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Declutter Anything: A Room-by-Room Guide to Cleaning Your Home and Simplifying Your Life
Discover new ways to clean your home and simplify your life in this handy and creative guidebook.
Does your house bulge with clutter? Are your possessions weighing you down? Is your home an unorganized mess?
Turn it around—ban sagging shelves, bulging cupboards, and bursting closets—with this fun and effective guide. In a step-by-step, easy-to-follow approach, the authors suggest ways to change clutter-accumulating behavior; show how to efficiently organize the possessions you need (with a strict definition of “need”); and examine dozens of ways to dispose of clutter.
Declutter Anything offers serious advice that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The emphasis is on uncomplicated, inexpensive solutions that are easy to implement and that produce life-changing results. Take the plunge and soon you’ll be living and working slim, trim, and clutter-free.
Does your house bulge with clutter? Are your possessions weighing you down? Is your home an unorganized mess?
Turn it around—ban sagging shelves, bulging cupboards, and bursting closets—with this fun and effective guide. In a step-by-step, easy-to-follow approach, the authors suggest ways to change clutter-accumulating behavior; show how to efficiently organize the possessions you need (with a strict definition of “need”); and examine dozens of ways to dispose of clutter.
Declutter Anything offers serious advice that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The emphasis is on uncomplicated, inexpensive solutions that are easy to implement and that produce life-changing results. Take the plunge and soon you’ll be living and working slim, trim, and clutter-free.
- GenresNonfictionSelf Help
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2015
245 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 30, 2020
I need everybody in my family to read this!
February 12, 2022
I got this book for my mother in law because she said she had trouble getting rid of things and she thought a book like this might help. (She suggested it as an idea for a Christmas gift- she got it for a birthday)
She recently gave it back to me, as she had too many books, they were clutter, and this one was useless.
Although the only place I have clutter is in my art room (whoohoo) and in our storage area where we keep house paint and luggage, canning jars that have been emptied and things we bring in anything that cant freeze in our cold Canadian winters ( pressure washer etc) We ate known for having a tidy, tidy, house, because we both hate “stuff” lying around.
I decided to read it before I brought it to the thrift store.
What a STUPID BOOK.
I know many gave it 4-5 stars but honestly, if you need a book to tell you to clean your mirrors, or to throw out moldy food, you need more help than a book can give you. Call a psychologist!
And this line pissed me off🤬
“Depression is just lazy anger”
With depression running in my family and my mom and sister, who both committed suicide, this line is a slap in the face from an idiot…
The idiot who wrote this should develop depression before he pus this idiocy in a book
She recently gave it back to me, as she had too many books, they were clutter, and this one was useless.
Although the only place I have clutter is in my art room (whoohoo) and in our storage area where we keep house paint and luggage, canning jars that have been emptied and things we bring in anything that cant freeze in our cold Canadian winters ( pressure washer etc) We ate known for having a tidy, tidy, house, because we both hate “stuff” lying around.
I decided to read it before I brought it to the thrift store.
What a STUPID BOOK.
I know many gave it 4-5 stars but honestly, if you need a book to tell you to clean your mirrors, or to throw out moldy food, you need more help than a book can give you. Call a psychologist!
And this line pissed me off🤬
“Depression is just lazy anger”
With depression running in my family and my mom and sister, who both committed suicide, this line is a slap in the face from an idiot…
The idiot who wrote this should develop depression before he pus this idiocy in a book
August 6, 2019
I wanted to like this book because I love so many de-cluttering ideas and books. Stephanie Winston's Best Organizing Tips still wins out. This book didn't have a lot of those "tips" I was looking for. Very scenario laden. I read these books to apply immediately to my life, rather than watching a hoarders episode to be inspired to de-clutter.
June 29, 2019
Enjoyable book but like so many others has a shotgun approach to organizing. is that problematic? I think so as what I wanted was something that went beyond the surface and into some meat of how to organize things, not just how to get rid of things. Morrow was good on the upbeat attitude of You can do this, but poor on the execution. A mixed bag alas.
June 24, 2021
Probably the worst book on decluttering I've read. This book is outdated AF, extremely condescending, and randomly hateful towards fat people. Also way too long with whole chapters that are ridiculous (people in 2021 do not need tutorials on how to manage their email. Also, written before the cloud became a thing apparently). Don't waste your time with this one. Is garbage. One star.
