It is almost time for Spring Cleaning! Though I prefer to do my big clean out in the fall and over the winter months when I'm stuck in the house, I usually do a bit of cleaning to welcome the new season. After reading The Clutter Free Home, I realize what I'm doing is more decluttering that cleaning (though I do wash the windows so that the sunshine can sparkle into my house). If you find that you have stuff everywhere and not sure how to tackle the dreaded "junk drawer", then Kathi Lipp's new book is for you.

There are a lot of books out there on getting your home organized. We've all heard of Marie Kondo or the KonMari method, which advocates for a more minimalist lifestyle (only having 30 books in your house, gasp!). Lipp is quick to point out that she isn't advocating for a minimalist lifestyle but wants to teach you how to sort through and organize your stuff, or clutter, so that you can actually enjoy it and the life you are meant to be living.

Whether you have piles of laundry on your couch needing to be folded and put away or struggling to keep up with the never-ending flow of junk mail into your home, you will find helpful tips in this well laid out, short book. There are even worksheets to guide you in decluttering each room of your home and setting goals for what you want the room to be like.

While a lot of the tips are ones you have probably heard before, and maybe are already employing in your home, Lipp provides a more unique perspective on decluttering and using the spaces in our homes. She isn't telling readers how to have magazine perfect rooms (though if really followed all her tips to a tee and had nothing else in life to do, you could probably achieve it), but how to have rooms that you are comfortable living in - rooms that you aren't embarrassed to invite the unexpectant visitor into.

Part of the appeal of this book for me is that I have unused rooms. I'm single with a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom house (I didn't want to live in an apartment because I don't want to be that close to people). When I first moved in 17 years ago, one bedroom was set up to be my office (I was in graduate school at the time and it was where I wrote my dissertation) and the other spare room was going to be my craft room/guest room. I no longer have a desktop computer but use a laptop so I rarely use my "office" for anything but file storage. The "guest room" has become the cat room where new cats are sequestered until they are fully integrated into the family.

Why did The Clutter Free Home appeal to me?
In addition to the normal tips of decluttering (i.e. having bags and totes for trash, recycle, give away, and goes in another room) she also encourages you to really think about the purpose of the room. She goes beyond just setting out what you want the room to be (i.e. a craft room), but she tells you to detail how the room appeals to each of our senses - sight, touch, sound, smell, taste. (This is where the worksheets come in helpful.)

I'm pretty good about keeping the everyday clutter cleaned up (except for the dishes in the sink), but it is the "storage" areas that I have trouble getting to. So Lipp's reminder to "space block" your decluttering was timely. Space blocking is when you pick one small space (i.e. the junk drawer) and focus on it. My "space" for this weekend is the tubs of plastic containers in the kitchen cabinets. Since switching to glass containers I rarely use them so they are just taking up space, space that could be used to store my irregularly, but often enough, used canning supplies that are currently sitting on the floor.

Speaking of not using items...
I really liked Lipp's chapter on Use It Up, Make Do, and Do Without. I have spent the last year really trying to reduce my food waste and recently I've extended this to my makeup (my sister was a Mary Kay sales rep for a while so I had several random makeup items taking up space under my bathroom cabinet). Since I hate spending money, I've not had to do a "spending ban" to make me use up stuff but that is a great tip for someone that likes to try new things but often discards the item - and not discarding it properly (by giving it to some who will use it or throwing it away).

Again, much of the things talked about in this chapter I'm already doing, but it was edifying to know that it isn't just me depriving myself, but that it is a wise lifestyle choice or reducing waste and clutter. A lifestyle choice that frees me to do other, often more important, things.

The Clutter Free Home has motivated me
Probably the best thing about this book is it has motivated me to get serious about decluttering the "hidden" spots in my house. Like I said above, except for the dishes in the sink, the "surface clutter" is under control. (Like Lipp, I hate dealing with the dishes. Unlike Lipp, I don't have a husband to do them for me.) I realized that reading the book was motivating me to declutter when I opened the supply closet at work the other day and it was so disorganized (notebooks, sticky notes, pens were in 3 different spots instead of being grouped together by like item). I took a few minutes to put it to rights.

