How to Declutter Your House in One Day? When your home is cluttered, it can be challenging to find the motivation to tackle chores and organize your belongings. Time constraints make it even harder to get things done. To help you declutter your house and life effectively, we have compiled some useful tips.
Why is Decluttering Important?
Regardless of how much stuff we have, decluttering our lives and homes can bring numerous benefits. Surrounding ourselves with more things than we can manage can make us feel like life is out of control, leading to stress, anxiety, guilt, embarrassment, and frustration. Moreover, clutter can even make us chronically late. Taking care of the clutter in your home is essential for taking care of yourself.
The Main Goal of Whole-House Decluttering
Cleaning and decluttering can help us cope with stress, provide a sense of control, and bring about a feeling of accomplishment. How to Declutter Your House in One Day? Removing unnecessary items also frees up space and can be helpful when moving to a new house. No matter your reason for decluttering, this comprehensive guide will assist you throughout the process.
Benefits of Decluttering for Your Life
There are numerous benefits to owning fewer possessions, even though it can be challenging to get started. Cleaning around things we have no emotional attachment to or actively dislike adds unnecessary stress to the task. Here are five common benefits of decluttering:
- Less to Organize: A tidy space makes it easier to find what you need. You can move freely throughout your home instead of navigating around obstacles.
- Reduced Stress: Clutter can be overwhelming. Creating a home you love to look at can significantly reduce stress levels.
- Less Debt: By avoiding unnecessary purchases and reducing clutter, you can save money, keep your credit card statements lower, and prevent your home from being filled with costly items you don’t need.
- Increased Financial Freedom: Decluttering helps minimize spending on unnecessary things, providing more financial freedom and stability.
- More Energy for Passions: With less debt, financial freedom, and a clean home, you can focus on activities you enjoy, bringing you greater happiness and fulfillment.
By following these decluttering tips, you can transform your home into a peaceful and organized space, leading to a less stressful and more fulfilling life.
Preparing to Declutter Your Home in One Day
When faced with the task of decluttering your home, it’s essential to approach it step by step rather than getting overwhelmed. Breaking it down by room, drawer, and category will make the process more manageable.
- Gather Supplies: Collect labeled boxes or trash bags for sorting items into categories such as trash, keep/relocate, donate, and repair. Have an additional box/bag for recycling and temporary storage for items that don’t have a designated place. Also, grab a timer to keep track of time spent in each room.
- Plan Donations: Create a plan for donating your decluttered items. Local thrift collectors or charitable organizations like Goodwill or the Salvation Army can assist you with donation pick-ups or provide guidance on donation options.
- Prepare Mentally: Understand that you’ll be letting go of things you don’t use, need, or love. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, and set the mood with your favorite playlist, podcast, audiobook, or background movie (avoid getting distracted by watching it!).
Tips for Decluttering Your House
The goal is to remove as many unnecessary items as possible, creating a clean and organized living space to enjoy with family and friends.
- Carve Out a Full Day: Clear your schedule to dedicate one uninterrupted day solely to decluttering. If possible, arrange for childcare or assistance with other responsibilities.
- Work Strategically: Instead of randomly starting with the first project you see, prioritize your decluttering tasks strategically. This prevents overwhelm and helps you stay focused.
- Create a Decluttering Checklist: Having a visual representation of the areas you need to tackle makes the process easier. Write down or find a ready-made decluttering checklist to guide your progress.
- Take Before and After Photos: Choose a small area, like your kitchen counter, and take a “before” photo. Clean off the items in the photo and take an “after” photo. Seeing the transformation can motivate you to declutter more areas in your home.
- Empty Each Category: Take out every single item from each category (e.g., clothes, toys, kitchen equipment, books, bathroom items) and create a pile. Sort through each item individually.
- Sort Your Shopping Bags: If you’ve accumulated numerous reusable shopping bags, select the most efficient and durable ones and reduce your stash. This prevents them from cluttering up your space.
