Free Decluttering Checklist to Simplify Your Life

Decluttering your home is the process of sorting through your possessions, organizing your space, and getting rid of things you no longer need or use. The goal is to create a home environment that is clean, efficient, and aligned with your needs. Keeping your home decluttered offers many benefits:

Reduces stress and anxiety. Excess clutter can manifest as mental clutter, making you feel overwhelmed. Decluttering helps create a calm, clear environment.
Saves time. Knowing where everything is and having systems in place means you don’t waste time searching for things.
Makes cleaning easier. With fewer things out, there are fewer items to clean around and maintain.
Creates a safer environment. Eliminating clutter removes tripping hazards and makes it easier to spot potential problems.
Allows you to better care for your belongings. You’re more likely to notice items that need repair or maintenance.
Improves your focus and productivity. Having an orderly environment helps minimize distractions.
Helps maintain your space. Staying on top of clutter prevents messes from accumulating.

Free Decluttering Checklist

The following guide shares tips to declutter throughout your home, from the exterior to each room inside. We’ll provide suggestions to make decluttering manageable and help you establish new habits. With a decluttered home, you can feel relaxed and empowered.

Outside the House

The outside of your home is the first impression visitors receive. Make a great first impression and increase your home’s curb appeal by taking time to declutter and spruce up the exterior.

Focus on highly visible areas that make an impact. Change out any burned out lightbulbs, as proper lighting adds warmth and makes your home feel welcoming. Deadhead spent flowers in garden beds and window boxes. Weed overgrown areas. Give your front door and entryway a makeover with a fresh coat of paint or polish door hardware. Fix any squeaky doors or hinges. Repair cracks or holes in walkways. Power wash dirty siding. Clean grimy windows.

A few hours spent refreshing the exterior can increase curb appeal and give your whole house a tidy, well-cared for look. Maintain your home’s exterior regularly rather than letting it turn shabby. Outdoor decluttering projects make excellent seasonal goals before hosting summer parties or preparing your home for the holidays.

Foyer: The First Impression of Your Home

The foyer is the first room guests see when entering your home, so it’s important to make a great first impression. An organized, clean, and updated foyer sets the tone for the rest of the home.

When decluttering the foyer, remember the golden rule—less is more. Avoid overcrowding the space with furniture, decor, or clutter. Pare down items to only what’s essential. For example, a console table, coat rack, umbrella stand, welcome mat, mirror, and maybe some fresh flowers or a vase.

Give the space a mini makeover with a fresh coat of paint if needed. Neutral, light colors help open up the space. Add or improve lighting. Make sure the front door and any hardware gleams. Place a clean welcome mat outside.

The foyer sets the stage, so keep it clutter-free, clean, bright, and welcoming. This creates a great first impression and makes you proud each time you come home.

Den

The den is often a cozy place for reading, relaxing, and entertaining guests. To keep your den feeling fresh, focus on good lighting, regular dusting, and avoiding clutter.

Provide good lighting

Make sure your den has ample lighting that suits the room’s purpose. Add task lighting like a reading lamp near a comfy chair and soft ambient lighting like a floor lamp in a corner. Consider lighting that can change color temperature from energizing bright light to soothing warm light. Dimmer switches also allow you to control the mood.

Dust regularly

Dust attracts more dust, so keep dust under control by dusting regularly. Use a microfiber cloth to gently remove dust from surfaces like bookcases, shelves, side tables, lamps, and electronics. For hard-to-reach spots, use a vacuum with a brush attachment. Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures periodically.

Avoid clutter on shelves and surfaces

Clutter easily accumulates on shelves, side tables, the mantel, and other flat surfaces in a den. Decide what items you actually need within arm’s reach and store the rest. For items you want to display, such as books, photographs, and collectibles, rotate them periodically to keep shelves looking fresh. Adding closed storage like cabinets and baskets can help hide clutter.

By focusing on good lighting, regular dusting, and clutter control, your den will feel clean, inviting, and ready for rest and relaxation.

Kitchen

A decluttered kitchen provides a clean space to prepare meals and makes cooking easier and more efficient. Focus on these areas when organizing your kitchen:

Organize the Refrigerator

Throw out expired food. Check expiration dates on condiments, produce, dairy products, etc.
Wipe down shelves. Remove stains and crumbs.
Group similar items together. Keep produce in produce drawers, condiments on one shelf, beverages together, etc.
Don’t overstuff. Leave some open space for air circulation.
Put new items towards the back. Rotate stock by moving older items to the front.
Toss leftovers older than 3-5 days. They likely won’t taste good or be safe to eat.
Clean out the freezer. Toss any frostbite items or unidentified frozen foods.

Organize Cabinets

Remove everything and wipe down shelves.
Toss expired food items. Check spices, baking ingredients, canned goods.
Group like items together. Keep all spices together, canned goods together, etc.
Use drawer organizers and shelf risers to maximize vertical space.
Put frequently used items at eye-level for easy access.
Label shelves for easy identification of where items belong.

Replace Paper Towels

Check if existing paper towel rolls are low. Replace as needed.
Consider more eco-friendly reusable options like dish towels or sponges.

Keep Appliances Clean

Clear countertops around appliances of clutter and wipe surfaces.
Clean the outside of appliances by wiping down or using appliance cleaner.
For the fridge, pull out drawers and bins to clean inside.
For the oven, use oven cleaner on interior surfaces.
Empty crumb trays in toaster ovens.
Descale coffee makers and kettles.

