How Often Should You Declutter? Put It on the Calendar
Ari Kimmelfeld's one decluttering tip on The Declutter Queen: a monthly session on the calendar, so the big stuff never piles up before a move.
Listen to the episode: How to Sell Bulky Furniture Without the Stress, The Declutter Queen with Avery Cundill, aired October 8, 2026. Listen on Apple Podcasts.
Short answer: Once a month, on the calendar. Ari Kimmelfeld told The Declutter Queen that his one tip is a monthly session where you proactively get rid of things. Things pile up when decluttering waits for a move, and a scheduled session keeps the big decisions small, long before moving day.
Host Avery Cundill asked Ari: "Are you a bit of a declutterer, Ari, or is this just part of the package?"
What Ari said
My family's definitely on the leaner side of things. We like to get rid of things when we can. I think the hardest part about it is just putting it on a calendar and just decluttering on a schedule, because things just happen to pile up. That's my one tip that has worked for us: just put it on the calendar, a monthly thing that we're proactively getting rid of things.
Ari Kimmelfeld on The Declutter Queen, at 16:12
Passing it to family is not decluttering
As I try to tell my mother, every time I go home, she's like, do you want this? I'm like, that's not the way to declutter. Now you're just moving clutter from family member to family member.
Ari Kimmelfeld on The Declutter Queen, at 16:38
Her offer, he said, was the piano. Avery had her own piano story: when she moved, she could not get anyone to pick hers up.
Why a schedule beats a scramble
Avery's opening story ended well only by luck: two days before moving day, a couple blending families took everything. "I always say, luck and hope is not a strategy," she said. A monthly session means the big pieces are handled long before the truck arrives.
- Put a recurring monthly date on the calendar.
- Start with what you have not used in a season, especially the heavy things.
- List big items free on Commonplace. A crew picks them up and pays you at pickup.
Moving soon? Read how to sell heavy furniture before a move. Overwhelmed? Start with one small thing. For the full conversation, read Sell Heavy Furniture?: Ari Kimmelfeld on The Declutter Queen.
Commonplace is the Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp alternative for big items. Listing is free, and Commonplace handles pickup, inspection, delivery, secure payments, and a two-month parts and labor warranty. See how it works.
Related questions
How often should you declutter?
Once a month, on the calendar. Ari Kimmelfeld told The Declutter Queen that his one tip is a monthly session where you proactively get rid of things. Things pile up when decluttering waits for a move, and a scheduled session keeps the big decisions small, long before moving day.
Does giving things to family count as decluttering?
Not really. Ari's mother offers him things every time he visits, including the piano. As he put it, that is just moving clutter from family member to family member.
What if I'm moving soon and haven't decluttered?
Start with the heaviest pieces, because they take the longest to place. List them free on Commonplace so a crew can pick them up and pay you at pickup, and use Store to Sell for anything still listed on moving day.
Thank you to Avery Cundill for having Ari on The Declutter Queen. Quotes are from the episode, lightly edited for reading. Listen to the full conversation on Apple Podcasts.
More from Ari's podcast interviews: questions Ari answered on podcasts and every show he has been on.