Your home may be hard to keep clean because it’s filled with clutter, making it difficult to find the things you need and causing unnecessary stress.
It’s time to take control of your space and take clutter around the house.
My streamlined decluttering checklist will make it easy to tackle your home’s messiest areas and help you transform your space into a more comfortable and organized home.
Key Takeaways
- Declutter your home with a checklist to make it functional and inviting.
- To make this decluttering process easier, you can use my free printable declutter checklist and follow some effective decluttering tips.
- Get rid of unused items like clothes, shoes & accessories to create more room!
- Organizing solutions like clear storage containers or accessory trays are valuable for your organization toolkit- they can help make things easy to navigate.
- I recommend adding decluttering to your monthly to-dos- use my free monthly checklists to add decluttering, cleaning, and fun events into your routine.
Free Printable: Ultimate Decluttering Checklist
Before I get into the nitty-gritty of all the stuff you should declutter, here’s my quick decluttering checklist you can follow along with.
My printable checklist will simplify everything into easy steps to find and remove clutter all over your house!
Kitchen
The kitchen, often considered the heart of the home, benefits greatly from regular organization, enhancing your cooking experience.
Let’s start decluttering the foundation of your culinary adventures:
All Pots, Pans, & Utensils
Organizing your cookware can significantly improve your kitchen’s organization and efficiency. Keeping only the indispensable items will make your kitchen more spacious and easy to navigate.
Start by setting aside essential items, like that trusty cast iron skillet or saucepan, and consider donating or discarding duplicates or damaged pieces.
Kitchen Appliances
For kitchen appliances, a moment of honesty is required. Do you really need that yogurt maker or waffle iron?
Evaluate how often you use each appliance and consider donating or storing rarely used items.
This way, your kitchen counters and cabinets will be clutter-free, allowing you to focus on the appliances that truly enhance your cooking experience.
“Junk Drawer”
Consider the infamous “junk drawer” – a repository for various items from spare keys to random craft supplies and even the occasional junk mail.
To tackle this clutter hotspot, start by ditching unnecessary items and keeping only the essentials, such as a working pen, emergency contact list, and spare change.
Pantry
A disorganized pantry can complicate meal planning and preparation.
However, organizing items after checking expiration dates can lead to a more functional pantry while also reducing food waste.
To ensure the safety and quality of your meals, follow these steps:
- Dispose of any expired food.
- Reorganize your pantry for easier access to the products you use regularly.
- Consider using clear containers for better visibility and improved food packaging.
- Label items to make finding what you need a breeze.
Dining Room
Revitalize your dining room by decluttering linens and table decor.
When it comes to table linens and decor, it’s important to keep items that are in good condition and still fit your style preferences.
Assess these items for wear and tear, discard or donate anything no longer useful, and you’ll be left with a more inviting and refined dining space.
Living/Family Rooms
Living and family rooms should serve as cozy spaces for relaxation and entertainment.
A more enjoyable and organized environment for quality time with loved ones can be achieved by doing as much decluttering of electronics, games, and toys.
DVDs
The current digital era has resulted in many of us accumulating a surplus of electronics and DVDs- many of which we don’t use anymore.
Free up space by getting rid of cases and using binders to organize DVDs, or get rid of discs you haven’t used in over a year.
Games
Board games can provide hours of fun, but incomplete or rarely played games can quickly become clutter.
Evaluate your collection and consider donating or discarding games that no longer serve their purpose.
Toys
Toys can bring joy and spark creativity, but an abundance of unused or broken toys can lead to a cluttered living space.
Say goodbye to broken toys or toys that haven’t been used in at least 6 months. Involve the kids and talk them through organizing toys and donating things you don’t need.
Closets
Without regular maintenance, closets can become clutter-prone areas. I recently reorganized my coat closet and my bedroom closet, and oof they needed an overhaul!
Concentrating on coats, linens, and cleaning products can create a more streamlined and organized storage space.
Coats
As the seasons change, it’s important to evaluate your coats for wear and tear and donate or discard items that are no longer used to free up closet space
Linens
Organizing your extra bed linens can make a world of difference in the overall tidiness of your closet.
By donating or discarding worn or no longer-needed items, you’ll create more space for the linens you use and love.
Cleaning Products
Maintaining a clean home requires various cleaning products, but it’s important to evaluate these items for expiration and effectiveness.
Dispose of any products that are no longer needed and consider replacing them with more efficient or eco-friendly alternatives- and get budget finds with Dollar Tree cleaning supplies!
Bathrooms
Addressing bathroom clutter can streamline your daily routine.
Concentrating on the following areas can help transform your bathroom into a more functional and organized space.
