Struggling to declutter? Try the No. 2 rule

Move over, Marie Kondo, there’s a new approach to decluttering that’s taking over social media. It’s a little juvenile, and more than a little gross, but it’s sparking joy for people who are overwhelmed by their stuff. This one-question framework for deciding whether to keep something, or to get rid of it, can simplify your space, your routines and, one hopes, your life.

It's called “the poop rule,” and it's pretty much what you might think.

The what rule?

Amanda Johnson, a content creator who focuses on cleaning and organizing, explains what this crudely named method entails. “The poop rule is simple: while decluttering, ask yourself, ‘If something was covered in poop, would I still keep it?’ It’s a fun, no-nonsense way to decide what really adds value to your life.”

After seeing it on Instagram, where people with ADHD, in particular, are hailing it as life-changing, Johnson tried the decluttering strategy in her own home. Using the poop rule as a guide, she says she got rid of “clothing I hadn’t worn in over six months, board games and puzzles we never played or that were missing pieces, and decorative items I was holding onto ‘just in case’ for a future party.”

Diane N. Quintana, a certified professional organizer who specializes in chronic disorganization and ADHD clients, also sees the merits of the funny rule. “I would recommend this method of decluttering with people who are very visual and need extra motivation to declutter.”

“I decided to give it a try because I was overwhelmed by the clutter and tired of holding onto things that didn’t serve a purpose,” Johnson says. “Once I started asking that silly but powerful question, I discovered it helped me cut through emotional attachments and focus on keeping only what was truly important.”

Why the poop rule works

“While it is somewhat disgusting to think about,” says Ann Lightfoot, a co-founder of Done & Done Home and co-author of the book Love Your Home Again, “the poop rule is also very clear about what you’re willing to do to keep something.”

The poop rule can simplify the decision-making process required to part with your things and, for all its grossness, also offers the benefit of gamifying your organizing and decluttering efforts. “If you are playing this inner game that no one knows about and you’re enjoying,” says Jeff Ditzell, a psychiatrist who specializes in clients with ADHD, “this way of achieving your process goals day-to-day actually becomes quite rewarding and satisfying.”

He says one reason the poop rule works so well for the ADHD brain in particular is that it removes options. But it also changes the nature of what can be a daunting task “The method that you are describing is fun, it’s something that people can access,” Ditzell says.

Techniques that tap into visual thinking are key to helping people with ADHD get organized, Quintana says. “Many people challenged by ADHD feel that if they can’t easily see something, they don’t know where it is — out of sight, out of mind.”

Gamifying tasks can be a helpful way to approach what Ditzell says are “process goals,” such as meal planning, that you use on your path to “outcome goals,” which might be to eat healthier, reduce food waste and save money.

To put it another way, you might find using the poop rule to pare down an overwhelming collection of kitchen gadgets is so fun that before you know it, you have a well-organized kitchen stocked with only the things you use — and nothing getting in the way of meal prep or a baking hobby.

Use the poop rule if you struggle with a case of the just-in-cases

An anxious, overthinking or tired brain can convince us to hold onto things that we have more than one of, or simply do not need. Although it’s reasonable and expected to have multiple pairs of socks, say, the same is not true of items such as small kitchen appliances, umbrellas, takeout utensils, unused sporting and hobby equipment, cleaning supplies … well, you get the picture. As Lightfoot likes to say, “There is a reasonable amount of pens to have.” (Most of us have more than the reasonable number of pens; we’re all in this together.)

“This method is perfect for anyone who feels overwhelmed by clutter or struggles with decision fatigue,” Johnson says. “It’s especially useful for those who tend to hang on to things ‘just in case.’”

“This can be a useful strategy when a person has multiples of an object,” Quintana says, “and they are trying to reduce the quantity. It can help them to quickly pick out their favorite one or two.”

The poop rule in action

Something that survived trial by feces for Johnson? Her great-grandmother’s china. “It’s been handed down, I actually like it, and I use it. It’s not something that can be easily replaced, so it’s meaningful enough to hold onto, even if it requires a little extra care,” she says.

“Using the poop rule has been a game changer for me,” Johnson says. “It’s not just about having a cleaner home — it’s about feeling lighter and more in control of my space. I love that it brings humor into a task that’s usually stressful.”

Her experience is a good illustration of the way our things can become so overwhelming that we lose sight of which have use and meaning and what has become troublesome clutter. The poop rule helps us separate the wheat from chaff — or the paper plates from Great-Grandma’s china.