Dealing with clutter can be nerve-wracking. When you are wondering How to Declutter Your Home but are not sure how to go about it, you need to read these easy tips to help get your home organized and back on track in no time.

How to Declutter Your Home and Simplify Your Life

We all look around our homes and want to declutter but sometimes it is hard to know where to start. Sometimes the clutter and mess can be overwhelming and make it hard to start. Or worse, you get started and then everything is torn apart and you don’t want to keep going. Then the house is worse than it was before you started. You aren’t alone. Most of us have been there. Use these easy tips for How to Declutter your home to get organized and clutter-free.

 

Tips to Declutter Your House / Steps to Declutter

When you are ready to get started, use these tips to declutter your home. By using these ideas, you will know how to declutter your home fast and without feeling like it is a difficult job. These are the best ways to declutter a house, in my opinion.

Start Small

Most people want to tackle all the clutter at once. If it was that easy, you wouldn’t have put it off for so long. When you look at a giant mess, trying to tackle it all at once is what makes the job seem overwhelming. Start small in one area. Maybe it is an end table or another catch-all spot in the house. Plan on only working in that area. You can have 3 bags, boxes or bins. When you start, put anything that is trash in one bag. Things to be donated goes in another. In the last bag, anything that you want to keep but does not go in that space. After clearing out the space, wipe it down, vacuum or sweep the area. Then put anything that belongs there back. Only the things that belong there. If you are keeping it but need to find a home for it, leave it in the container labeled keep. If you found things in the space that you are keeping but it has a place it should be kept, move it to where it belongs. It doesn’t matter if that place is still a mess. You will get to it and when you do, you will be able to get the items you put there into place.

Once you have finished one space, you can move on to another or you can wait until another time. This helps you to see progress right away and doesn’t take much time. Using this method, you can declutter fast, in as little as 10 minutes at a time. One of the ways I love to declutter and organize is to set a timer and give myself just 10 or 15 minutes to work on an area. This makes it seem less overwhelming and in my opinion, is the best way to declutter a house! 

Don’t Try it All At Once

One of the biggest mistakes people make when they want ways to declutter is to try to do it all right now. While that sounds good in theory, most people will be on a roll, tearing everything out and then get started on moving things around. Have you ever been in the middle of a big project and half way through, you don’t want to do it anymore, or it took longer than you thought and you do not have time to finish it. Then instead of feeling like you have gotten anywhere, the house looks worse than it did before.

Do You Really Need It?

One of the best steps to declutter your house is to ask yourself do you really need it. If it is something that you do not use often, do not need, but want, decide where it should go. Is it something you want to hold onto for sentimental reasons but do not need out all the time. Is it something that you want to be able to see all the time and need to find a place to display it. This can go with knick-knacks, trinkets, family heirlooms, and even clothes. Once you can decide that you want it but don’t need it, you can start to decide what to do with it. Maybe it is best to put it into storage. Maybe you want to find the perfect shelf to set it on. If you know you are keeping it but need somewhere to put it, you can put it in the keep bin until you can find the best place for it. If you are keeping it but putting it in storage, get it moved to storage and out of the way.

Room By Room

Are you one of those people that bounce from place to place when you want to declutter your home and simplify your life? The best plan of attack is to complete one room at a time. And that means the whole room. Start small and do one place at a time, as mentioned above, but after that space is finished, move to the next space in the same room. Do not take something to put it in its new home and start working there because, well, it needs to be decluttered too. Stay focused and work section by section in each room, and then move on to the next room. By using a methodical method, you will see the progress you are making and it will motivate you to keep going.

Donations

After making your donation bags or boxes, be sure to take them to donation right away. You do not want to leave them in a corner of the room, collecting dust and taking up space. If possible take them to the donation center right away. If you can not do it that day, schedule time specifically to take them. This gets them out of the house and keeps them from being more clutter, just in a different form.

Once you get started with steps to declutter, you will see how nice it looks. This will help you stay motivated. Don’t get overwhelmed with the mess. If you need help, you can always create a declutter your home checklist. List the places that you need to work on and stick to the plan.

 

Looking for a Declutter Your Home Checklist?

Join our clean and organize challenge where I send you a free declutter checklist every month!

Other Simple Cleaning & Organizing Articles That You May Find Helpful

How to Keep Your Home Clean

Spring Cleaning Checklist and Tips 

How to Get Organized At Home

Organize Your Life with a Night Time Routine

101 Meal Planning Tips 

 

 

 

While spring is still a long way away we can still make it feel fresh, clean, and airy indoors with some deep winter cleaning. Take it a day at a time with these small tasks to clean and organize and watch your house sparkle!

Instead of spending a month breaking your back getting it all done instead we will help break it up into smaller tasks over the entire year. We even have a printable monthly checklist that you can laminate and hang on your refrigerator or slip into your planner. I will be sharing 365 simple tasks that can be done each day to help you get your house in order this year.

Most tasks should take 15 – 30 minutes. If it works for you do each task on the corresponding date, if not just use it as a list of tasks, some days you may get more than one done. You may wish to take off the weekend and double up on weekdays or vice versa. I want you to be successful so do what works best for you.

Sign up to get your free Clean and Organize List for February

Be sure to see the full list and helpful hints below the printable sign up!

 

 

Here is the full list of tasks with some links to tools that will help!

Clean and Organize February Task List

Thin out Takeout menus, condiments, and supplies – We all have one of those drawers or baskets that overflow with sweet and sour sauce and sporks. Weed out menus and condiments, wipe it down if needed.

Wash throw pillows throughout house, place in dryer with a tennis ball to help shape- Remove cases if pillows are not machine washable, this will really help freshen up the living space.

