Decluttering advice usually comes with a side of stress—colour-coded bins, complicated systems, or guilt about getting rid of that hoodie you haven’t worn since 2017.
Then there’s the “poop rule.” It sounds ridiculous, and it kind of is, but it works, hence the reason it’s all the rage on TikTok right now. Basically, you ask yourself a simple question: if something you own were suddenly covered in poop, would you bother cleaning it up and keeping it, or would you just bin it? That’s it. That’s the rule. And weirdly, it’s an excellent shortcut for figuring out what’s actually worth holding onto. Here’s why it works so well, and why it might actually be kind of brilliant.
1. It’s brutally honest.
You can’t really lie to yourself with this one. When you picture your old T-shirt or second slow cooker covered in literal faeces, you either recoil or immediately think, “I’d clean it off—I love that thing.” That reaction tells you everything. No long debates. No weighing up, “But what if I need it one day?” It’s a yes-or-no gut check, and it cuts through the waffle fast.
2. It exposes out little you actually care about some stuff.
That random gift set from a Christmas five years ago? The stained oven mitts you never use? When you imagine them smeared with something disgusting, it suddenly becomes clear: you don’t care enough to save them. This rule helps you spot the difference between stuff you tolerate and stuff you genuinely value. And the stuff you’re just tolerating? That’s clutter.
3. It stops you getting stuck in decision loops.
Trying to decide whether to keep something can send you into a mental spiral. You start thinking about how much it cost, how long you’ve had it, or what it might come in handy for someday. Once you throw in the poop factor, it’s much simpler. If you wouldn’t even touch it in that state, why are you keeping it in pristine condition?
4. It filters out the half-loved backups.
You probably have a “backup” of everything—old towels, chipped mugs, the headphones that barely work. However, if you wouldn’t scrub poop off that second-best version to save it, it’s not really worth the space, is it? The rule helps you figure out what your actual go-tos are. Everything else is just taking up room.
5. It makes you stop overvaluing things.
We all overvalue stuff for silly reasons—it was expensive, or rare, or someone gave it to us. But if your first instinct is “ew, no thanks” when it’s messy, that tells you something. You don’t really care about it. You just feel like you should. The rule gives you permission to stop keeping things out of guilt, habit, or awkward obligation.
6. It works in every room of the house.
This isn’t just for old clothes or spare dishcloths. The rule works for kitchen gadgets, duplicate cables, random stationery, even books. Would you still want that cracked mixing bowl if it was covered in crap? Would you be motivated to scrub your sixth phone charger clean? If the answer’s no, it probably doesn’t need to stay.
7. It gives you a laugh, which helps.
Decluttering can get heavy, especially when things are linked to old memories or past versions of yourself. But the poop rule is so weird and funny, it lightens the mood straight away. It turns a serious, emotional task into something more playful—and suddenly, you’re chucking stuff with confidence instead of second-guessing everything.
8. It’s not being wasteful—it’s being clear.
Getting rid of things doesn’t mean you’re careless or ungrateful. It means you’re honest. If you wouldn’t lift it out of a bin bag and try to save it, you don’t need it as much as you think. The poop rule doesn’t shame you into throwing things away. It just gives you a clearer reason why you’re doing it.
9. It works fast and skips the drama.
Source: Unsplash You don’t need to set up a whole system or spend a week doing your drawers. You just hold up the item, imagine it in a disgusting state, and notice how your body reacts. Do you cringe and want it gone? That’s your answer. It’s practical, weirdly satisfying, and a lot quicker than agonising over every item’s “potential.”
10. It helps you figure out what you actually love.
Source: Unsplash When something’s covered in literal filth, only the stuff you genuinely care about makes the cut. You’d clean your favourite shoes. You’d scrub your most comfortable hoodie. You’d salvage the mixing bowl you use every day. Everything else? Not worth the mess. And probably not worth the drawer space, either.
11. It stops guilt-driven hoarding.
We keep so much stuff because it feels wrong to throw it out, even when we’re not using it. However, if it’s not worth saving when it’s a bit gross, it’s not worth saving just because it once cost money or came from your aunt. The poop rule gives you a clean break. It’s not about value or guilt. It’s about usefulness, plain and simple.
12. It even works with sentimental stuff, to a point.
Not everything has to be practical. Some things have meaning. But if something is supposedly special and you still wouldn’t touch it if it were dirty… how special is it, really? You might realise you’ve been keeping old keepsakes not because they matter, but because you felt like you had to. That clarity can be freeing.
13. It trains your brain to let go quicker.
Once you’ve used the poop rule on a few drawers or cupboards, it gets easier. You stop clinging to things “just in case.” You know what matters, what doesn’t, and you’re quicker to act. That decisiveness can carry over into everything else, from clearing out your inbox to setting better boundaries. It’s weirdly empowering.