Neatly Organize Everything Else
After decluttering, it’s time to organize what remains. Instead of spending money on expensive storage containers, utilize items you already have lying around the house. Here are a few options:
- Drawer Dividers: Use bamboo dresser drawer dividers to keep your kitchen or clothes drawers clean and well-organized. These dividers are perfect for maintaining tidiness in the kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, or any other area of your home or office.
- Shoeboxes: Repurpose both cardboard and plastic shoeboxes to store items on closet shelves. They work well for organizing accessories if you don’t have a jewelry box. Additionally, shoeboxes can be used to store arts and crafts supplies for school projects and homework.
- Bookshelves: If you have a bookshelf in your office, utilize it not only for books but also to store items like electronics or trophies that don’t fit in your children’s bedrooms. It can also serve as a convenient spot to keep project files for easy access.
- New Stash: If you have useful items that don’t have a designated place, find an empty and discreet area to store them temporarily until you find a permanent solution.
Clean Out Your Pet Supplies
Don’t forget to declutter and organize your pet’s belongings for their well-being.
- Wash your pet’s bed or sleeping area thoroughly.
- Discard any toys that are falling apart or have loose parts that could be hazardous to your pet’s health. For example, cracked rubber chew toys can break apart and potentially injure your pet or cause choking.
- Check leashes and collars for signs of wear and tear. Replace anything that is frayed or torn to ensure your pet’s safety.
- Clean dirty toys and accessories to prevent mold and bacteria buildup.
Organize Your Charging Cables and Power Bars
Take the opportunity to tidy up and maintain the safety of your charging cables and power bars.
- Dispose of frayed cords, worn-out cables, and kinked wires. Exposed wires can pose a fire hazard, so it’s crucial not to take any chances.
- Properly label and identify your cords to ensure the correct cable is used for each device.
- Roll up and bundle excess cord length to prevent tripping hazards.
By utilizing these organizing tips, you can maintain a clean and clutter-free home while making the most of the items you already have.
Donate Clothes You Never Wear
To identify clothes you never wear, hang all your clothes with hangers in the reverse direction. After wearing an item, face the hanger in the correct direction. Discard clothes you haven’t touched after a few months.
Ask for Help
Reach out to supportive friends or family nearby and ask for assistance. Even if it’s just entertaining the kids for a few hours, any help can make a significant difference.
Have a Garage Sale
Consider organizing a garage sale to make some money from your clutter. Check if your neighborhood or homeowner’s association has a designated garage sale date to maximize foot traffic. Start the decluttering process early so you can participate effectively.
Make a Place for Everything and Everything in Its Place
Organize your “keep” pile and put each item away neatly. With empty drawers and wardrobes, you now have space to store the items you use and treasure. Give each item a designated place, and when you find it lying around, you can easily return it to its proper spot. Drawer organizers or separators can help keep these spaces tidy.
Stop Shopping
Avoid buying unnecessary items, at least until you learn to minimize clutter. Before making a purchase, assess its functionality and whether it truly meets your needs.
Never Give Up
Stay committed to your decluttering efforts and avoid giving up halfway through. If you stop prematurely, the clutter will soon return. Push through and dedicate a full day to the task.
Declutter Room by Room
Break down the decluttering process by tackling one room at a time. Focusing on the big picture can be overwhelming, but approaching it step by step, room by room, and drawer by drawer makes it more manageable.
Hall Closet/Coat Closet
Trash: Broken umbrellas, shoes caked in mud
Keep/Relocate: Out-of-season outerwear and shoes; excess shoes and outerwear (allow one pair of sandals and one pair of closed shoes per person); out-of-season items
Donate: Ill-fitting or out-of-style outerwear; outerwear you don’t use, need, or love
Put Away: Hang remaining outerwear neatly; arrange shoes and other items neatly
Kitchen
Focus on flat surfaces like the table and countertops. If your kitchen cabinets aren’t cluttered, spend five minutes checking for expired items.