As I mentioned I'm planning on sorting through my plastic containers this weekend. I have a tiny kitchen and I've been trying to figure out where to store the appliances I use often enough to need to keep them, but they are used irregularly so they don't need to be on the container top. For you, it might be the turkey roasting pan that is only used during the holidays. For me, it is my water bath canner, large stockpot, and empty canning jars. I've used them 2 or 3 times this past year (and I have plans for making orange marmalade and strawberry jam in the near future). While reading The Clutter Free Home, I had a lightbulb moment. If I got rid of the plastic containers that I no longer use I would have space there for my canning supplies.

My Recommendation
Whether you are needing a little motivation to get your spring cleaning started or have no clue how to tackle all the stuff that has crept into your life over the years, The Clutter Free Home will help you.

Side note: As a community of book readers, I'm sure you are curious about Lipp's take on keeping books. She has a much more reasonable approach to deciding on keeping or discarding the books piled up in our homes. She recommends keeping the books you refer back to (or re-read often) and books that you have plans to read. She recommends giving away books that you are never going to read (that book that when you pick it up you wonder what you were thinking when you bought it) and books that you read but don't intend to re-read or need for reference in the future. Also, one of the important tenets in her book is to dedicate your space for a specific purpose. I want a home library and one of the things on my sight list for that space is to see lots of books!

If you are needing more help in decluttering your home, Lipp has a podcast The Clutter Free Academy.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/02/the-clutter-free-home-by-kathi-lipp.html

One day, not long ago, I looked at my bathroom counter that I had cleared of everything except for the essentials and felt such joy! HAHA!

That's where this book comes in. I learned a lot from Kathi Lipp and will be using her book to help me go through every room in my house. I like that there's a system on how to declutter every space in your dwelling place, whether big or small i.e. Dedicate, decide, declutter and do your thing!

The "Would I buy it again?" question for decluttering is a game changer! Never heard of that one before. It will come in handy.

HIghly recommended for anyone seeking to reduce the madness and messiness of a cluttered house.

I liked Kathi Lipp's methods so much that I subscribed to her podcast. That is highly recommended too!

Thank you Netgalley and Harvest House for the ARC. This is my honest review.

Kathi Lipp is the declutterer you have been waiting for. She proved it in Clutter Free and she reinforces it here.

Forget the experts who tell you to dispose of all your belongings and walk the earth with only a toothpick and an iPhone. Or the one who wants you to talk to your socks so they don't feel unloved.

The Clutter-Free Home will walk you through every room of your house with humor and understanding, helping you shed the unnecessary and organize the remaining favorites.

The most unexpected and welcome aspect of this book is the fact that it is written from a Christian perspective. And for the first time I see that being a beloved child of God and living in a clean, neat, happy home are very connected. We all have a purpose but if our living situation saps all our energy, how are we ever to attain it?

Add this book to your list immediately.

I received my copy free from NetGalley for review. After only a handful of pages I was convinced and I've already shared Lipp's work with my mom who is putting the plan in action in her home and the results are exciting.

I read a lot of books on decluttering. Creating a cozy home is top of my priority list as a stay at home mama. I would recommend this one to anyone who needs to know where to start. Lipp's makes the amazing point that while it seems that small changes can't make a difference, all of these small tweaks combined actually can make a huge difference. She also teaches about how decluttering isn't a one and done, but an ongoing way of life. The book does a step by step that works in any size space, with any number of rooms because they are actionable tasks. One of my personal favorites is her idea about dedicating each space to its purpose. My favorite takeaway was her idea to "display a quotation, Bible verse, or some kind of sign that focuses my family as we use the space." The author chose Lewis and Tolkien quotes in her home, and for that reason alone I know we would get on fabulously. If you need a bit of help decluttering your home, this book will be great for you.

