Free tool
Declutter Checklist
Pick your rooms. Get an actionable Sort phase checklist to print and work through.
Select all that apply — you'll get a checklist for each.
About the Sort Phase
Sort (整理, Seiri) is the first of the five 5S phases. The goal is simple: remove everything from a space that doesn't belong there. This means expired products, duplicates, broken items, things that belong in other rooms, and anything you haven't used in over a year. Sort is done before any organising — you can't set up a good system around things that shouldn't be there.
The red-tag rule
In 5S, any item whose necessity is unclear gets a "red tag" — it's moved out of the space and put in a holding area. If it isn't retrieved in 30 days, it leaves. You don't need literal tags at home: a box works fine. The principle is the same.
Why Sort comes before organising
Most people try to organise before they've sorted — which just reorganises clutter into neat piles. Sort first, then set in order. The room will be dramatically easier to organise once only the necessary items remain.
The one-session rule
Do Sort for one room in one session, not across multiple days. Once you start pulling things out, complete the sort before stopping. Partial sorts leave rooms in worse shape than before you started.
What happens after Sort
After Sort comes Set in Order (整頓) — assigning a specific, logical home to every remaining item. Then Shine (清掃), Standardize (清潔), and Sustain (躾). The 5S Home Audit can score your progress across all five phases.