Learning how to declutter is an activity that gives you a sense of accomplishment and reduces your stress. Here are 7 ways to declutter and get organized. Follow the steps, and you’ll be living clutter-free in no time!
1. Simplify your personal space by Putting away sentimental items
Just clearing your counters will make your home appear more spacious and clean.
Go around your home and clear your surfaces. In the kitchen, try to keep less than three items (including coffee makers, mixers, toasters, etc.) on your counters.
In the bathroom, consider putting away everything on the counter except for the soap. Reduce the number of items in the shower, too.
Declutter your accessories, like your jewelry box, too.
2. Purge your inbox of old messages and unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters
It’s one thing to reach the holy grail of “Inbox Zero,” but it’s another thing entirely to CLEAN your email inbox.
There are many reasons why we accumulate a lot of emails in our inbox. Newsletters, spam messages, receipts from online orders… even necessary emails like subscriptions from online services.
For some people, an inbox with a high number of unread messages can be overwhelming and cause anxiety if they don’t know how to deal with it.
Do yourself a favor and unsubscribe from email newsletters that no longer serve you.
The first step is to delete all the old and unused messages in your inbox. You should also unsubscribe from any unwanted newsletters that you might have signed up for in the past but aren’t really reading now.
Purge your inbox regularly – at least twice a year to completely declutter.
For more tips to declutter your inbox AND your entire home, get the Impactful Habits, Organized Home course, which contains an entire section on creating a paperless home (and how to manage your digital clutter).
3. Take the Initial Steps to Declutter Your Home
With the world’s population growing and the demand for storage solutions increasing, it’s becoming difficult to find space to store our belongings.
Especially if you live in a small home, or in order to maximize the space you have, it is a good idea to use storage furniture such as shelves and drawers that can be fitted into any room of the house.
Locate trash bins and decide on a storage system.
You don’t have to buy a completely new storage system or tons of containers. Consider using items that you can repurpose or recycle, like old boxes, paper towel tubes, etc.
Keep your storage areas neat by making sure they’ll hold what you need without overflows.
4. Clean out your kitchen cabinets by throwing away expired food and low-quality ingredients
When you have an excess of food, it is time to do a spring cleaning on your kitchen cabinets and throw out the expired food items or anything you don’t plan to eat anytime soon.
You should always feel free to experiment with different ingredients, but make sure that the ingredients you keep in your pantry are all high quality and of reputable brands. It will help you save time and money cooking delicious dishes for your family or guests.
Also, keep an inventory of the items in your pantry and freezer, and make a note of the expiration dates.
I keep these lists in my Organized Kitchen Binder for easy access.
5. Toss out clothes, shoes, accessories, and other items that don’t fit or don’t match your style
If you have a closet full of clothes, shoes, and accessories that don’t fit or don’t match your style, it’s time to declutter your closet.
Do not be afraid to be ruthless with your wardrobe. If you haven’t worn an item in a year (or less, if you live in a moderate climate), it’s probably time to get rid of it.
You can declutter clothing in a single day. However, it’s best not to pull out too much and get overwhelmed, so follow these tips to declutter clothes quickly.
As you declutter, sort items into categories of keep, throw away, or sell/donate to charity.
Pre-sort your clothing so it’s easier to put away the items when you’re done.
6. Declutter key spaces such as the entryway, Kitchen, living room, and bathroom to make Your home feel more spacious and welcoming
When decluttering, focus on the high-traffic areas, or the most visible rooms in your home, first.
People will see your entryway, kitchen, living room, and bathroom when they come over. Start with these main areas of your home to get the biggest decluttering impact.
Once you’ve finished the main areas, move on to sections that are less likely to be seen, like your bedroom, basement, laundry room, garage, or office.
Declutter one room at a time with these tips:
- Start with a small space
- Get rid of what you no longer use
- Donate what you no longer need
- Sort by category and discard duplicate items
- Carry out regular decluttering sessions
- Use storage solutions to maximize the space you have
7. Set a timer for 15 minutes each day to declutter one area of your home
The less clutter you have, the less mental energy you have to exert to find things.
Use 15 minutes each day to declutter one area of your home.
Get the Conquer Your Chaos Decluttering Bundle and use the 30-day Decluttering Challenge Workbook for ideas to declutter your entire home in just a few minutes each day.