The rise of decluttering hacks in recent years shows how many people are seeking a calmer, more intentional way to live at home. A new approach, known as 'house hushing,' is one of these hacks—but does it work?

At its core, house hushing is less about getting rid of everything and more about creating a temporary reset. Instead of making rapid-fire keep-or-toss decisions, you remove nonessential items from a space, live with the emptiness for a short period, and then thoughtfully reintroduce only what feels right. The goal? To quiet both your surroundings and your mindset before making permanent changes.

But does this slower, more reflective approach actually make decluttering easier, or does it simply delay the hard part? To find out, we turned to a professional organizer who tested the method herself and shared exactly what worked, what didn’t, and tips for trying it.

Charlotte Slankard is a professional organizer and owner of Char & Co. Professional Organizing.

What Is the House Hushing Method?

If you’re used to traditional decluttering strategies that focus on sorting and purging, house hushing might feel strange. According to professional organizer Charlotte Slankard, it’s designed to shift your perspective before you make decisions.

“House hushing is an organizing method that allows you to experience what it feels like to relax in a room without clutter,” she says. “It’s important to follow the 24 to 48-hour guidelines to fully experience the peaceful feeling of living with less. Ultimately, the method allows you to quiet your space and your mind, so you can be more intentional about how you live.”

That emphasis on feeling rather than just doing is what sets house hushing apart. Instead of asking, “Do I need this?” right away, you’re first asked to notice how your space functions—and how you feel in it—without the excess visual clutter.

How the House Hushing Process Works

While the concept may sound vague, the execution is straightforward. Slankard, who tested the process in her own living room, breaks it down into three simple steps: remove, refresh, and reset.

She began by physically removing nonessential items from the space and placed them nearby rather than permanently decluttering them. “I moved all the non-essential items from my living room to my dining room table. It was just a few steps away, so it didn’t take long to move,” Slankard explains. “I grabbed a large tote bin and carried multiple items to save on the steps taken.”

From there, she sorted what she removed, grouping like items together to better understand what she owned. “The dining room table was the perfect surface to categorize and subcategorize the candles, family pictures, books, decor, and even a couple of unmatched socks,” Slankard says. “By subcategorizing first, it made it much easier to be mindful of what I had.”

Once the space was cleared, she used the opportunity to clean and reset it. Slankard explains that she was able to dust the living room furniture and surfaces. Then came the defining feature of house hushing: the pause. “My favorite part of the process was taking time to sit quietly in the room; it felt so calm, quiet, and peaceful,” she says.

After living with the pared-down space for a full 24 hours, she returned items slowly and intentionally, adding only what she felt really belonged in the room.

The Benefits of House Hushing

One of the main reasons house hushing has gained traction is its simplicity, and Slankard agrees that’s a major advantage. “It’s easy to follow,” she says. “Really, it’s just a few steps involved.” It’s also surprisingly efficient. While some decluttering methods can stretch over days or even weeks, this one offers quicker results. “It’s also time-friendly as it took less than 4 hours from start to finish, so that was a big win for me,” she adds.

But perhaps the most compelling benefit is how it changes your relationship with your space. “Ultimately, it really works,” Slankard says. “The process gave me an opportunity to be still.” It’s the pause that makes it so powerful, especially for those who tend to rush through decluttering and organizing projects.

“I’m a Virgo and a perfectionist, so sitting still doesn’t come easily for me,” jokes Slankard. “But I’m happy to report that the house-hushing method worked well for me. The 24-hour hushing period gave me time to be intentional about what I surrounded myself with and what deserved a place in my space, and now my living room looks beautiful and feels like a breath of fresh air,” she adds.

Potential Downsides to Consider

Despite its clear benefits, house hushing isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, and in some cases, it can actually make things harder. “Personally, I would not try this method in a large, cluttered space,” Slankard advises. “If you must remove hundreds of items from the focus area and find a resting place for everything, this method could be difficult and overwhelming.”

In other words, if your starting point is already chaotic (such as the basement or garage), temporarily relocating everything may create more stress than clarity. Instead, Slankard emphasizes choosing a lightly cluttered, more manageable space (like the living room) to set yourself up for success.

How to Try the House Hushing Method

If you’re intrigued but hesitant, the key is to scale the method down. You don’t need to hush your entire home to see results. “Again, start small, perhaps a laundry room or guest bedroom would be a good place to begin,” Slankard says. “You could also focus on space rather than a room.” She recommends the linen closet or junk drawer as easy starting points. Using this approach allows you to experience the method without committing to an overwhelming, time-consuming project, and gives you a quick win that can build momentum.

How to Maintain Results Long-Term

Like any organizing method, house hushing isn’t a one-and-done project; it’s about making lasting lifestyle changes. The good news is that the experience itself can make maintenance easier. Slankard points out that mindset plays a major role in keeping clutter at bay.

“Once you get a sense of how it feels to have everything refreshed and in its designated space, a shift takes place,” she says. “You begin to feel the peace and calm of a home organized.” The emotional payoff can reinforce better habits over time. “With organized systems in place, it makes it much easier to form new ‘put it back’ habits and practice makes perfect,” she says. In other words, house hushing isn’t just another decluttering method that’s gone viral. Instead, it’s a meaningful reset that can help reshape how you feel in your home every day.