From Spotlight to Storage: This M’sian Actress Is Helping Families Declutter Their Homes

Most of us don’t mind a bit of cleaning – wiping down surfaces, sweeping the floor, maybe even tackling the dishes. But when it comes to organising and sorting through clutter? That’s where the patience runs thin.

Piles of old clothes, forgotten paperwork and “just in case” items tend to grow faster than we realise, quietly taking over our spaces and our peace of mind. Decluttering isn’t just about tidying up, it’s about making room to breathe again, and that’s exactly where one Malaysian actress is stepping in, turning her passion for organisation into a service that helps others reclaim their homes, one room at a time.

Decluttering as a distraction after a tragedy

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For actress Mia Sabrina Mahadir, her journey into decluttering began a couple of years ago, when she started helping her friends declutter their spaces. According to her, some of them encouraged her to turn this passion for organising into a business.

“I find myself feeling ‘itchy’ when I see a cluttered space, so I’ll offer to help organise it. My friend asked me to make it a business, but I didn’t think anybody would want someone to organise their mess,” she said.

However, earlier this year, Mia received heartbreaking news that drove her into depression, the passing of her beloved cat, Bibimbap. It was then that her friend told her it was time, and that decluttering could be a good distraction.

Mia said she was also inspired by a Threads post she saw about a woman who offered decluttering services and made RM4,000 in three weeks. So, she created posters and posts about her own decluttering service on Threads. It didn’t take long for her post to go viral, and soon she was fully booked for a month.

Wasn’t always the tidiest person

Mia reveals that she was a big fan of Marie Kondo, the renowned Japanese organising consultant and TV personality, but she wasn’t always an organised person growing up.

According to her, she was a messy kid, to the point that it became a family joke.

“My mother is a neat freak, and growing up, I’d wake up every morning to the sound of her vacuum, but I never seemed to pick up her habits. My brother once said, ‘If you go into her room, be careful, you might step into a random pizza box.’ Then, in 2018, I started living on my own. I cleaned my place, but I could never get it to look tidy.”

When Netflix released the TV series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, Mia learned to unpack her belongings using the KonMari method when she moved to a new place in 2019. Although the process took her a whole month to complete, Mia said it changed the way she tidies up forever.

Throughout the process, she also learned that she didn’t have to stop being a maximalist, she just needed enough storage and to be mindful of what she already had.

Decluttering vs cleaning

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When asked how her service differs from a regular cleaning service, Mia explained that decluttering is more than just throwing things away, it’s also about organising. She added that decluttering services should be accessible to everyone, not just “atas” people.

“Most clients I have are from the B40 and M40 groups, so decluttering isn’t just for a certain group anymore. Most of my clients are parents who are too tired and occupied with their children and work. Sometimes, I also get single adults who don’t have the time and are still learning how to tidy up."

She added, "What I provide is the labour and time to unpack all their clutter, and then the skills to organise their things properly. I help them decide what can be thrown away and reorganise their items in a system that helps them clutter less in the future.

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"An organised space takes off a lot of mental load and can improve productivity and peace of mind. I also hope my clients will learn to put things back in place afterwards and not repeat their clutter – but that depends on them, of course,” she said.

3 hours of deep decluttering for as low as RM160

Mia's decluttering service is divided into two main categories, starting with a three-hour deep decluttering session designed to tackle specific spaces at home. Bedrooms are priced at RM160, kitchens at RM180 and storerooms at RM220.

In case you’re wondering why these sessions are fixed at three hours, Mia explained that this timeframe is the minimum amount of time she has needed for all her clients so far.

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“Wardrobes have the lowest price per hour, while storerooms cost the highest per hour. This is due to the amount of categorising required. For a wardrobe, there are a number of common categories that all wardrobes will have, such as tops, bottoms, bags and accessories. Most wardrobes are also designed with similar organising structures in mind, which makes the work and decisions faster."

She explained, "Whereas for the storeroom, the categories of items can vary a lot. People keep all sorts of things in a storeroom, which means more categories, more organising decisions and therefore higher cost.”

Additionally, Mia provides a Wardrobe Reset service – a minimum two-hour session priced based on the size of the client’s wardrobe. For a small one- to two-door wardrobe, the service costs RM35 per hour. Meanwhile, a larger or walk-in wardrobe costs RM50 per hour.

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On top of that, Mia’s decluttering service also includes moving-in and moving-out services, starting from RM35 per hour for moving out, and RM50 per hour for moving in.
When asked whether she carries out the sessions alone, Mia said she usually brings a friend along.

“I actually have scoliosis and a slipped disc, so I cannot carry too much weight. Currently, my good friend Faeiz has joined me for most visits, as his time is flexible and he’s great with tools and fixing things. It’s also for security reasons that I bring at least one person with me since I’m entering a stranger’s home,” she said.

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The good and the bad

Like everything in life, Mia has faced challenges throughout her decluttering journey. For her, the biggest challenge is kids’ toys.

“I don’t have children and don’t see my nieces and nephews often, so toys are something I’m least familiar with. There are so many kinds of toys these days that it takes a bit more time to figure out how to organise and store them. But I like the challenge, and I get to learn from it too.”

On the other hand, the service has also been incredibly rewarding for Mia, especially when she reveals the transformation to her clients. Comparing it to a Cinderella fairy godmother moment, Mia said she loves seeing the satisfied smiles on her clients’ faces after she works her “magic”.

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“A few times, I’ve helped clients who seemed a little depressed or upset. Maybe they were going through something and had been dealing with the mess for a while. A lot of them looked super relieved once I was done, and some even looked like they were tearing up," she shared.

"The service is really more than just tidying – it’s a person’s personal space, vulnerability and even memories. It’s a delicate issue to approach, and as an artist and a mental health advocate, I am honoured to help someone, even in a small way.”

What’s over the horizon?

When asked about the future of her decluttering service, Mia said she plans to keep it an intimate, personal service.

“It is a part-time service as I’m still actively acting. I have a strict rule of working only four days a week maximum, and that includes shoot days. So I’ll have more slots when I’m not filming anything. I also limit declutter sessions to a maximum of six hours a day, as my body (and my back) has physical limits."

"But I hope to be able to do at least two sessions every week. It’s good for my soul and helps complement my income too,” she said.

If you’re interested in checking out Mia’s decluttering service, head over to her social media here.

Featured Image Credit: Provided to Rojak Daily