Towels
Evaluating your worn-out towels for wear and tear is essential in maintaining a clean and comfortable bathroom. Keep or say goodbye!
Makeup
Organizing your makeup collection can make your morning routine much more efficient.
Discard expired or unused items and consider investing in storage solutions to keep your cosmetics organized and easily accessible.
Meds
Expired or unused medications can take up valuable space in your bathroom and pose potential risks to your health.
Dispose of these medications safely and responsibly to maintain a safe and secure bathroom environment.
Shower
Decluttering your shower items can help create a more serene and relaxing space for your daily cleansing rituals.
Discard any empty or rarely used products, and invest in storage solutions to keep your shower items organized and within easy reach.
Toiletries
Organizing your toiletries can make finding and accessing the products you need for your daily grooming routine easier.
Discard any expired or unused items and consider using storage solutions such as drawer organizers, shelves, or baskets to keep your toiletries neat and tidy.
Random Bottles & Lotions
Evaluate random bottles and lotions in your bathroom for use and expiration, and discard any that are no longer needed.
Keeping only the essentials creates a more organized and functional space for your daily self-care rituals.
Office
A well-organized office can significantly enhance productivity and focus. You can cultivate a more efficient and pleasant workspace by managing paper clutter.
Paperwork
Organizing your paperwork can help you stay on top of important documents and reduce the stress associated with misplaced papers.
Here are some steps to follow:
- Discard any unnecessary documents.
- Create a filing system for important papers.
- Consider getting a filing cabinet that fits under your desk to organize paperwork.
- Make it easier to locate and access the information you need when you need it.
Pens/Pencils & Office Supplies
Sorting through your pens, pencils, and office supplies can help you streamline your workspace and eliminate unnecessary clutter.
Throw out or donate items you don’t use, and find better ways to organize what’s left so your desk doesn’t get cluttered as you work.
Bedrooms
A clutter-free bedroom can significantly enhance your rest and relaxation, contributing to a clutter-free home.
Concentrating on unused or unloved clothes, shoes, and accessories can help cultivate a peaceful and enjoyable space for restful sleep.
Check out my free bedroom cleaning checklists to get some extra help tidying up all the bedrooms in your house!
Unused/Unloved Clothes
Evaluating your clothing for wear, fit, and usage is essential in maintaining an organized and functional wardrobe.
Go through all the clothes you have and donate stuff you don’t wear and trash damaged items.
When you hang things back up, have the hangers backward and flip them forward when you put them back in the closet.
Then, at the end of the year, everything that isn’t flipped gets donated.
Shoes & Accessories
Organizing your shoes and accessories can help you streamline your daily dressing routine and make it easier to find the perfect finishing touches for your outfits.
By doing so, you can ensure that the spent money on your belongings is put to good use.
Holiday Bins & Decor
If not properly organized and stored, holiday bins and decor can become a source of clutter and chaos when getting set up for the holidays.
Make sure you have decorations and extras organized into bins and packed with some sense- I can’t stand opening the Thanksgiving linens bin and finding Halloween costumes!
Organizing your gift wrap and bags can make gift-giving easier. I have separate bins for plain bags and wrapping paper vs. birthday or Christmas, and it has been a huge time saver!
FAQs
What’s the 20/20 rule for decluttering?
The 20/20 Rule states that you get rid of things if you can replace them for less than $20 each and in less than 20 minutes.
What is the rule of 5 decluttering?
The rule of 5 decluttering is a simple and effective way to start de-cluttering: just go from room to room and throw away five items each.
Doing this in each room adds up quickly, helping you clean and organize your space!
How should I start decluttering my house?
Utilize the decluttering checklist printable to find target areas and items to declutter.
In each room, remove your trash and sort items into three piles – keep, donate, and toss.
Find a home for everything you want to keep, and you’ll be on your way to a clutter-free space!
How often should I replace my towels?
It’s best to replace your bathroom towels every two to five years and kitchen towels every one to two years for optimal cleanliness.
What’s the best way to organize shoes in a small space?
A great way to organize shoes in a small space is by using clear-front shoe boxes, an over-the-door organizer, mixing open and closed shelving, or wicker baskets in the entryway.
Final Thoughts
By following my simple decluttering checklist, you’ll be well on your way to transforming your home into a more organized and enjoyable haven.
Tackling each area methodically and with purpose will help you create lasting change in your living environment- and the main purpose is to say goodbye!
So, take a breath, roll up your sleeves, and embark on your decluttering journey with confidence and determination.
Then, keep things clean all year long by adding pick-ups to your morning routine and kids’ chore chart!
