Whether you're an amateur or avid 'declutter-er,' books on the subject are a great place to source inspiration, motivation, and relaxation.
Stuffed full with the very best decluttering methods, it turns out that, just like us, even our professional organizers turn to the best decluttering books for novel tips and tricks to test out when helping their clients.
Here, they share their top recommendations for getting stuck into.
Top three decluttering books professional organizers love
1. 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,' by Marie Kondo
While I'm certainly no professional organizer, I do spend the majority of my working life interviewing experts who are and have become somewhat of an expert.
After being gifted Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, available at Amazon, from family, I can safely say that it deserves all the hype it gets. So much so that I dedicated an entire article to the lessons I learned from Marie Kondo's book!
Filled with revolutionary insight and detailed guidance, and dubbed one of the most 'influential books of the decade' by CNN, it doesn't seem like Marie's supersonic career will be slowing anytime soon.
After reading this small but mighty book, I now keep her mantra of 'Sparking Joy' in mind whenever I declutter anything, from clothes to purses to books to cosmetics, and even employ Marie Kondo's tips for tidying before hosting every time I have guests on the way.
Plus, the book looks beautiful enough to display!
With the highly impressive achievement that none of her clients have lapsed after trying her KonMari system, this book promises that once you organize your home once and for all, you'll never have to do it again.
2. 'Organizing from the Inside Out,' by Julie Morgenstern
Ben Soreff, professional organizer at House to Home Organizing, says, 'There are basic central tenets of organizing that are so core, that most organizing books are just derivatives of the original books.'
His recommendation? Organizing from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life available at Amazon, written by Julie Morgenstern, who has over 30 years of experience helping people understand and implement organization around the globe.
'Julie Morgenstern uses the SPACE method, which is so key that most other methods are just versions of it,' he explains.
The SPACE method is a home organizing idea and variation of the KonMari method, which focuses on organizing by category, rather than room by room. This helps swerve any KonMari method mistakes to avoid.
In this book, Julie draws upon her years of experience helping clients get organized, and staying organized, for good.
3. 'The Year of Less,' by Cait Flanders
We've all, I'm sure, at some point in our lives found ourselves wrestling with over-consumerism. This is something that has come to the forefront of my mind after turning 25, and I'm not the only one.
The 'underconsumption trend,' took TikTok and other social media outlets by storm last year, with Gen Z adopting a more conscious approach when it comes to shopping.
This consumerism cycle is what led Cait Flanders to challenge herself to buy only consumer for an entire 12 months, documented in her book The Year of Less: How I Stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More Than Anything You Can Buy in a Store available at Amazon.
Tracy McCubbin, CEO and founder of dClutterfly has read and recommends it. She says, 'While this book isn’t full of decluttering tips, it’s a wonderfully written book on letting go of your stuff and living with less.
'Besides the beautiful introspection, it tells the story of what the decluttering journey looks like and what real-life benefits come from living with less,' championing the undeniable benefits of a tidy home.
Few people have gone an entire year without buying anything material. Dive into Cait's insights to rethink your relationship with 'stuff,' and gain clarity on breaking the vicious cycle of overconsumerism.
More great decluttering books
Here, Tracy shares how to successfully overcome decluttering roadblocks by getting to the root of the problem and achieve a clutter-free, minimalist home.
If you're a visual learner, I also have and love this book for illustrated tips on all things folding, organizing and decluttering.
With helpful tips on decluttering 101, and individual advice for all areas around the home, from bedrooms to outdoor storage ideas, experts Lesley Spellman and Ingrid Jansen share their step-by-step method for resetting your home without fuss or stress.
Meet our experts
Not a reader? Chiana Dickson, content editor on Solved here at Homes & Gardens, recently watched The Minimalist's Netflix Show Less is Now, and says it has 'fundamentally changed' how she feels about her 'harmless' shopping.
