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An Apartment Therapy writer tested a closet-decluttering method that requires deciding each item’s fate as soon as it is picked up. The writer said a two-hour session produced 47 items for donation; the result is a personal account, not a controlled test of the method.
An Apartment Therapy writer says a two-hour closet cleanout using the “one touch” rule left 47 items in a donation pile. The method calls for deciding immediately whether each garment stays in the closet, goes into seasonal storage or is donated, rather than setting it aside for later.
The writer, Rose Morrison, described a crowded fall wardrobe in which summer dresses and light jackets shared space with heavier clothes. After spending nearly 20 minutes trying to find a pair of jeans, she tried the method on advice from Sarah Balducci, a moving expert at BMS Moving & Storage, whom the story identifies as a source of guidance for clients preparing to downsize before a move.
Morrison made three destinations for the clothes: items to keep in the closet, off-season clothes to store, and pieces to donate. She sorted in small batches, beginning with the top rail, and said she chose a destination for each item without creating a “maybe” pile. The account says she completed the session in two hours and had 47 items in the donation pile.
The writer said the sort also surfaced duplicate clothes and a favorite sweater hidden beneath a coat. Among the items she decided to donate were pants she had kept for years in the hope she would wear them again after losing weight. The article presents these outcomes as Morrison’s experience; it does not report an independent assessment of the items or track whether they were ultimately donated.
A Faster Way to Make Closet Decisions
The account focuses on a familiar sticking point in household decluttering: repeated reconsideration can make sorting drag on, while unsorted items may end up back in the closet. By requiring a decision as each item is handled, the one touch rule removes the designated holding place that Morrison says had accumulated during earlier cleanouts.
For readers facing a similar wardrobe pileup, the report offers a practical process rather than evidence that one method works for everyone. Morrison’s 47-item result is a personal tally from one session, not a measured comparison with other approaches. The article also does not establish how long the newly organized closet stayed that way.
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Advice From a Moving Specialist
Balducci told Morrison that the one touch rule is used to help moving clients reduce what they need to pack. Its basic structure is to handle an item once and assign it to one of three categories: keep, store for the season, or donate. The approach rules out a separate “maybe” or “limbo” category.
Balducci also recommended limiting sorting sessions to no more than two hours, according to the article, and rotating seasonal clothes so off-season pieces do not crowd the active wardrobe. Morrison was not preparing to move; she adapted the advice for a fall closet cleanout after struggling to find clothing among seasonal items.
“Every time you pick something up, put it down, and pick it up again, you give yourself another chance to talk yourself into keeping it.”
— Sarah Balducci, moving expert at BMS Moving & Storage, as quoted by Apartment Therapy
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What the 47-Item Count Shows
The 47 items are Morrison’s reported donation-pile total, and the source does not say whether she later donated every item. It gives no count of how many garments she started with, how many went into seasonal storage, or how her total compares with previous cleanouts. The account also does not report a follow-up on whether the closet remained organized or whether the method reduced the time required compared with another approach.
Balducci’s advice is reported through Morrison’s article; the source does not provide additional research or data testing the rule across different households. The account supports a description of one person’s experience, not a general guarantee of results.
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Donation and Seasonal Storage
The article does not announce a follow-up session or a later check on the closet. The immediate next steps implied by Morrison’s three-pile system are to donate the items she set aside and store clothes that are out of season. Readers trying the process can use the same categories, work in short sessions, and treat the reported 47-item total as one person’s outcome rather than a target.
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Key Questions
What is the one touch rule for decluttering?
It is a sorting method in which each item is assigned a destination as soon as it is picked up: keep it, store it for the season, or donate it. The method does not use a separate maybe pile.
How many items did the Apartment Therapy writer set aside?
Rose Morrison reported that 47 items were in her donation pile after a two-hour afternoon session. The article does not confirm whether all 47 were later donated.
Who recommended the method?
Apartment Therapy identifies Sarah Balducci of BMS Moving & Storage as the moving expert who shared the rule and related advice with Morrison.
How long does the article recommend sorting at a time?
Balducci recommends sessions of no more than two hours, according to the report. Morrison says her own session lasted two hours.
Does the report prove the rule works for everyone?
No. It describes one writer’s experience and does not compare the method with other decluttering approaches or report longer-term results.
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