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.
There’s just something about the new year that leaves us craving a fresh start. This is true in both the physical and metaphorical sense when it comes to our well-being.
Learn how to declutter your home, one step at a time!
It’s time to do a little decluttering – it feels like that always happens after the holidays, doesn’t it? There’s no time better than the present.
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.
I personally believe clutter is anything in excess or without a home. It happens to all of us, doesn’t it?
I, too, fall victim to clutter… I promise! However, I do my best to quickly declutter regularly. At this point, it’s almost without thinking about it from creating a habit with the below tips to declutter.
Yes, I may look like a madwoman every now and then sifting through a pile of papers and throwing them in various directions, but there’s method to my madness.
What is Clutter?
First, let’s define clutter…
“Clutter is a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass.”
– unknown –
For many people, clutter adds anxiety and stress to their lives. Something as simple as a clean island, clean desk, or an organized closet can create a sense of calm.
The first step to organization is decluttering. Eliminating excess is the easiest task, and quite possibly the most rewarding. Getting rid of clutter is so freeing.
When you declutter your home, you declutter your mind.
To get started, print the free Decluttering Checklist at the bottom of this post, and take it one step at a time! Room by room, you’ll make incredible progress with these tips and tricks.
How to Declutter
- Take it one step or 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.
- Whatever space you are working on, create trash/recycle/donate/relocate piles in that proximity to make decluttering quick and painless.
- Ask yourself, “do I need this?” (Note, this is also a great question while shopping). If the answer is no, place it in a trash/recycle/donate pile. If it hasn’t been used in the last 30 days or up to a year for seasonal items, the answer is almost always “no.” Is it an expired item? Again, the answer is simply “no.” If you find it difficult to part with items, ask yourself “is it worth the space it consumes?”
- Relocate anything that is out of season to a designated area of your home.
- Immediately place trash and recycling in the appropriate bins and donations in your vehicle. It gives you a sense of accomplishment while eliminating the risk that items will re-enter the home. This is particularly important if you’re going through toys!
- Designate a spot for incoming papers. Mail, receipts, school papers, etc…you can file them away later.
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?
Tips
Here’s a quick system for decluttering that has become one of my favorites!
- Eliminate anything in your closet you can part with, that is the wrong size or out of style.
- Then, use my favorite tip (that I read in Oprah Magazine ages ago). Hang your clothes with the hangers in reverse.
- When you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. After a month or two, you’ll see which pieces you should eliminate from lack of wear.
Things You Can Declutter in Five Minutes
- a counter
- a shelf
- paper catch all {quickly thumb through to see what is trash, recycling or a priority – you may be amazed at quickly the paper clutter disappears}
- medicine cabinet {remove any expired medications or items that don’t belong, combine duplicates}
- an end table
- the refrigerator {discard anything that is expired, looks less than desirable or hasn’t been used recently}
- magazine basket
Frequently Asked Questions
Print the free printable decluttering checklist included in this post to get started. I always suggest starting small. Pick an area you can tackle quickly, and the progress will help you keep going!
Absolutely. A messy house has been proven to be a contributing factor to both anxiety and depression.
However, there is so much hope! Take it one step at a time, and call in a professional organizer if you can.
Decluttering Checklist
- Download your Decluttering Checklist here (preview below).
Are you in the decluttering mode? What’s your favorite decluttering tip?
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Hi Julie,
I love your blog and check it often for updates. You’ve really inspired and helped me the past years. I was wondering if you have any posts on how you organize home cords and cables. I searched but I did not see anything specific on that. We just moved and now unpacking and I had no idea what a disaster all these cords would be. We have so many so I’ve gone through and at least got rid of half of them but now I don’t know where to put them or what to do with them? I googled a little to see if others had any posts and then I thought I’d better check your site because you always have the best, classiest organization tips 🙂
In the past, I’ve tried to organize cords in little clear containers and then in a basket or in another large container. Maybe I could try that again and do a better job with labeling so everyone knows where the cords are and where they go back to. Thanks Julie!
Hi Elizabeth!
I’m so sorry I missed your message. While we don’t have a post dedicated to cords, we do have an Amazon Gadgets guide that is very popular!
I hope that helps, good luck! And thanks for the kind words!
Julie
Your Declutter list is great, just what I need right now. However, I cannot print it out. Is there a way to do that? I did add it to my Pintrest website but it won’t print out from there either.
Hi Annette!
You can do it a couple ways. You can click and save on the preview image, and then print it as an image- but it won’t be quite as good of quality! Or, you can click through on the link above the preview, that link takes you to a dropbox file. Click the “download” button when you open up the link, and it should save it to your computer or phone. Print from there!
I hope that helps, and I’m so glad you like this list!
Enjoy,
Julie
Julie, What is the paint color on the kitchen cabinets here in this article? Thank you, Jean from Maryland
Hi Jean!
Thanks so much for your question. Our kitchen cabinets are a custom color to match our range, but you can find the paint code here: https://julieblanner.com/cream-kitchen-cabinets/
Enjoy, and Happy New Year!
Julie
Thank you Julie! I will certainly go check on that! May 2022 be the best year ever!
I would love to declutter especially with the New Year. Get a fresh start.
Hi Ellen!
I totally agree! It’s so wonderful to get rid of the clutter and start fresh for the year ahead!
Happy New Year!
Julie