April 18, 2016
This book has very DETAILED advice on tackling clutter on every aspect of household life. Just look at the table of contents and take what you need to tackle the clutter. For me it's my closet. I have never felt more empowered to apply the phrase " Everything in a place and everything in its place'. I no longer want to have a fat bedroom or a fat house for that matter. I have found courage to throw things out that I did not know I had. Now, of course it is an ongoing process because on the weekend I saw the cutest shoes (which of course I really don't need)
May 12, 2021
I was hoping for a decluttering challenge or checklist. What I got was tips for buying a toilet brush and how best to store VHS tapes. The copyright says 2010, but this book reads like it’s from the 90s.
abandoned
July 22, 2025Declutter Anything: A Room-by-Room Guide to Cleaning Your Home and Simplifying Your Life by Ed Morrow, Sheree Bykofsky, and Rita Rosenkranz (2010)
425-page Kindle Ebook story starts on page 9
Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help, Home Organization
Featuring: Notice - We're not responsible for injuries, damages, or losses; Contents, Graphics, Introduction: A Cluttered House Is Like an Overweight Body, Epigraphs, Analogies, ARE YOU A PACK RAT?, Quizzes, Langley and Homer Collyer, GETTING STARTED: SOME EASY TASKS TO GET YOU GOING FAST, CLUTTER “TRIGGER FOODS”, YOUR ENTRY AREA: MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION, A LIVABLE LIVING ROOM, THE KITCHEN: YOUR HOME’S CLUTTER CAPITAL, ORDER IN THE DINING ROOM, THE WELL-TEMPERED BEDROOM, TOWARD A BETTER BATHROOM, KID CLUTTER, A LEAN AND EFFICIENT HOME OFFICE, MANAGING CYBER CLUTTER, LAUNDRY ROOM REMEDIES, RECLAIM THE ATTIC, BASEMENT, AND GARAGE; THE UNCLUTTERED YARD, CLUTTER DISPOSAL, DECLUTTERING SABOTEURS, ENABLERS, AND ALLIES, KEEPING IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE; Acknowledgments, Index
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for crude humor
Books and Authors mentioned: Words of Wisdom by William and Leonard Safire, Miss Piggy’s Guide to Life by Henry Beard, The Toastmaster’s Treasure Chest by Herbert V. and Herbert V. Prochnow Jr., The Harper Book of Quotations by Robert I. Fitzhenry, Peter’s Quotations by Dr. Peter Laurence, The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill by James C. Humes, Star Speak: Hollywood on Everything by Doug McClelland
My rating: 🗑DNF on Page 28 still in Ch. One
My thoughts: 🔖Page 28 of 425 [16 pages into [Chapter] One Are You a Pack Rat?] Extra Hands Make the Work Go Fast [header] - I couldn't even make it through the first chapter. This book looks fun, but I'm over all of the fat analogies and 70s pop culture references. I'll give it until tomorrow, but I don't think I'll make it to the index if this continues. The story is annoying and cluttered, but the graphics are nice.
Why I quit: This book looked very exciting and I have been reading quite a few books on decluttering so I was excited to read it but when I got it it just wasn't the book for me. For a book about decluttering it seems to be very cluttered in text and my mind had to declutter while I was reading and it also featured a lot of pop culture that's way beyond my years so I didn't find those jokes funny. I also got annoyed by all of the fat shaming and even dissing depression, wow! I did not get to the meat and potatoes because my mind was already crammed with useless information before I finished chapter one. I thought this book was going to get to the point and be precise but instead it overdoes it and it's filled with tons of quotes and they don't even get them from the source they got them from books about quotations. Talk about lazy. I skimmed a bit and once they get to the decluttering it's overkill with details as if the reader is new to earth. I could take 30 minutes here and there to read from this book and stop whenever my brain is done and then read something happy to refresh and repeat, then probably write a review about everything wrong with this book; or I could take that same energy and read 3 or 4 romances. I think I'll be happier if I do the latter so I'm returning this book unread.
Recommend to others: Not likely based on my experience.
