I Tried TikTok's "Core 4" Cleaning Method and It Saved My Desk

When it comes to my workspace, I am a firm believer that a tidy desk equals a tidy mind. Unfortunately, the spare room meant to be my home office has become, without a doubt, the most chaotic room in any home I’ve ever lived in.

I was ready to regain control of my desk/office corner—even if you’d never know it at first glance. Enter: the Core 4 cleaning method, currently trending on TikTok. 

According to user @kayleenkellyorganize, the creator of the Core 4 method, this system is her company’s number one way to clear out a room, plus create a system to keep it that way. 

Officially at my wit's end, I had to try it.

Ashley Chalmers / The Spruce

As Kelly says in her video, the method is called Core 4 because it relies on four core steps.

Based on my recent experience using the SIMPLE method to organize my fridge, I already know I love anything with clear, step-by-step instructions. I was instantly on board with the concept of the Core 4 Method, and here’s how it worked for me.

Kelly says the first step is to clear out the space in question. Remove trash and big, bulky items first, and create an open area where you can put everything ahead of step two.

For step one, I took this super literally—I emptied everything and put it in a big heap on the floor. I won’t alarm you with this photo, as it was a visual nightmare, but it showed me that my biggest issue is that I’m cramming a lot of stuff into a fairly small space. 

Ashley Chalmers / The Spruce

For step two, Kelly advises users of the Core 4 method to categorize everything. The video suggests using broad categories, so it was tempting to say everything falls under the umbrella of «desk stuff,» but I figured I should get more specific than that.

First, I broke