there a more meaningful way to honor their memory? The question of what to do with a loved one's belongings can be a complex one, filled with both sentimentality and practicality.

In this final article in my series, Categories of Clutter, I’m focusing on items left behind by a loved one who has died. Deciding what to do with someone’s belongings after they die can be extremely difficult and emotionally charged. Since most of us will find ourselves in this situation at some point, my goal in this article is to equip you with the tools you’ll need. 

When it comes to my job, helping people deal with the clutter in their homes is my bread and butter. Clutter is defined as a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass. Clutter can accumulate anywhere in a home, but what I encounter most often is cluttered surfaces in the common areas of the home like the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. Sometimes clutter piles up because we simply don’t take the time to put items back in their proper place. Taking a few extra seconds to return items to their home instead of placing them somewhere quickly easily solves that problem. But what if an item has never been assigned a proper location, or home? What do you do with it when you finish using it? More often than not, that item will end up on a kitchen counter, desk, coffee table, or some other surface. When that same outcome occurs frequently, before you know it, the surface is no longer visible or usable.

One good thing about being stuck inside is that I can focus on anything inside my home that needs to be done. When it comes to organization (my favorite of all activities), I believe the top priority should always be decluttering. Decluttering simply means removing what doesn’t belong in a space. Most of us would agree that we just have way too much stuff. When a space is overloaded with stuff, any efforts to organize that space are wasted. My goal in this article is to give you a practical list of steps that you can use to declutter any area of your home. With this checklist in hand and a little bit of time, you should be able to tackle any space and make significant improvements.