Declutter Entryways and Hallways
The entryway and hallways are often the first areas people see when entering your home, so decluttering here can make a big impression. These high-traffic zones tend to collect clutter quickly, which can make your home feel chaotic and stressful right from the start.
Start by removing any excess furniture pieces, decor items, or clutter from your entryway and hallways. Only keep the essentials like a small coat rack, a few pairs of shoes, and important items like keys near the entry. Have a designated spot for bags, hats, gloves, pet leashes, umbrellas and other items that accumulate. Anything decorative or non-essential should be stored in other rooms.
Limit hooks, racks and storage furniture in entryways and hallways to just what you need daily. Too many visual pieces create a feeling of clutter. Consider adding an attractive storage bench to corral shoes and bags. Use wall hooks or over the door hangers to get coats, jackets and purses up and out of the way. Having proper storage to tuck items out of sight can make even the smallest entry or hallway feel clean and welcoming.
Declutter Living and Family Rooms
The living room and family room are often the hub of the home, which means they tend to easily accumulate clutter. Take some time to carefully evaluate this space and only keep items you actually use on a regular basis. Any decor items, blankets, games, DVDs, knickknacks or other objects that are infrequently used can be removed and stored elsewhere to declutter.
Go through your bookshelves, media cabinets, coffee tables, side tables, under furniture and even toy baskets. Be ruthless about keeping just the essentials you need access to daily or weekly. This will create more space and make the room feel instantly lighter and calmer.
Organize kids toys into bins and baskets so they can be neatly stored away when not in use. Roll up blankets and place in a basket or trunk. Arrange DVDs in a media cabinet or concealed storage. Group together remote controls. Having a home for everything will make it easier for family members to put items away.
Decluttering the main living spaces allows you to enjoy them fully, without visual clutter or wasted space. A streamlined room feels more open, spacious and relaxing.
Declutter Bedrooms
Messy bedrooms can be a major source of stress and sleep issues. When your bedroom is cluttered, it’s more difficult to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Decluttering your bedroom should be a top priority.
Make your bed and put away clothing every day. Don’t allow clean or dirty clothes to pile up on furniture or the floor. Designate hampers for dirty clothes and use shelves, bins, or your closet to store clean, folded items.
Go through your wardrobe and dresser and donate or sell any clothing you haven’t worn in over a year. Be ruthless. Store out-of-season clothing tightly in bins under the bed or at the back of the closet.
Remove items you don’t use regularly like extra blankets, old magazines and books. Don’t use your bedroom as a storage room. Keep only essentials like lamps, alarm clock, books you’re currently reading and bottled water.
Get rid of any exercising equipment, old toys and games. Remove extra furniture you don’t need. All of these things clutter up your space and make your room feel smaller.
Decluttering your bedroom provides a calming environment, reduces stress and improves your quality of sleep. A clean bedroom sets you up for productivity and success the next day.
Declutter Bathrooms
Bathrooms tend to gather lots of clutter surprisingly quickly. Toiletries, cosmetics, medications, and cleaning supplies seem to multiply if left unchecked. Make decluttering the bathroom a regular habit.
Go through all your bathroom cabinets, drawers, and shelves. Toss anything that is expired, almost empty, or that you simply don’t use anymore. Be ruthless and get rid of extras. Check expiration dates on medications and supplements and properly dispose of those that are past their prime.
Only keep your most-used daily essentials in the bathroom. Store extras out of sight in a linen closet or bedroom drawer. Organize your towels neatly and keep just a few within reach near the shower. Arrange toiletries nicely so you can find what you need easily. A few organizational containers can help corral loose items like cotton balls, Qtips, and razors.
Decluttering your bathroom provides a clean slate so you can maintain organization moving forward. Enjoy the calming oasis your neat and tidy bathroom provides.
Declutter the Home Office
A cluttered home office can quickly become an eyesore and decrease your productivity. Making time to organize this space pays off since you likely spend a good amount of time here each day. Start by sorting through the paper piles and decide what can be filed or scanned and discarded. Adopt a paperless system as much as possible going forward to avoid new piles.
Clear off everything from your desk except the essential tools like your laptop, keyboard and mouse. Store things like books, notepads and pens in drawers and on shelves when not in use. Use desk organizers or trays to neatly corral smaller items.
Deal with the cable clutter by securing cables with Velcro ties and hiding excess length behind or underneath your desk. Use sleeves or raceways to bundle together cables that stretch across walkways.
Go through all your shelves and drawers and get rid of anything you no longer need. Organize what remains in an orderly fashion so items are easy to locate when you need them. Group together like items and label shelves, bins and folders.
