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How to Declutter Your Bookshelves

Bookshelves are the catch-all for things that don’t quite have a place or storage for things you intend to put away later. Let’s declutter your bookshelves and make them #shelfie worthy.

decluttered bookshelf with text How to Declutter Your Bookshelves and keep them that way

Much like kitchen countertops and junk drawers, bookshelves can easily and quickly become cluttered. Here are 5 ways to easily declutter your bookshelves and keep them that way!

5 Ways to Easily Declutter Your Bookshelves (and Keep Them That Way)

Before tackling the decluttering process, you’ll first want to get an idea of what you’ll be using your bookshelves for.

Are you a reader and want to turn one into a mini library? Are you more into visual art and would like to use a bookshelf to showcase some cool pieces?

Decide beforehand so you’ll make the process much easier. Now let’s get to those steps!

Step 1. Remove everything from each shelf.

It may sound more ideal to work one shelf at a time, but for this project you’ll want to start with a completely clean slate. Not to mention, depending on much stuff you collected, your bookshelf could most likely use a good cleaning.

Once you’ve removed everything, give your entire unit a good wipe down. Don’t forget areas that may not be seen such as the very top, the backside, and underneath each shelf.

Step 2. Establish cleaning piles.

Same as most decluttering processes, it’s best to set up cleaning piles. Create a “keep” pile, “throw away” pile, and a “give away” (or donate) pile.

In some cases you may want to have a pile for items that simply need to be stored somewhere else. Make sure you look at each and every item and ask yourself a few simple questions before making a final decision:

  • Is this something I currently use?
  • Do I really need this?
  • Does this belong somewhere else?
  • Could I sell this?
  • Would someone else benefit from having this?

Step 3. Clean up the piles.

It can become difficult trying to restyle your bookshelves without having the other piles out of the way, so before you put things on the shelves, get rid of the other piles.

Bag up the trash pile and throw it away. Bag up the donate and/or sell piles and put them in another place. And last but not least, take items that need to be stored elsewhere to their new locations.

Now all you’re left with are the things you need to put back on the bookshelves.

Step 4. Replace the items.

Now you’re ready to decorate your shelves with the items you’ve kept behind. If you’re using the shelves for books, consider adding just a few per shelf, filling it to about three-fourths of the length. This will leave room for a stylish decor piece that can double as a book stopper.

Bookshelves are also great for storing cute bins, boxes, and picture frames. The overall goal is to not re-clutter the shelves, make them usable, and appealing to look at.

Step 5. Keep them clutter-free.

This may take a family meeting or mental notes to self if you live alone. Remind yourself and everyone who lives with you what the bookshelves are intended for.

Kindly set some cleaning boundaries and make sure everyone sticks with them. Make cleaning the bookshelves part of a weekly chore to ensure they are wiped and decluttered more often than not.

If tackling all your bookshelves in one run seems too overwhelming, use the steps above to do one bookshelf at a time.

Another idea is to work in chunks of time. Some people find that working 15 minutes at a time usually helps them get a big job done sooner than later.

Here’s to decluttering your bookshelves and keeping them clean!

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