The 'Sparkly Method' is the one decluttering hack you need to keep your home organised.

You know that feeling when your house is a disaster zone, but the thought of tackling it makes you want to curl up in a ball and watch Netflix and cry for a century or so?

No? Just me?

Okay, maaaaaybe I am being a wee bit melodramatic, but my near-constant state of mess is no secret (and also the reason I don't host brunch. Ever).

Watch: How the Sparkly Method creator came up with the idea. Post continues below.

I'm always trying out new decluttering hacks in the hopes of making what is possibly my most hated task (cleaning up) less tedious. So, I was intrigued when I stumbled across the 'Sparkly Method' for tidying up, which is currently taking over TikTok.

Created by psychologist Janice Guidi this method isn't just another 'throw everything away' approach — it actually addresses the emotional baggage that comes with decluttering.

And lord knows I get emotional about my clutter.

What is the 'Sparkly Method' for decluttering?

The Sparkly Method is going viral for good reason: It works.

When I spoke to Janice about how she developed the approach, she told me she came up with it "after being completely overwhelmed with clutter and trying so hard every day to keep up".

So relatable! Do go on!

"We actually had our driveway power washed and when I walked outside, I realised how much better I felt internally that it was clean," she said.

"I came up with the method because I wanted something that would actually fit my life. Every other method that I found had you do things super fast to capitalise on your motivation, but that's not realistic for my life. I work full-time and have two small kids that are 19 months apart."

What Janice really wanted, she told me, was to share a method with people that reduces shame and helps you feel that sense of "sparkly," or the calm feeling when things are in order and clean.

"I am a psychologist, so I started to research the psychology behind clutter. I tried to use the same principles that I use in therapy to help people reduce shame and guilt related to clutter and holding onto objects that no longer serve them."

How does the Sparkly Method work?

Janice's tidying trick revolves around the five 'S's — five principles that make the whole process feel less like pulling teeth and more like actual progress.

First up is Sparkle — and no, it's not about making everything shiny (although that sounds cute, no?). "Sparkle is the version of yourself that desires for your life to be easier," Janice explains in one of her online videos, which has racked up more than 75,000 views (and counting).

The second S is Set obtainable goals. Instead of trying to Marie Kondo your entire house in one weekend (I have both been there and… failed that), you tackle one room at a time — and, crucially, let it take however long it takes. You move through one room at a time, slowly, until the full room is organised — "even if it takes several days", Janice advises in her most popular vid. This realistic approach was born from her own experience as a busy working mum of two.

Sort comes next, and it's at this point I feel seen, heard and appreciated. Because unlike other methods that make you deal with absolutely everything immediately, the Sparkly Method is more forgiving. "Anything that doesn't belong, you move it out of the room," says Janice. "You'll eventually get to it when you move on to the next room." To be honest, this kind of mirrors my current approach of bumping mess along into a junk room (heaven help me when it comes time to clear that space, but we're not there yet, and you can't make me).

The fourth S is a biggie: addressing Shame and guilt. As someone who still has my favourite (now three sizes too small) dress from 2015 hanging in my wardrobe (just in case, you know?), this part hit home. In her video, Janice gives the example of a robe she wore on her wedding day but hasn't really used since. "I wore this robe on my wedding day, but it never stays closed, so I never actually wear it. Working through the guilt of letting these things go is important."

The final S, and arguably the most important, is Sustain — because once you've put all that effort into clearing the clutter, you don't want your house to go back to looking like a trash pile a week later. "Ten minutes per night, no matter what", is all you need, Janice says in her vid. "You set a timer and you keep up the rooms that you've already organised. It's the only way to prevent a backslide."

@sparklylife Replying to @Kait Here is the Sparkly Method for Organizing, Decluttering, and Sustaining your Home ✨✨ Let me know if you try it! Happy to make more videos on the process. Im really excited about this! #organization #organizationhacks #decluttering #cleantok ♬ original sound - Janice | Cleaning & Life ✨

How is the Sparkly Method different to other decluttering hacks?

What I love about this method is that it wasn't created by a Type A professional organiser spruiking expensive shoe-storage boxes and overpriced magazine racks. Shout out to them, obv, they do a great job — but I can't relate because I am *checks notes* simply a hot mess when it comes to keeping my home in a state worthy of public viewing.

As a psychologist, Janice's approach is specifically created in a way that feels accessible to me. I don't have the concentration skills to tidy an entire house in one weekend, and the thought of trying is wildly overwhelming. Being given permission to take it slow, and commit only 10 minutes a day to upkeep, feels doable.

And then there's the acknowledgement of the emotional hold a lot of my clutter has on me. Instead of just focusing on the physical stuff, Janice's cleaning method gives a cheeky nod to those hoarding tendencies, and helps work through those feelings — rather than ignoring them and pushing the box of 20-year-old junk back under the bed for another decade. As Janice says in another of her popular videos, "There is no room for shame in the Sparkly Method."

After trying it myself, I've noticed something interesting. Starting with my bedroom (because let's be honest, that's where most of my 'I might wear this someday' items live), I found the process surprisingly manageable. The 10-minute nightly tidy-up has become a cinch, and I'm actually keeping up with it.

The method has gained significant traction on social media, with thousands of people sharing their success stories. And while it might not be as dramatic as some other viral organising trends, its sustainable approach makes it more likely to stick.

So if you're drowning in clutter and feeling guilty about it, maybe it's time to find your sparkle. Just remember — it's not about creating a perfect home, it's about making your life easier.

And sometimes, that starts with letting go of that wedding-day robe that never quite worked anyway.

Feature Image: TikTok/@sparklylife; Supplied.