Declutter the Laundry Room
Cluttered laundry rooms create headaches. Dirty clothes pile up, clean clothes sit unfolded, and time spent doing laundry feels wasted. Decluttering the laundry room helps make laundry day more efficient.
Designate separate hampers or baskets for clean and dirty clothes. Having designated spots for each prevents piles from accumulating everywhere. Sort lights, darks, towels, delicates, etc into their own bins so laundry can be done more efficiently.
Make folding and putting away clothes a priority after washing. Don’t allow clean clothes to sit for prolonged periods before putting them away. Assign each family member their own laundry basket so clothes don’t get mixed together.
Regularly go through the laundry room and toss any stained, torn, or worn-out clothing. Clothes that are too far gone take up space without being worn again. Allowing damaged clothing to pile up adds to the clutter.
An organized laundry room with a place for everything makes doing laundry take less time. Decluttering this space helps the whole household stay on top of their wardrobe.
Declutter the Kitchen
Kitchens tend to accumulate clutter very easily. From mail and kids’ artwork on the counters to a junk drawer overflowing with takeout menus and random gadgets, kitchen clutter can quickly get out of hand. Taking the time to regularly declutter the kitchen can make cooking, cleaning, and just hanging out in the space so much more enjoyable.
Start by clearing flat surfaces like counters and tables. Sort through the piles, file away important papers, and trash or recycle anything you don’t need. Give surfaces a good wipe down once cleared. Keep counters free from clutter going forward by immediately dealing with incoming items.
Tackle kitchen cabinets and the pantry next. Take everything out and get rid of expired food items and duplicate gadgets you don’t use. Organize what remains with storage containers and shelf dividers so you can easily see what’s inside. Donate any extra appliances, cookware, or dinnerware.
Lastly, thoroughly clean cabinets, drawers, and any appliances inside and out. An organized, decluttered kitchen is a joy to cook in and keeps you motivated to keep on top of dishes and cleaning. You’ll be inspired to prepare yummy meals when you aren’t trying to find a saucepan buried under piles of other cookware.
Declutter Closets and Storage Areas
Closets and storage areas are common trouble spots when it comes to clutter. Overflowing closets crammed full of unused items can actually increase stress levels. The chaos makes it frustrating to find what you need on a daily basis.
When decluttering closets, it helps to go through items seasonally. As the weather changes, swap out cold weather gear for lighter garments. This prevents closets from becoming overstuffed.
Get organized by using storage bins, shelves, and matching hangers to neatly store what you need access to regularly. Arrange by category or color. For items used less often, use vacuum storage bags to compress and neatly store out of season clothing.
Be brutally honest about what you actually wear and use. If items have been sitting untouched for over a year, they likely can be donated. This creates breathing room and makes your most loved and used items easier to access.
Decluttering closets and storage spaces results in reduced stress and clutter. With orderly and organized closets, you’ll feel accomplished and ready to take on the day.
Declutter the Garage and Outdoor Areas
Garages and yards easily get disorganized as we accumulate more belongings and push things outside that don’t have a place inside. Taking the time to declutter garages, patios, decks, and yards can help create a sense of harmony.
Regularly clearing leaves, weeds, and debris from yard areas can instantly make outdoor spaces look and feel cared for. Designate specific areas or systems for yard tools, gardening supplies, patio furniture, and seasonal decor to prevent these items from cluttering the garage and yard.
Inside the garage, install shelving, cabinets, pegboards, and storage bins to give everything a place. Go through all sports equipment, camping gear, workshop tools, and seasonal items and donate, sell, or recycle what you no longer need. Holding an occasional garage sale is an easy way to clear out many items at once.
Parking inside a clean garage and seeing an organized yard and patio can be a daily mood booster. The garage is often the last room we enter at night and first in the morning, so this space deserves decluttering love too.
Declutter Your Purse, Wallet, and Vehicle
Purses, wallets, and cars easily gather clutter over time. Make sure to periodically clear out receipts, expired cards, random scraps of paper, or other items you may collect in your purse or wallet. Organize your purse or wallet with trays, compartments, or dividers to make items easy to find. Remove any makeup, pens, or other items you no longer use.
Give your car a good cleaning too. Toss out trash, organize your glove compartment, clean out under seats, remove unneeded items from the trunk, and give the floors a vacuum. Place trays or dividers in your console or glove box to contain loose items. Keep only the essentials that you actually use in your car like emergency supplies, sunglasses, and device chargers. Getting rid of clutter in your personal everyday items provides an ongoing sense of lightness.
