Declutter Decision Calculator
Rate an item on how much you use it, love it, could replace it, and the space it costs — and get a clear keep, maybe, or let-go call to break the deadlock.
Your keep-or-let-go score
A prompt to reflect, not a verdict — the final call is always yours.
Why scoring beats agonising
Most clutter isn’t made of obvious junk. It’s the middle ground — the jacket you might wear, the gadget that was expensive, the gift you feel guilty about — where a decision stalls and the item goes back in the drawer for another year. Naming the few factors that actually matter, and rating each one out of five, turns a vague sense of “maybe” into a number you can act on.
The four factors are deliberately simple: use (have you touched it recently?), love (does it genuinely add to your life?), replaceability (could you get another easily and cheaply if you were wrong?), and space(what does keeping it cost you in room?). Something you use often, love, and couldn’t easily replace earns its place. Something you never touch, feel nothing for, and could re-buy in a click is usually just taking up space.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the declutter decision calculator work?
It rates an item on four factors, each from 0 to 5: how often you actually use it, how much you love or value it, how hard or costly it would be to replace, and how much space it takes up. Use and attachment carry the most weight, replaceability a little less, and space counts against keeping. The four are combined into a single 0–100 score, where higher means a stronger case to keep. Above 60 it suggests keeping, 35–59 is a 'maybe' worth setting aside, and below 35 it leans toward letting go.
Should I always follow the recommendation?
No — treat it as a prompt to reflect, not a verdict. The score is only as good as your honest answers, and it deliberately can't weigh everything: an irreplaceable keepsake or a rarely-used safety item may deserve to stay even with a low score. Use the number to break a stalemate, then make the final call yourself.
What's the fastest way to declutter a whole room?
Work in short passes by category rather than by shelf — all the mugs, then all the T-shirts — so you can compare like with like. Score only the items you genuinely hesitate over; the obvious keeps and obvious gos don't need a calculator. Put every 'maybe' in a box, date it, and revisit in a month: anything you didn't reach for is usually easy to release.
How do I handle sentimental items?
Rate sentiment honestly under 'how much you love it', but keep in mind that a high attachment score protects the things that truly matter precisely because you're not keeping everything. If a whole box scores high on love and low on use, consider keeping a representative few and photographing the rest.
A decision aid only. The score reflects the ratings you give and is a prompt to reflect — what you keep or let go is always your call.