Does the clutter in your home fill you with stress and anxiety? Try this 30 Day Home Decluttering Challenge to conquer the mess and the stress. This simple decluttering challenge will have your home neat and tidy in no time. All it takes is less than 30 minutes every day for 30 days.
This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure here.
Are you overwhelmed by the amount of clutter in your home? Is it driving you crazy but you have no idea where to start?
One of the biggest challenges in decluttering your home is having the motivation to begin. You may be surrounded by clutter and you desperately want to do something about it but the thought of sifting through years of stuff can cause as much stress and anxiety as the clutter itself.
So, you procrastinate and tell yourself that you will deal with the clutter tomorrow or next week. But, despite best intentions, weeks go by and the clutter continues to build up.
Does this sound familiar?
I’ve been there and it can be frustrating. This is why I started using 30-day challenges. They encourage me to get started and motivate me to keep going.
All it takes is less than 30 minutes every day for 30 days to take control of the clutter and get your home back in order.
I’ve created this simple 30-day decluttering challenge so you can conquer the clutter in your home once and for all. You can print out the free checklist and cross off one item on the list every day. This checklist is perfect if you don’t want to be confined to doing a task on a certain day and would prefer to decide what works best for you.
You may like:
30 Day Home Decluttering Challenge Checklist
But, if you are someone who needs a specific plan to keep you motivated. You can print out the calendar version of the 30-day challenge and do each task on a certain day.
30 Day Home Decluttering Challenge Calendar
How to Be Successful Decluttering Your Home
1. Tell yourself that you can’t keep everything. It’s not possible. That it’s okay to let things go.
This is probably the hardest thing in decluttering your home after finding the motivation to begin. It can be very difficult if you have the mindset that you should keep something because you may use it someday.
Each time you declutter, ask yourself when was the last time you used the item. Was it 6 months ago? Was it 12 months ago? If it’s been a year since you used the item, then there is a very good chance that you won’t use it again.
You will begin to find with each new task it will begin to get easier to let things go. Remind yourself how freeing it will feel when you have a clutter-free home.
2. Grab some garbage bags or bins and divide them into 3 piles. One pile to keep, one to toss, and one to donate.
You could also have a pile to sell if you want to earn a little extra money. Some places to consider selling your items are on:
- Facebook Marketplace
- eBay
- Poshmark
3. Donate or throw out immediately after decluttering.
This is especially important at the beginning when you may still be struggling with letting things go. If you leave it in the house to take care of later then you may convince yourself to let it stay. So once you are finished with a task, move it out of your home as soon as possible.
There is no doubt that decluttering can be really hard. We feel overwhelmed at the thought of starting and guilty about letting go. But, you will find the benefits of having a home you feel proud of, that is tidy and clean, will outweigh all the reasons you don’t want to do it.
Plus, you will see that as each day progresses the tasks will feel easier encouraging you to want to complete more.
Keep reminding yourself that each small success is leading you to your goal of a clutter-free home.
30 Day Home Decluttering Challenge
1. Kitchen Utensil Drawer
Since the goal of this challenge is to start small, then the best place to start in my opinion is the kitchen utensil drawer. You can work on it while making dinner or whenever you have a few spare minutes in the day.
The first step is to remove everything from the drawer so you can see what you have. Wipe out the drawer, clean the silverware holder, and then go through all the utensils pulling out any duplicates or gadgets you haven’t used in a while. Pull out anything broken and make a note to replace that item at a later time.
2. Freezer
Go through the freezer and pull out anything that hasn’t been eaten or you know won’t get used up.
3. Refrigerator
When decluttering the fridge, pull all items out and place them on a nearby counter. Toss anything that has expired or gone bad. Wipe out the fridge and put back items.
4. Pantry
Pull out any baking supplies, spices, canned or boxed foods that have expired, haven’t been used or you no longer want. Toss or consider donating to a local food pantry in your area.
5. Kitchen Cabinet (Plates, Cups, Plastic Containers)
Kitchen Cabinets have been divided up into two days to make it easier since the goal is to avoid making each task take longer than 30 minutes. We want the tasks to be short and manageable to avoid getting overwhelmed.
So, take a few minutes and go through the cabinet that stores your plastic containers. Toss any without lids or any lids that don’t match up with a container.
Then move on to your plates and glasses. Get rid of anything that is chipped or items that you no longer use.
6. Kitchen Cabinets (Bowls, Cookware, Bakeware)
Look through your bowls and toss anything chipped or stained. Toss any cookware or bakeware that is broken.
7. Junk Drawer
Everyone seems to have one. It’s overflowing with anything and everything. The best thing you can do is to take everything out placing like items together. Make sure and wipe out the drawer and then start placing items back in. It may be helpful to invest in a couple of inexpensive organizers from the dollar store.
Throw away any dried-out pens, markers, or highlighters. Toss broken pencils and any other garbage that has found its way into the drawer.
8. Linen Closet
Go through your sheets make sure they all have matching pillowcases. Sort blankets, curtains, and towels get rid of anything with holes or you are not using anymore.
9. Medicine Cabinet
Pull all items from your medicine cabinet and dispose of anything that has expired or that you know you are not going to use. Just make sure you follow the regulations of proper disposal for all medications.
10. Bathroom Cabinets
Spend a few minutes going through your bathroom cabinets. Take out any products that you are no longer using or have expired.
11. Makeup
Go through your makeup drawer or bag and toss anything expired or that’s been around for a while. Pull out any brushes to clean.