Memorable Quotes: The writers and editors who compiled this book have tried to make all the contents as accurate and correct as possible. The text has been carefully checked and cross-checked. However, due to the variability of personal skill, tools, materials, and so on, neither the writers nor the publisher assume any responsibility for any injuries suffered or for damages or other losses that result from the material presented herein. All instructions should be carefully studied and clearly understood before beginning any project. . of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book.
But weight or clutter dieting is difficult. To lose weight, you must eat less and exercise more. As many a plump person will tell you, this is all but impossible. You slip and eat just one cookie, which becomes two, then an entire box. You skip a session at the gym because it’s raining, then because it might rain, then because you’ve missed so many sessions that you’re embarrassed to appear in your now-too-tight exercise wear.
DON’T SEEK COMFORT IN CLUTTER “Depression is just lazy anger.” —Anonymous
425-page Kindle Ebook story starts on page 9
Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help, Home Organization
Featuring: Notice - We're not responsible for injuries, damages, or losses; Contents, Graphics, Introduction: A Cluttered House Is Like an Overweight Body, Epigraphs, Analogies, ARE YOU A PACK RAT?, Quizzes, Langley and Homer Collyer, GETTING STARTED: SOME EASY TASKS TO GET YOU GOING FAST, CLUTTER “TRIGGER FOODS”, YOUR ENTRY AREA: MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION, A LIVABLE LIVING ROOM, THE KITCHEN: YOUR HOME’S CLUTTER CAPITAL, ORDER IN THE DINING ROOM, THE WELL-TEMPERED BEDROOM, TOWARD A BETTER BATHROOM, KID CLUTTER, A LEAN AND EFFICIENT HOME OFFICE, MANAGING CYBER CLUTTER, LAUNDRY ROOM REMEDIES, RECLAIM THE ATTIC, BASEMENT, AND GARAGE; THE UNCLUTTERED YARD, CLUTTER DISPOSAL, DECLUTTERING SABOTEURS, ENABLERS, AND ALLIES, KEEPING IT ALL IN PERSPECTIVE; Acknowledgments, Index
Rating as a movie: PG-13 for crude humor
Books and Authors mentioned: Words of Wisdom by William and Leonard Safire, Miss Piggy’s Guide to Life by Henry Beard, The Toastmaster’s Treasure Chest by Herbert V. and Herbert V. Prochnow Jr., The Harper Book of Quotations by Robert I. Fitzhenry, Peter’s Quotations by Dr. Peter Laurence, The Wit and Wisdom of Winston Churchill by James C. Humes, Star Speak: Hollywood on Everything by Doug McClelland
My rating: 🗑DNF on Page 28 still in Ch. One
My thoughts: 🔖Page 28 of 425 [16 pages into [Chapter] One Are You a Pack Rat?] Extra Hands Make the Work Go Fast [header] - I couldn't even make it through the first chapter. This book looks fun, but I'm over all of the fat analogies and 70s pop culture references. I'll give it until tomorrow, but I don't think I'll make it to the index if this continues. The story is annoying and cluttered, but the graphics are nice.
Why I quit: This book looked very exciting and I have been reading quite a few books on decluttering so I was excited to read it but when I got it it just wasn't the book for me. For a book about decluttering it seems to be very cluttered in text and my mind had to declutter while I was reading and it also featured a lot of pop culture that's way beyond my years so I didn't find those jokes funny. I also got annoyed by all of the fat shaming and even dissing depression, wow! I did not get to the meat and potatoes because my mind was already crammed with useless information before I finished chapter one. I thought this book was going to get to the point and be precise but instead it overdoes it and it's filled with tons of quotes and they don't even get them from the source they got them from books about quotations. Talk about lazy. I skimmed a bit and once they get to the decluttering it's overkill with details as if the reader is new to earth. I could take 30 minutes here and there to read from this book and stop whenever my brain is done and then read something happy to refresh and repeat, then probably write a review about everything wrong with this book; or I could take that same energy and read 3 or 4 romances. I think I'll be happier if I do the latter so I'm returning this book unread.
Recommend to others: Not likely based on my experience.
Memorable Quotes: The writers and editors who compiled this book have tried to make all the contents as accurate and correct as possible. The text has been carefully checked and cross-checked. However, due to the variability of personal skill, tools, materials, and so on, neither the writers nor the publisher assume any responsibility for any injuries suffered or for damages or other losses that result from the material presented herein. All instructions should be carefully studied and clearly understood before beginning any project. . of specific companies, organizations, or authorities in this book does not imply endorsement by the publisher, nor does mention of specific companies, organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book.