Trash: Old/expired food sitting out
Keep/Relocate: Family members’ personal items left on the kitchen counter; bills and paperwork (sort and corral them into neat stacks or baskets if necessary); dirty dishes, gadgets, and appliances you want to keep but don’t want sitting out
Donate: Gadgets and appliances you no longer want; unexpired food you probably won’t use
Put Away: Dirty dishes, gadgets/tools, food, spices/seasonings, out-of-season décor
Living Room
Trash: Old newspapers, used coloring books, puzzles or games with missing pieces, broken toys
Keep/Relocate: Family members’ personal belongings, extra toys, extra books you plan to keep
Donate: Books, movies, toys, games, and décor you no longer use, need, or love
Put Away: Toys, magazines, books, movies, games, out-of-season décor
Dining Room
Focus on decluttering your dining room table within 30 minutes.
Trash: Old candles, dingy/stained table linens, old paperwork on the table (shred papers with personal info)
Keep/Relocate: Items on the table that aren’t décor or needed for another task (e.g., if you work on your laptop at the dining table)
Donate: Décor you no longer love, linens in good condition you no longer love, dishes you no longer use/need/love
Put Away: Linens you want to keep, specialty dishes not in use (e.g., gravy boat, fine china), out-of-season décor
Home Office or Workspace
Start by organizing the papers in your office or workspace. Clearing the paper mess is often half the battle. Challenge yourself to remove most items from your desk, keeping only essentials like your computer, lamp, and a few necessary items.
Bathrooms
Trash: Expired or empty bath/body products, expired or empty makeup and nail polish bottles, empty toilet paper rolls, broken or moldy bath toys, old or soiled cleaning supplies (including plungers and toilet cleaning wands)
Keep/Relocate: Excessive products like toilet paper, extra bath/body products, extra towels (consider better storage options like a linen closet)
Donate: Usable bath/body products you no longer use/need/love, unused hair styling tools
Put Away: Dirty towels, bath/body products on the counter, bath toys
Linen Closet
Trash: Ratty, stained, or worn towels and bed linens, expired bath and body products, old cleaning supplies, any present trash (e.g., plastic wrapping from toilet paper packs)
Keep/Relocate: Cleaning supplies better stored elsewhere
Donate: Towels and bed linens you no longer use/need/love, usable bath and body products you no longer use/need/love
Put Away: Items outside their designated storage spaces (boxes, baskets, shelves), refold unfolded towels
Storage Areas (Basement, Attic, Other Closets)
Resist the urge to do a deep purge or start organizing. Today’s goal is to clear surface clutter, making it easier to deep purge and organize later.
Trash: Empty cardboard boxes, newspaper, packing materials, broken irreparable items, old product boxes
Keep/Relocate: Décor you want to use
Donate: Anything sitting out that you no longer use/need/love. Avoid going through boxes, focus on surface clutter only.
Put Away: Anything sitting out in the open. Group similar items together and line them against walls, creating space to move. For example, group Christmas décor, out-of-season clothes, Halloween décor, etc.
Bedrooms
Bedrooms often become dumping grounds for items without a home. Assess your needs and repurpose existing items to organize.
Clothes Closets
Deep closet purging and organization can be done another day. Focus on surface decluttering for now.
Trash: Tissue paper, shopping bags, shipping boxes, price tags
Put Away: Hang or fold items on the floor or draped elsewhere; neatly line up shoes.
Garage
Decluttering the garage can be challenging but not impossible.
Decluttering Wrap-Up
Remove all trash from the house. Put away keep/relocate items or place them in temporary storage containers. Place donations in your car or near the door for drop-off. Repair items you plan to keep and deliver items to friends/family if necessary. Develop good decluttering habits going forward.
How to Declutter and Clean Your House in One Day
Clutter can drain energy and waste time. Choose a decluttering tip that excites you and take the first step towards decluttering your life.