I loved the approach in this book. Kathi outlines a process and questions to ask yourself when going through your home, and it makes sense. There are four steps to decluttering that she describes in detail, and then she gives examples as she applies these steps to the spaces in your home. The time commitment suggested is not overwhelming, and the tone is that of a friend encouraging you to improve your surroundings so you can reap benefits in all areas of your life. The sections about the areas of your home include spots to list your own thoughts related to he suggested process, which will help reinforce your reasons and keep you motivated. I also really appreciated that she suggested getting to a 60% of decluttering because that gives a noticeable difference and 100% decluttered is unrealistic because you will always be bringing more things in.
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you feel your home needs a good decluttering, this book is ideal. It takes you through step by step, room by room how to go about it. The author also gets you to examine the purpose of each room, and encourages you to declutter and organize with that purpose in mind. Being a “word” person I liked the idea of key quotes displayed in each room to remind you of the focus - and after reading it, I realized this something I already do! Eg. Living room: “God is good, all the time” bedroom: “be still, my soul” etc

Personally there wasn’t anything new for me but maybe that’s because I’ve already read quite a bit on this topic.

A “must read!” For those of you who need a boost in maintaining a home that you can really live in. For yourself, your family, and your guests. The author’s writing and clutter free instructions, makes you want to change your perception of your home. The author begins the book as if she is talking to you as a friend. Her “four D”, program really works....DEDICATE..DECIDE...DECLUTTER...DO YOUR THING.... It’s a “win-win situation. You are motivated to change your home. Wonderful advice, and great ways to have peace in your home. I highly recommend this gem of a book. Enjoy!

The Clutter-Free Home by Kathi Lipp is designed to help you declutter, reclaim, and enjoy every room of your house. It is written in a straight-forward manner and it walks the reader through each room of their home in order to determine what the function of the room should be and how to create organization. With 4 steps – dedicate, decide, de-clutter, and “do-your-own-thing” – the author helps you focus on the needs of each room and how to organize and de-clutter in the process.

There is light humor throughout this book, which most readers will enjoy, but there are also religious references that might be off-putting for some. While this is a good book to help you focus on the task of de-cluttering your home, the information isn’t necessarily new or different from many of the other books that are currently on the market. But, it is well-written and entertaining, and it will give you some ideas on how to attack the sometimes-over-whelming task of de-cluttering.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harvest House Publishers for the advance of this title in exchange for my honest review. Clutter seems to be part of our society now. People take it to one extreme or another. Some books will have you eliminate just about everything, some aren't realistic. This book was refreshing in that it provided checklists and something I could actually handle.
If you're looking for a place to start, and a book that respects what YOU want to have surrounding you, this is an excellent book.

I mean, deep at heart we all know exactly what we have to do to get rid of all this stuff that is cluttering our home. Of course, I've already read several books about it as well and tried to get rid of everything but somehow....well.

This book doesn't have any big groundbreaking ideas either but somehow when I finally gave up procrastinating and started reading and doing something, I got into the right mood and it worked. I still have a lot of decluttering ahead of me but I like the author's approach to it, the concrete checklists of d's and I also like her definition of clutter. There's no number or amount of something given, there's no minimalistic approach, it's always just about the questions whether you really like an object, need it and use it. Basically.

I love books for example and I need long shelves of books to feel at home somewhere, so I wouldn't take kindly to the suggestion to get rid of them and keep but.... It doesn't make me a failure when it comes to decluttering if I still keep most of them as long as I make sure that these are books that still represent me. This is an approach that feels right and something I can work with.

It's always difficult to get rid of the clutter but step by step, one room after the other, I work my way through it. This book doesn't invent decluttering, it doesn't do it for me but it definitely helps with the process of deciding what to keep and how to proceed.

This is a really useful book if you want to do the hard work involved in decluttering. Kathy Lipp used to have thirteen bookcases, and tells a story about thanking her friend (who has five children) for cleaning the house for her. The friend said that she actually didn't clean the house before Kathy visited! Kathy Lipp then decided to try and follow her example.



This is different from most decluttering books because it allows for messiness, and it is also written from a Christian perspective! Kathy Lipp wants readers to repurpose and reorganise their houses so that they become relaxing and warm spaces. She has helpful chapters on how to declutter every room, according to the purpose of the room, the zones of the room and how you would like the room to look and feel. I found that her chapter on the living-room was not as detailed as the other chapters, unfortunately. She also has general advice on what to keep and what to throw away, and on daily and weekly decluttering tasks. It's all extremely difficult but it's certainly helpful. (It's difficult for me!)