But weight or clutter dieting is difficult. To lose weight, you must eat less and exercise more. As many a plump person will tell you, this is all but impossible. You slip and eat just one cookie, which becomes two, then an entire box. You skip a session at the gym because it’s raining, then because it might rain, then because you’ve missed so many sessions that you’re embarrassed to appear in your now-too-tight exercise wear.
DON’T SEEK COMFORT IN CLUTTER “Depression is just lazy anger.” —Anonymous
April 13, 2022
There weren't any practical tips that I could use in my normal home that occasionally has a little bit of clutter spilling into the wrong room. This seemed really dated for 2010. I've read older books than this that had more practical decluttering information, AND without constant reference to 1940s celebrity gossip. There were no new ideas or novel ways of organizing space, which is what I was looking for.
Why the constant weight references? Was that supposed to be funny?
"Clutter" doesn't include mess and rotting food, and a dirty home doesn't need to be organized. What was the target demographic?
Why the constant weight references? Was that supposed to be funny?
"Clutter" doesn't include mess and rotting food, and a dirty home doesn't need to be organized. What was the target demographic?
July 28, 2023
VERDICT: 2.98 stars. There are many better and newer decluttering books available, but this book isn't terrible. It covers the basics pretty well, with some light humor. Consider library/online read instead of buying.
YAYS: Plenty of decent tips & strategies for all rooms of the house, as well as related tips--yards, garages, children's stuff, junk drawers, home office, donations & yard sales, and more.
NAYS: Some outdated content--unless you collect DVDs, landline phones, VHS tapes, and ancient computers. No good photos; a few useless, cartoon-type illustrations. A few editing fails in the eBook version I read.
Note: Read for free at hoopladigital.com
YAYS: Plenty of decent tips & strategies for all rooms of the house, as well as related tips--yards, garages, children's stuff, junk drawers, home office, donations & yard sales, and more.
NAYS: Some outdated content--unless you collect DVDs, landline phones, VHS tapes, and ancient computers. No good photos; a few useless, cartoon-type illustrations. A few editing fails in the eBook version I read.
Note: Read for free at hoopladigital.com
February 11, 2022
Surprisingly informative and practical
At the start, I was admittedly skeptical, thinking it would be a generic “put things away” kind of book, but he actually gives great organizational tips for the whole house as well as cleaning advise. The airport is funny and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for practical, down-to-earth advice about keeping a nice home.
At the start, I was admittedly skeptical, thinking it would be a generic “put things away” kind of book, but he actually gives great organizational tips for the whole house as well as cleaning advise. The airport is funny and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this book for anyone looking for practical, down-to-earth advice about keeping a nice home.
August 24, 2019
Humorous, which always helps. Contains practical and inexpensive storage solutions. Not everyone wants to throw out things that do not create outburst of joy when viewed, or haven't been worn since last Tuesday.
February 20, 2022
Refreshing
I enjoyed the motivation from this book. Gentle nudges and hugs when tasks were accomplished. Parts of it weren’t applicable to my life. But, I did get a lot of decluttering finally finished. Thank you.
I enjoyed the motivation from this book. Gentle nudges and hugs when tasks were accomplished. Parts of it weren’t applicable to my life. But, I did get a lot of decluttering finally finished. Thank you.
April 11, 2024
excessively mean to fat people (also uses alot of really gross and visceral language), really outdated (the references to old tv shows and actors that i have...never heard of), very detailed! but ultimately not very helpful and kind of hard to stomach. i did not finish this book.
February 21, 2017
The book wants to be everything to everybody. It is "comprehensive", but maybe that is a negative.
July 15, 2018
Detailed advice for decluttering and organizing your home. Unfortunately I didn’t find anything new to help with clothes closet decluttering.
February 3, 2020
Not much new here and didn’t find it all that helpful. It was okay.
September 10, 2015
I love the analogy throughout the book: comparing physical health to the health of a clean and organized home. Very well done with lots of great tips and ideas!
Read
February 21, 2019i found the comparison of clutter to binge eating to be in poor taste.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews