When you declutter your home, you declutter your mind. Get decluttering tips, tricks and an easy-to-tackle free printable checklist to learn how to declutter, efficiently.
My motto is sometimes simplicity is simply the best. I love the way our clutter free home feels. I find myself becoming overwhelmed when clutter takes over. It’s one of the many reasons I’ve embraced a minimalist lifestyle. Regular decluttering makes your home feel clean and calm.
What is Clutter?
Clutter is anything in excess or without a home, that consumes physical and mental space. When you declutter your home, you declutter your mind.
“Clutter is a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.”
– unknown –
Decluttering is the first and most important step to organize. I have created a free printable Decluttering Checklist and detailed my process to make decluttering effortless! First, a few tips!
Decluttering Tips
- Focus on One Area at a Time – If you tend to feel overwhelmed, start small and work your way up! Some areas give you maximum impact for little effort, which will make you feel accomplished and hopefully, snowball into more decluttering! Scroll down for a list of things you can declutter in minutes.
- Divide – Create trash/recycle/donate/relocate piles in that proximity to make decluttering quick and painless.
- Evaluate Need – Thoughtfully consider if you need each item. This is also applies when shopping to prevent clutter. If you do not, disperse it into your trash, recycle, or donate pile. If the item hasn’t been used in the last 30 days or up to one year for seasonal items, eliminate it. If you struggle to part with items, ask yourself “is it worth the space it consumes?”
- Relocate Seasonal Items – Keep seasonal items in a single, central location.
- Remove Trash / Recycling and Donations Immediately – Transfer your piles to your trash and recycling bins and place donations in your trunk. It gives you a sense of accomplishment while eliminating the risk that items will re-enter the home. This is essential if you’re going through toys!
- Designate a Space for Papers – Create a single location to collect mail, receipts, school papers, etc that you can go through and file as needed.
When You’re Decluttering, Ask Yourself:
- Have I used it in the past year?
- Will I really use it?
- Do I need it?
- How many do I have?
- Why do I own it?
- Do I feel obligated to keep it?
- Would I buy it now/keep if I moved?
- If it’s broken, why has it taken so long to fix? Either fix or eliminate.
- Does it make me happy?
Closet Decluttering System
- Eliminate – Quickly review each piece and eliminate pieces that are the wrong size or no longer fit with your style.
- Hang Each Piece in Reverse – Hang clothes on hangers, in reverse (thanks, Oprah for the tip). This helps you see what you’re wearing and what is stagnant in your closet.
- Hang Worn Items in Correct Direction – When you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After 1-2 months, remove non-seasonal pieces that you have not worn.
Things You Can Declutter in Five Minutes
- Counter – Clear the counter with my Kitchen Counter Organization guide that helps you maximize space and convenience.
- Paper Catch All – Quickly look through filing into trash, recycling and items you need to make a priority.
- Medicine Cabinet – Remove expired medications, items that don’t belong and combine duplicates.
- End Table – End tables can become a catch all, but are as quick to de-clutter as they are to collect!
- Refrigerator – Discard expired items and anything that looks undesirable or hasn’t been used recently. See my detailed refrigerator organization guide for more!
- Pantry – Remove expired and stale goods, and combine packages, when possible.
- Nightstand – Pare down to the basics. Remove excess, papers and things you don’t need next to your bedside. See my comprehensive nightstand organization tips!
Decluttering Checklist
Print this ultimate checklist to declutter every space in your home!
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I have been waiting for your message today. My painter is finishing with my living and dining rooms today and as I replace items in those rooms I want to be careful in what I keep and what I need to trash. Cannot wait to get to work and hope your email helps today.
Hi Jean! I don’t see an email or previous comment from you?
These are really great tips. I conquer paper clutter by dealing with everything as it comes in!
Me too!
Me too, as well……
Great tIp – thanks.
I would love more tips with schoolwork and forms.Tips on coats/seasonal items with storage. I have 4 children and it is hard determine what should stay and go.
Hi Kari! I’ll add this to my to do list. Schoolwork/forms can be so overwhelming!
As for coats and seasonal items, I have a cedar closet in the basement that I hang out of season jackets/coats and use bins for out of season shoes that go on a storage shelf. Each kid has 3 pair of shoes a season – one pair of tennis shoes and depending on weather dress sandals and flip flops or casual shoes and dress shoes + rain boots. Their rain boots are lined up in the mudroom and the remaining shoes go into 2 baskets under the mudroom bench so that they can put them on as they leave and take them off as they enter our home rather than running around to find a solo shoe. I hope that helps!
I forget where I read this, but one of my favorite tips is if you’re not using something and you can replace it for less than $20 in less than 20 minutes then it’s not worth holding on to so get rid of it!
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Kate
Ooooooh, that’s SO good! Thanks for sharing, Kate!