Sometimes it feels like I’m getting swallowed up by all the stuff in my home. It can drive me crazy! Clutter has a way of adding stress and chaos to our lives.
Our schedules are so full that its easy to put things off until another day. Before you know it, you’re home is in disarray! It’s difficult to start the decluttering process, but once you do, the rewards are immense! A clean, organized home will create a welcome, peaceful environment for you and your family.
Imagine decluttering your home in one day! Yes, really!
Declutter Checklist
First thing’s first: you’ll need to mentally prep for what’s about to come. This is an important step in the process so that you are fully committed and can actually declutter your home in one day.
Visualize each room and how it is used. Decide how & where you will keep each space organized and clutter free. Organization isn’t universal – it’s personal and has to work for each individual lifestyle and family. Find solutions that work for you.
For example, when my kids were young, I had a couple of drawers in my kitchen set aside to hold crayons, paper, scissors. Crayons aren’t something you typically find in kitchen drawers, but it was the best way for me to keep that stuff organized and in one place!
Pick your decluttering day in advance and write yourself a note on HOW & WHY you are doing this. Writing it down is a crucial step towards reaching your goal.
What is the motivation behind this venture? Is it because:
- You want more simplicity in life?
- You find yourself constantly cleaning?
- You’re motivated by the idea of donating excess to others?
If you run into any blocks during the decluttering process, you can refer to this note that will remind you WHY you decided to do this!
Make sure you have enough supplies to complete the job. Have plenty of trash bags, sticky notes, and snacks (you need something to keep your energy up)!
Don’t stress about doing it perfectly because you can always go back and improve what you’ve done. Decluttering something today is better than putting if off into never-never land! Over time you will figure out exactly what works best for you. It evolves!
Purge, purge, purge! It’s the easiest way to get rid of clutter!
Why is it so hard to part with our stuff?
You may hold onto things for sentimental reasons or because you’re afraid you’ll hurt someone’s feelings. You don’t have to get rid of it all – save a small box of keepsakes or make a quilt out of old baby blankets. Once you learn how to let go of things you’ll understand how freeing it is!
Declutter Clothing
Gather all of your clothes, whether it’s in your bedroom or in a hallway closet and sort through each piece. Create four piles and decide what you will keep, donate, sell, or trash. It you haven’t worn it in a year, face it, you’re not going to! I finally gave up on keeping my “skinny” clothes – it wasn’t gonna happen!!
PRO TIP: Give yourself a deadline to sell your unwanted clothes. You don’t want the clothes sitting around months waiting to be sold as that just adds to the clutter!
RELATED: Declutter Your Home for Back to School
Declutter the Kitchen
Empty out all the drawers and cabinets in your kitchen like you did with your clothes and take a look at what you have. I’m amazed by the sense of accomplishment I get after cleaning out just one drawer!
Ask yourself these questions:
- Have I used it?
- Is it a duplicate of something else?
Based on your answers to those questions, you’ll know whether you need to keep it or toss it!
Some common kitchen clutter items include mismatched glassware, dishes, and serving utensils.
RELATED: Organizing Your Kitchen: Our Top Tips
Declutter Your Pantry
Throw away all your expired, never used items and then start grouping similar items together.
Open shelving in pantries & cabinets make organizing them much easier.
If you’re short on space, store similar items in baskets and bins. For example, small baskets to corral boxed pasta, tiered shelves to organize your canned goods and matching bins for your bulk items.
Declutter your Bathroom in One Day
To do this in one day, follow the same method as above. Take everything out of the drawers and cabinets and place them in one of the 4 piles (keep,donate,sell,trash).
Things to discard when you’re decluttering your bathroom include:
- Old, half-used shampoo bottles
- Travel-sized goods that are piling up
- Old towels
- Excess perfume samples
- Makeup that’s expired
You will find tips for re-organizing your bathroom here: bathroom organization ideas!
Declutter Your Home Office
Are you buried under paperwork as the saying goes? I sort my paperwork into 3 categories: To Open, Take Action, To File. And of course, there is a wastebasket underneath my desk for trash!
DeCluttering Tips
Once you’ve met the challenge – don’t fall back into old habits!
Build organization and decluttering into your daily routine.
Don’t bring anything into your home unless you’re absolutely sure you will use it!
It might be a lofty goal, but you can definitely declutter your home in one day if you work fast, stay focused and stick to it!
Photo by Caitlin Jones Design, Photo by Leonid Furmansky Architectural Photographer. cstartcolorado.org, Frugal Moma, California Closets