12. Cleaning Supplies
Every now and then, it’s good to go through your cleaning supplies and toss any products that are empty or you no longer use. I like to store my cleaning supplies in a cleaning caddy under my bathroom sink so it’s portable and I can take it from room to room when I am cleaning.
Learn how to keep your home consistently clean:
- Free Cleaning Checklists: Daily, Weekly, and Monthly
- 14 Daily Habits to Keep Your House Clean
- 20 Quick Cleaning Hacks When You Hate to Clean
- 30 Day Deep Cleaning Challenge
13. Dresser Drawers
Go through your dresser drawers and pull out anything that has holes or you haven’t worn in a while. Make plans to donate or sell.
14. Bedroom Closets
Closets used to be the toughest for me to go through because I would convince myself that I might need it someday.
Eventually, I realized just how much space those extra clothes were taking up. Now, if I haven’t worn it in 6-12 months then I get rid of it.
15. Jewelry
You might not even realize it but there are probably many pieces of jewelry that you no longer wear anymore. Sort through your old jewelry and get rid of anything broken. If it has sentimental value and you want to keep it, put it aside to get repaired.
Anything still in good shape, donate or pass on to a friend or family member.
16. Kid’s Drawers/Closet
This is a project that I always have my kids help with. We pull out anything that they have outgrown or that they won’t wear and we put it in a pile to donate.
17. Toys/Games
Go through any old toys or games that your kids no longer play with and consider selling or donating them.
18. Books
Sort through any old books including cookbooks that you rarely use. Consider donating them or passing the books on to a friend.
19. Magazines
Spend a few minutes and go through any magazines that you have recently received. Recycle anything that you have already read and then put the ones that still need reading somewhere visible to remind yourself to go through them as soon as you can.
20. DVDs or CD’s
Spend some time sorting through that DVD or CD collection that may be sitting there collecting dust. Donate or sell anything that you won’t be using anymore.
21. Electronics (Phones, Chargers)
You may be surprised to find how many old phones and chargers you have lying around. Toss any chargers that are no longer working and consider donating your old phone.
22. Mail
If you find that your mail is getting out of control, you are not alone. It can definitely pile up quickly if you don’t keep up with it.
The easiest way to declutter your mail is to separate it into 3 different piles. One pile that you want to keep out such as bills and appointment reminders. Another pile to file away that consists of important papers. Lastly, a pile to toss or shred.
23. Office or Desk
Sort through all papers and divide them into piles as you did with your mail. Go through any old pens, highlighters, or markers to see if they still work. Sharpen any pencils. Make a list of any office supplies you need to replenish.
24. Emails
Scan through your email and delete any emails you no longer need. You can also make folders so you can move emails you want to keep but remove them from your inbox.
This would also be a great time to unsubscribe to anything that you are no longer interested in receiving.
25. Photos
You may not even realize just how much space photos are taking up on your phone. Your phone could be slowing down because of them. Take a few minutes to go through your photos and delete any duplicates from your device.
26. Storage (Decor, Misc.)
Take a few minutes to go through your boxes of decor and pull out and toss or donate any items you no longer need or want.
Shred any paperwork or recycle any old boxes you have saved. Sort and toss anything else that you can’t use.
27. Shoes
Go through your old shoes and get rid of anything you don’t wear any longer, have holes, or are scuffed up. Donate or sell anything that is still in good condition.
28. Mudroom/Coat Closet-
Go through old coats and accessories. Donate anything you no longer wear.
29. Purse/ Wallet
Remove all items from your purse and/or wallet. Dispose of any gum wrappers, dried-out pens, scrap paper, and any other items that can be tossed. Pull out any old receipts or paperwork that needs to be filed away.
30. Car
Grab a couple of garbage bags and head outside to declutter your car. Use one bag to dispose of any garbage that has accumulated and the other to gather anything that needs to be brought back inside such as toys or other items.
You may also like:
More Helpful Decluttering Tips
If you are someone who gets overwhelmed easily when sorting and decluttering, it may be helpful to set a timer to keep you accountable and on task so you don’t get distracted. You can also put on some music, or a podcast. Anything to provide motivation if you feel you are struggling.
If you are still struggling with letting go of items that have sentimental value, a few things that may help:
- Pass on the item to someone in your family.
- Remind yourself to stop feeling guilty. You are not expected to keep everything.
- Be creative and find ways to save a few special items.
Do you have bins filled with your child’s artwork? You can save one piece from each year of school and then take pictures of the rest so you have the memories but not all the clutter.
Purchase a small tote for each child and keep only important papers. I used to keep all my boy’s school papers. I had boxes filled with homework and tests. Until I realized how much space these boxes were taking up. I sorted through them keeping only the important projects or special papers they wrote.
Why it’s so important to get rid of clutter
It’s inevitable that clutter will creep in. That’s life. Our days are busy with so many things that need to get done. But, letting clutter take over your home can lead to unwanted stress. It becomes impossible to try to find things. It leads to feelings of anxiety because of the constant mess around you.
This is why spending just a few minutes every day decluttering something small will provide huge results in the end. It not only improves the physical appearance of your home but your emotional well-being. Your home will be neater and your mind will be clearer.
Don’t have time to commit to a full 30-day challenge?
- 10 Things in Your Home you can Declutter in 10 minutes or less.
- 106 Easy Things to Declutter in Your Home Today
Remember every little bit adds up.
Looking for ways to be more productive and organized in your life? Sign up for my Free Resource Library. You will find planner and cleaning schedule printables all free for you to print out and enjoy.
Follow me on Pinterest for more ways to declutter, clean, and organize your home.