Wash throw rugs, hang area rugs outdoors to air out, spot clean as needed- Pound rugs with a sturdy stick to remove dirt if they can’t be laundered and attack spots left over from the holidays before they set in.

Wipe down kitchen chairs from top to bottom and table legs or base with wood cleaner- A dreaded task to be sure but toast crumbs and dust add on on these spots and they need it!

Go through 2 kitchen cabinets toss or donate unused mugs,etc..- Most of us have a cabinet filled with mom mugs and chipped saucers, let’s thin it out!

Run a vinegar then water cycle through your coffee pot- I run a full pot ( or about 2 reservoirs full for a single cup brewer) and then several water cycles to rinse.

Swap out 5 photos in the frames hanging up on your wall to freshen up the area- Changing things up just a bit creates a new area for your eyes and makes it feel updated.

Grab a garbage bag, set a timer for 10 minutes- Make a quick sweep filling with items to donate. Hit every room in your house and grab at least one or two items from each.

Scrub behind and at the base of your toilets- Let the cleaner soak for 10 minutes before wiping away, use a toothbrush around the floor bolts to get in really good.

Wipe down all switchplates in your home with antibacterial cleaner- It’s a good idea in the middle of flu season to hit those forgotten areas and kill the germs.

Clean off the top of the refrigerator- Wipe with a good degreaser and avoid putting anything back if you can help it. Keep clutter to a minimum!

Go through t-shirt drawer, get rid of stained, ill-fitting, or unwanted tops – One drawer at a time and before you know it we will have the dresser in order!

Rub coconut or olive oil onto your wooden cutting boards to recondition them- Add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil, work it in with a soft cloth and remove excess. This will extend their life and make them look pretty on your counters.

Season your cast iron pan- Seasoning your cast iron pan keeps it in top shape and will make your recipes turn out perfect everytime. Scrub cast iron with hot soapy water, dry well, rub with a thick coat of vegetable oil using a cloth, bake upside down in an oven preheated to 325 for one hour (place a piece of foil on the lower rack to catch drips).

Clean out under kitchen sink, safely dispose of chemical bottles- Toss out empty containers, add items you are low on like sponges to your shopping list.

Dust/Clean all TV screens throughout the house-  Dust builds up and while it is not as noticeable as the TV is running it shows terrible when it’s dark. This electronics cleaner can make the job easy!

Put a fresh box of baking soda in the fridge and freezer- If you haven’t changed it in a while now is the time. This 1-minute job makes a big difference on the smell or lack thereof in your fridge and freezer.

Take 15 minutes to gather and organize tax information- Begin tidying and making a folder for your receipts and other documents you may need for taxes.

Wipe down all interior doors throughout the house with a damp rag- Use a magic eraser for stubborn marks and scuffs.

Have items waiting for repair or dry cleaning? Make a trip around town and drop them off, stop for an iced coffee or ice cream to treat yourself for a job well done.

Wash pet bedding and any clothing they may have, air dry- Your pets and your nose will really appreciate fresh clean smelling bedding. Add a comfy blanket to keep them cozy through the remaining winter.

Clean hairbrushes thoroughly- Use a comb to remove as much hair and dust from brush as possible. Soak brushes in hot soapy water for an hour, rinse, and allow to dry.

Dust all pictures and decor on the walls- Use a telescoping handle to get high and cut the dust down on out of reach photographs. This microfiber duster set with an extendable handle makes the job easy.

Wipe down window sills throughout the entire house- A quick swipe of the sills takes just a minute but will have a big impact.

Scrub the front door well, change out your winter wreath if you have one- Create a welcoming front door that sparkles.

Visit the kids’ closet and pluck out 12 items to add to your donation box- Clothes, toys, games, etc…Even if you did a Pre Christmas cleanout you can surely squeeze out a few more items.

Give couches, throw pillows, and drapes a good spray with fabric deodorizer-  I love this natural alternative to Febreze. After the many bodies that have graced your couches during the holidays( some sleeping on them all night), they need a good freshening up!

Spend 10 minutes on the game shelf, toss games that are missing pieces, donate those not played with. Treat the family to a game night tonight! Looking for fun new family games? We love Exploding Kittens and Apples to Apples.

Grove Collaborative has a special offer of a bundle to help people keep their homes stocked with the best products…all while staying warm inside.  When you place your first order of $20 from Grove using my link, you’ll get:

• Mrs. Meyer’s Hand Soap
• Mrs. Meyer’s Dish Soap
• Mrs. Meyers multi-surface spray
• Grove bubble-up
• Grove Walnut Scrubber Sponges
• Free Shipping & VIP Trial

Check out this special cleaning offer

My favorite products to get to the $20 cart are

1. These kitchen towels
2. and countertop cleaning set

I use these in my home every single day! The quality of the towels and reusable Microfiber clothes are amazing.

Grove Collaborative has another special offer of a healthy home essentials bundle to help people keep their homes stocked with the best products…all while staying warm inside.  When you place your first order of $20 from Grove using my link, you’ll get:

• Grove Collaboratives All Purpose Cleaner Concentrate
• Grove Collaboratives Glass Spray Bottle
• Seedling by Grove Bath Tissue (3 Packs of 4 Rolls)
• Seedling by Grove Paper Towels (2 Packs of 2 Rolls
• ) Seedling by Grove Facial Tissue (2 Boxes)
• Seedling by Grove Pocket Tissues (1 Set of 8)
• Free Shipping & VIP Trial

Check out the special natural cleaning  offer 

 

It is so handy to have cleaning products come right to your doorstep and they make it easy to cancel auto shipments so you can just order whenever you want or you can easily cancel.