By decluttering the kitchen and keeping appliances clean, you’ll have an organized space for prepping meals. Stow items properly so everything has a place. Maintain the system by putting items away after each use.

Laundry Room

A cluttered laundry room can quickly become overwhelming. Start by emptying the trash can and recycling bin so they don’t overflow. Go through the area and pick up any stray items that don’t belong in the laundry room.

Make sure there is adequate lighting in the laundry room. Replace any burnt out lightbulbs so you can see clearly. Consider adding task lighting if the overall lighting seems dim.

Cleaning the cabinets is also important. Remove everything from the cabinets and wipe down the interior surfaces with a multi-surface cleaner. Use a damp cloth to clean cabinet exteriors as well. Organize items before putting them back in the cabinets so things don’t get jumbled.

Give the washing machine and dryer a good cleaning too. Use appliance cleaner on exterior surfaces. Open the doors and clean inside with soap and water. Remove lint from the dryer vent and surrounding areas. Mop the floors, making sure to get behind appliances. A tidy laundry room makes doing loads of laundry much more pleasant.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms collect grime and clutter quickly, so it’s important to stay on top of cleaning and maintenance in this space. Start by tackling the grout lines between tiles. Use a grout pen or brush to scrub away built-up dirt and mildew. For extra dirty grout, let a paste of baking soda and water sit for 5 minutes before scrubbing.

Next, inspect shower liners and curtains. If they are stained, torn, or smell musty, replace them. Mold and mildew can thrive in the humid bathroom environment. New vinyl or cloth liners will keep your shower fresh and watertight.

Check supplies of toilet paper, soap, towels and other essentials. Make sure they are stored neatly, not crammed under the sink or on top of the toilet tank. Refill or replace items as needed so bathrooms are always stocked.

Staying on top of these bathroom maintenance tasks will help prevent buildup of grime and clutter in this small but essential room.

Bedrooms

A clean and clutter-free bedroom promotes relaxation and restful sleep. Start by laundering all bed linens, including sheets, pillowcases, blankets, mattress pads, and duvet covers. Wash them regularly according to manufacturer instructions. For most fabrics, washing every 7-10 days is recommended.

Use the highest temperature recommended for the fabric and add a disinfectant to the wash cycle to kill dust mites and other allergens. For extra freshness, add a natural freshening product like borax or baking soda to the rinse cycle. After washing, promptly put linens back on the bed to avoid mildew.

Next, thoroughly dust all window treatments in the bedroom, including horizontal or vertical blinds, curtains, shades, and drapes. Use a microfiber duster or vacuum attachment to remove layers of dust, dirt, and debris. Spot clean any visible stains with a mild detergent and water.

Vacuum curtains, drapes, and upholstered valances. If machine washable, launder curtains and washable valances annually. For extra dusty drapes, consider taking them to a dry cleaner.

Finally, declutter bedroom furniture by removing unnecessary items. Organize clothes into the closet, shoes into the shoe racks, and books onto shelves. Rearrange furniture as needed for improved flow. Your tranquil, tidy bedroom will now promote better sleep.

Home Office

The home office is one area that can quickly become cluttered and disorganized if it’s not properly maintained. Make this space a sanctuary for productivity with some decluttering focus on key tasks:

Vacuum and dust thoroughly. Use your vacuum attachments to clean corners, baseboards, vents, windowsills, lamp shades and the tops of bookshelves and file cabinets. Dust all surfaces including computer monitors, phones, printers and desktop accessories.
Close up open bookcases. Books, binders and files stacked horizontally on bookshelves appear cluttered. Store materials vertically and use bookends to keep contents upright and tidy. For open shelving, add doors or curtains to conceal contents.
Arrange furniture efficiently. Position your desk near natural light and power outlets. Place file cabinets within easy reach. Have a trash can and recycling bin handy. Set up your technology so screens are at eye level. Declutter flat surfaces and don’t use them as storage.
Store supplies out of sight. Use drawers, cabinets and closet space to stash away extra electronics, cords, office supplies and paperwork. Install shelves or racks to organize and contain everything.
Minimize desktop clutter. Only keep what you use daily on your desk. Assign spaces for your phone, notepad, inbox tray, calendar, lamp, pens and other essentials. Remove the rest to maintain a clean work area.

A decluttered home office promotes organization and makes your workspace feel fresh, inspiring you to do your best work. Follow these home office cleaning tips to eliminate mess and maintain efficiency.

General Decluttering Tips

A decluttered home feels lighter, cleaner, and more peaceful. Follow these general tips as you work through each area:

Don’t block energy flow. Make sure furniture and belongings allow for open movement through each room. Clutter can create bottlenecks that restrict energy flow.
Repair broken items promptly. Don’t let a pile of things to fix turn into permanent clutter. Set aside time to repair drawers, appliances, toys, or anything broken so it can be returned to use.
Stay on top of chores. Don’t let clutter accumulate. Maintain the order you create by putting items away each day. Develop routines to regularly dust, vacuum, do laundry, wash dishes, take out trash, etc.
Return items to their proper storage areas. Don’t just move clutter from room to room. Make sure everything has a designated place where it lives when not in use.

Following these habits will keep your home decluttered over time. Don’t wait until clutter has built up again. Maintain your clean and organized home with consistent effort. A little attention each day prevents being overwhelmed.