Everyone Should Be Using the “Box and Banish” Decluttering Method

There usually comes a point in the decluttering process when you can’t decide if you really want to get rid of or keep a certain item. If you’ve ever faced this dilemma, there’s a brilliant strategy that can help you make a decision.

Enter: the “box and banish” method. Here’s how it works.

The “box and banish” method is a decluttering strategy where you fill up an empty box with items you’re unsure about keeping or letting go. When the box is full,  close it and put it away for six weeks. During this time, if you remember anything you want or need from the box, you can grab it. Once six weeks have passed, you’ll get rid of everything remaining in the box. What I love about the “box and banish” method is that it makes you live with less and bring back only items you care about.

In the case of the Decluttering Cure, this box is the “maybe” outbox you set up on day one and have been filling along the way — so you are already halfway there! Now that the box is full, let’s set it aside in a closet or other unused space in your home for six weeks. Remember that you’ll only return to it to take out what you need. For instance, if you put something you had planned on mending in your outbox, you might remember to take it out before the six weeks are up to repair it or decide that you don’t want to fix it after all. And once this “banish” time is over, whatever’s remaining will be removed from your home. 

• Sign up for email updates.
• Visit the 2026 Decluttering Cure page and catch up on assignments.
• Download the Decluttering Cure calendar.
• Check off that you’ve completed this task and track your overall Decluttering Cure progress here!
• See all the winners from our 2026 Organization Awards to get your home organized. 

The Cure Program is a tradition here at Apartment Therapy — it happens every January, April, and September. Click here to learn more about the year-round program and when to sign up.