The fight against clutter seems like a never-ending battle for most moms. Between kids, work, and just life in general, it's all too easy to go a few days (or weeks) without properly tidying up. Before long, those random piles of junk and dirty laundry turn into an overwhelming mess that seems impossible to clean up. If only it were practical to move to a new house every month or so and start over (we kid!). Luckily, there are some easy ways to declutter the house that won't take all day (really!).
There are a lot of reasons to want to declutter in a hurry. Maybe guests are coming over on short notice. Maybe there's a room or area of the house that's in a particular state of chaos. Or maybe it's time to get rid of the outgrown clothes and broken toys that are taking up all the storage space. Whatever the decluttering goal, there's a hack to make the process easier and faster. (And no, we're not talking about calling a cleaning service — though that's always an option!)
Yes, there will be a bit of work involved. Yes, some items might have to be parted with forever. But those efforts will be totally worth it, and then some. After a good declutter, the house will be easier to clean, everyone will have less trouble tracking down their belongings, and even cooking will be less of a hassle. There might even be some money to be made selling unwanted items at a garage sale. After all, one person's clutter is another person's bargain!
Declutter the Medicine: Bin It All Together
We have organizer bins for tools of all kinds, so why not use the same strategy for medical supplies? This is a way to take all the space in the linen closet and consolidate it to one easy-to-access organizer.
Declutter the Detergent: Bins Make All the Difference
It's incredible what a good bin or two can do for organization. Even if there is the same amount of stuff on the washer and dryer, placing the items in a bin makes everything look and feel so much more put together.
Declutter the Closet: Organize Belts
Some things tend to make an area look messy, and belts are one of those items. That was until this person came up with a genius way to pool them all together and find a way to reduce the space they take up.
Declutter the Storage: Rehome Reusable Bags
Many families are using reusable bags in place of plastic or paper ones in an effort to help the environment. Of course, the downside of that is finding where and how to store them at home. This method of folding them and placing them in a organizer is the perfect solution.
Declutter Tupperware: Find Space for All Those Lids
There's a reason people love a good declutter and bringing purposed space to all the food storage containers into the home makes it easier to find it all later. We've all been on the frustrated end of trying to find the matching lid to the container, and this solves that issue.
Declutter the Cleaning: Place Supplies in Bins
Laundry room organization is often overlooked, but this is a smart way to make sure everything has its right place. Putting like products in each bin means one can grab a bin, use all the products for the laundry, and easily place it back.
Declutter the Pantry: Jar Up the Essentials
Some items need to be kept on the kitchen counter, but they'll look cluttered if they're not organized and labeled. Housing all the dried beans and pasta in similar jars on the counter brings some personality while keeping clutter at bay.
Declutter Shelves: Organize With Rainbows
Having space for every little knickknack helps the home feel open and airy. Bringing some purpose to what's on the shelves also opens up the space and organizing the books in order of the rainbow adds an extra layer of fun for all eyes.
Declutter the Tea Station: Put It All in One Area
For families who love tea and coffee, or who entertain a lot, having a space for all the different tea options and coffee pods clears clutter from the counters. This is an easy way to make them available without having them on display.
Declutter the Clutter: Get Rid of Old Paperwork
So many of us have years of paperwork that we're holding on to for no reason. All those old bills, contracts, and school work piles up, but getting a paper shredder keeps all information private and helps one get rid of the clutter in bulk.
Declutter the Toiletries: Organize Monthly Products
There is something about having organized drawers that makes the whole home feel put together. This declutter move helps keeps the bathroom organized and reduce waste, while making these product easily accessible.
Declutter Before Guests Arrive: Collect Misplaced Items
A great way to declutter fast is by taking a laundry basket and going from room to room, collecting items that aren't where they're supposed to be. When the basket is full, all the things inside can be returned to their proper places.
Declutter All Over: Sort Unwanted Things Into Categories
Most clutter turns out to be stuff nobody needs anymore. Follow this sorting tip from Simple Living Country Gal and put items into boxes labeled "donate," "give away," "maybe," "sell," and "recycle." The "maybe" stuff can stick around for a while but everything else can make its way out the door pretty quickly.
Declutter the Kitchen: Clear the Counters
In many homes, the kitchen counter becomes the place where everybody empties their pockets and backpacks. Declutter kitchen counters with tips from Penny Pinchin' Mom, such as removing things that don't belong there (keys, grocery receipts) and putting away barely used appliances, leaving only items that get used every day.