This is certainly a keeper!



I received this free ebook from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love how this book takes Clutter Free one step further and helps us to reimagine our homes. I love the thought of dedicating each room to its unique purposes. Zones have helped me to group like items together and be able to use rooms for multi purposes. I am feeling better about my home as I make small steps using the method this book teaches. Thank you, Kathi!

I did not find much that was new or different in this book. And I wasn’t expecting religious references. It’s a good book for people just starting to manage their clutter, but it doesn’t contain any ideas that I’d consider novel.

Great book on how to free yourself from the crap you’ve filled your house with and keep everything organized. Well written with simple steps.

I really enjoyed this book. I don't often love books on organization, since I struggle with it so badly. But this was exactly what I needed to hear. It's okay to struggle, and clutter is like laundry. It never really ends. I really needed to hear that. Plus this book gave very clear ideas of how to actually deal with the clutter.

I received a copy of this book for free in order to facilitate a review. I was not required to leave a review, and all opinions are my own.

This book aims to help people get rid of clutter in their homes, but it's extremely repetitive and doesn't cover a lot of new ground. I'm glad I read the book because it renewed my own interest in decluttering and got me thinking about the purposes for the rooms in my home and what I want each to evoke as I live in them. I'd probably suggest this only to Christians or maybe people very new to the concept of decluttering.

This book is hard to rate because it changed so much. I really enjoyed the start and some of the thought provoking content but on the flip side it was repetitive, a lot of Christian content that i didn't know was going to be in there.

Things i got out of the book was focusing on intention for rooms and focusing on senses.

Overall would recommend for those looking to more organise and go through their house room by room good prompts.

Copy kindly provided by netgalley in exchange for an honest review. (Review left on goodreads)

I have read quite a few books about decluttering to help me get my house in order. This book gave me just what I needed. Motivation to keep on going, A realistic reminder that its not all done in an afternoon, month or even a year! What I found new in the approach from Kathi was thinking of how we as a family used the rooms in our home, rather than how other people would expect us to use them. This book was written from the heart. I felt Kathi was sharing her own journey and giving guidance, where other books i read seem prescriptive. Thank you for the guidance as I continue on my decluttering journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harvest House Publishers for a free eARC for an honest review

I'd say that everyone has a bit of clutter, some have less and some have way too much and most of us have tried more than our share of quick fixes with not an impressive outcome. The Clutter Free Home quickly helped me see clutter in a different light. It's not the number of things, it's the number of decisions that keep me from making headway. I make decisions all day, everyday at work and at home and by the time to comes to clean, it's indecision time, which equals clutter.
In the first chapter Lipp talks about her friend Deb, you know her, she's the active one with lots of kids, projects and a uncluttered house. I want to learn to be a Deb and with the ideas in this book I think that I can finally make some headway on that. I am also encouraged by the idea that it didn't get that way overnight and it's not going to get better that quickly either,. Her concept of 15 minutes a night and a deep dive of an hour one night a week is very doable. Then the way she approaches the clearing of items in each room gives a starting point to the process.
Go ahead and declutter all of those other book you've bought and pick this one up. You know you all of those things that don't spark joy but you still have to keep and the ones that proposed to help you declutter in a week, those don't really hit the root of the problem, which is we aren't defining the purpose of our spaces, so we clear and then reclutter. The Clutter Free home gives you insight and lessons that help you keep your home a place you want to invite others into.
Lipp has a straightforward and easy writing style that leads to a quick enjoyable read, There is a bit of humor, personal stories and sections to prompt the reader to list what is important to them. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to make a start at clearing clutter or just maintaining a clutter free home.
I received an Electronic ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I found this book to be quite helpful and very practical. I know there are many books out there that deal with this issue, but I was really able to put into practice Kathi's tips right away and my kitchen now feels more like me and is useful. It was just what I needed to to jump start a new year. Feeling very grateful.