Decluttering and cleaning are not the same thing.
Organizing and decluttering are also not the same thing.
Cleaning is easier and faster when you’ve eliminated clutter.
Trying to declutter and organize at the same time can be stressful because you must stop and problem-solve storage, usage or systems for your items. Decluttering is just getting rid of the stuff you no longer use or love or don’t have the space for.
My recent basement project has again reinforced the concept that decluttering, cleaning and organizing are different things. And that realization has lifted a weight off me. I can declutter without a specific plan other than making sure the decluttered items leave my house immediately or very soon after the decluttering session.
And even more good news is that by ‘just’ decluttering, the space feels more organized because there is less stuff.
What would happen if you only just decluttered a space?