Declutter the Closet: Do a Quick Purge
Bedroom closets are famous for collecting clutter. Many of us are reluctant to part with clothing even if we don't wear it often. To really declutter bedroom closets, Wrapped in Rust recommends taking out every item one at a time and determining whether it will (honestly) ever get worn again. (If not, toss, consign or donate it.) This can be done quickly, but will take some careful thought.
Declutter Anywhere: Set Space Limits
A potentially life-changing hack from The Mostly Simple Life is setting space limits. This means deciding how much room a category of items is allowed to take up, then getting rid of any excess. For example: Only as many books as can neatly fit on the bookcase can be kept; toys all have to fit in one closet or cabinet; board games can only go on two shelves, etc.
Declutter the Freezer: Use Bins to Categorize Items
Practically Functional recommends using dollar-store bins to organize the frozen foods in a chest freezer. They allow for easy stacking and prevent foods from getting "lost" under or behind other things.
Declutter the Pantry: Do a Purge
Is pantry pandemonium an issue? Do a quick pantry pick-up following steps from The Penny Pinchin' Mom. These include throwing out expired, empty, or soon-to-be empty bags, containers, and boxes, checking the shelves and floor for stray food (like crackers that fell out of the package), cleaning up crumbs, and grouping items neatly by category and size. Transferring food to glass or plastic containers can really curb chaos, too.
Declutter Papers: Tackle the Mail Pile
It's all too easy to grab the mail every day and put it on a table somewhere to be dealt with later, except later never seems to come. Sort through any stacks of neglected letters by immediately throwing out all junk mail and dividing the rest into categories (bills, cards, school forms, etc.). Then, it's easier to tackle one group at a time.
Declutter Loose Change: Consolidate It Into a Jar
It's shocking how much money all those random piles of pennies, nickels, and dimes can add up to. Go on a coin-finding mission around the house (look on counters, between couch cushions, under the furniture, and elsewhere) and consolidate the cash in a dedicated jar where everybody can toss their change from now on.
Declutter Electronics: Separate & Label Cords
Most of us have about a million cords of uncertain origin lying around. Clear up the confusion and mess with these cute toilet paper tube cord holders that were dreamed up by Simple Most.
Declutter Drawers: Make Cardboard Box Dividers
No more sock drawer madness! Create organization with easy-to-make cardboard box drawer dividers — get the how-to from The Krazy Coupon Lady.
Declutter Shoes: Organize Flats & Flip-Flops in Magazine Holders
They're not just for magazines: Magazine holders easily become shoe organizers, as demonstrated by The Krazy Coupon Lady. This is an effortless way to keep everybody's flats, sandals, and flip-flops together and to save on floor space.
Declutter the Play-Doh: Use a K-Cup Holder
Play-Doh is fun to play with, but it sure can be messy. And those containers end up all over the place! That's why this K-Cup holder Play-Doh organizer from Extreme Couponing Mom is borderline brilliant.
Declutter the Linen Closet: Store Sheets in Pillowcases
Stop searching through a sloppy linen closet for different pieces of bedding. Put sheets inside their matching pillowcases, as recommended by Smart Money Simple Life. It looks so much neater, and everything stays together with its own set!
Declutter Hair Tools: Use a Shoe Organizer
Keep everybody's hairbrushes, straightening irons, and blow dryers from ending up on the sink or shoved in the back of the vanity with this beauty of a tip from Smart Money Simple Life: Store hair tools in a shoe holder on the back of the bathroom door.
Declutter the Bathroom Sink: Use Baskets and Bins
Seems like everything but the kitchen sink can end up under the bathroom sink. Get rid of the unnecessary stuff under the bathroom sink and organize the rest using small containers and baskets as shown on The Idea Room.
Declutter the Living Room: Give It a Quick Straightening
Follow these quick steps to a tidy living room from Brit + Co: Straighten and fluff the cushions and throw blankets, gather up remote controls, straighten piles of books or magazines, and throw out any junk mail. Voilà! It's officially decluttered.
Declutter Kids' Rooms: Store Legos Out of Sight
Keep Legos under the bed in a plastic bin with a lid, as shown on Pastels and Macarons. Not only does this prevent Lego clutter (while keeping the bricks close at hand), it'll prevent Lego-related foot pain too.
Declutter Bookshelves: Store Books in Baskets
Sometimes there just isn't enough room on the bookshelves, and they tend to get messy when kids are constantly pulling books off of them anyhow. That's where book baskets like these from Pastels and Macarons can help! When kids are done with a story, it's easy for them to just toss it back into the basket.
Declutter the Playroom: Bag Up Toys & Toss the Boxes
Game and toy boxes take up a lot of room. That's why some space-saving families prefer to ditch the boxes and keep toys in plastic zipper bags as suggested by Mums Make Lists. Just make sure to label the bags in case it's unclear what goes inside.
Declutter the Dining Room: Clear the Table
Deal with another common household dumping ground with this dining room table decluttering plan from Home Storage Solutions 101. The gist? Clear off the surface completely, and find homes for all the items.
Declutter the Fridge: Toss Leftovers & Expired Foods
Most of us probably don't clean the fridge often enough, which leads to clutter of the yuckiest kind. Bright on the Day's steps to organize the fridge include getting rid of all expired food, wiping down surfaces, and sorting foods by type.
Declutter the Desk: Address the Pile of Papers
A clean work space can boost productivity (and help preserve sanity), as The Turquoise Home explains: Start desk decluttering by tossing all unimportant papers and making a dedicated space (like a file system or basket) for important ones.
Declutter Bedrooms: Have a Mental Checklist
Follow this bedroom cleaning formula from The Spruce, which works even when it's become impossible to see the floor: Pick up all the dirty clothes and put them in the hamper, put away clean clothes, throw out garbage, make the bed, put misplaced items in a box or basket, straighten surfaces, and sweep or vacuum. Voilà!
Declutter a Bookcase: Give It Some Style
After deciding which books can be donated to the local library, Style by Emily Henderson suggests styling a bookcase by picking a color palette, starting at the bottom, and working up (putting the largest items/books at the bottom). Leave space for "personal touches," like picture frames and other accessories.
Declutter Coffee Supplies: Give Them Their Own Space
When the kitchen counter starts looking like a messy version of Starbucks, it's time to make an in-cupboard coffee station like this one from Just a Girl and Her Blog.
Declutter the Medicine Cabinet: Give It an Overhaul
Take control of the jumbled collection of Band-Aids, nasal aspirators, and OTC and prescription meds by organizing the medicine cabinet as shown by Living Well Mom. Simply sort items by type in labeled containers.
Declutter Wrapper Paper: Store It in a Garment Bag
This wrapping paper storage idea from Smart School House is a genius way to deal with one of the most awkward things to organize. Simply hang the paper-filled garment bag in a spare closet.
Declutter Desk Supplies: Sort It Out
It's important to keep desk and school supplies organized so the right items can be found when the time comes (like a last-minute school project). Throw out all dried-up pens, markers, and glue, and store the stuff that's still useful in small containers and boxes according to category.
Declutter the Cosmetic Bag: Trash Old Makeup.
As hard as it can be to admit that a favorite lip gloss or concealer is past its prime, holding on to old makeup can mean accumulating a ridiculous amount of clutter with no place to store it. Make this the mantra: Out with the old, in with the new!
Declutter the Bathroom Counter: Use a Tray
Essential items on a bathroom counter or bedroom dresser seem much tidier when they're placed in a decorative tray and neatly arranged by height.
Declutter the Cleaning Supplies: Get Rid of the Old
Yes, even cleaning supplies need to be decluttered from time to time. This pretty much just means tossing out empty bottles, or those with products that have dried out, and sponges that are falling apart or all used up.
Declutter the Garage: Sort Sports Equipment
Families with kids who play sports have another category of things to declutter: Sporting goods. Start by grouping balls together by type in containers of corresponding size.
Declutter Everywhere: Take Out the Trash
The decluttering process always means discovering loads of things that need to be thrown away, so the first step is always clearing out anything that isn't being used, has expired, or is otherwise stained or ruined. Be sure to bag up and take out the trash before bringing in anything new.
Declutter Kitchen Drawers: Use Magazine Holders
Another great use for magazine holders: keeping unwieldy rolls of aluminum foil, plastic wrap, and parchment paper under control and easily at hand.
Declutter the Junk Drawer: Use Cupcake Tins & Egg Cartons
Even junk drawers need the decluttering treatment. This junk drawer organizing idea uses household items like cupcake tins and egg cartons to maintain order for small items.
Declutter the Downstairs: Use Stair Baskets
Perfect for multi-level houses where things tend to accumulate downstairs: get a basket for every family member. When it's time to clean up, place each family member's items in their basket. Next time they got upstairs, they can take their things to their own bedroom.
Declutter Plastic Bags: Create a Tissue Box Dispenser
This tip is for anyone who has a stash of empty plastic grocery bags shoved under the kitchen sink. Its easy to turn an empty tissue box into a plastic bag holder and keep the disposable sacks from spilling out everywhere.
Declutter the Laundry Room: Make a Stain Removal Station
Stop fumbling around for stray bleach pens and stain removal solutions during laundry emergencies, and make this stain removal station from Organization Junkie.
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