I need help cleaning and organizing my house!
If your place is anything like mine, it’s probably full of stuff and you’re looking at it thinking the exact same thing as me!
Clothes, books, quesadilla makers…you name it, I have it.
I even like to keep the extra plastic spoons and straws from fast food places!
And while I love my stuff, there are times when it can feel like it’s taking over my life.
That’s when I know it’s time to declutter.
And when it comes to removing clutter, having a Declutter Your Home Checklist is a MUST!
That’s why I created one for you!
I don’t know about you, but when I see clutter, I retreat!
I block it out of my system and try to forget it.
But, I know that isn’t healthy or the right thing to do. So, that’s why I decided to change things and create my ultimate declutter your home printable and share it with you!
But before we go through your checklist to declutter your home, let’s go the basic supplies to start your household purge, then go over step-by-step how to declutter every room of the house!
Declutter Your Home Checklist PDF – FREE to Download
In this checklist to declutter your home, you’ll get 47 things to get rid of and the BEST decluttering tips to help you remove all the clutter room-by-room!
Basic Supplies to Declutter Your Home
One of the best items you need to help you declutter your home are sturdy stackable CLEAR totes.
I LOVE these clear totes because you not only use them to organize all the things you want to get rid off, but also use them to organize the leftover clothes and other items you want to keep! Win-win!
Another important item you’ll probably want to have handy are labels.
You’ll need labels for your different piles like your donate pile or keep pile. These labels are also great for labeling your clear totes for easy reference!
Next, make sure you have a paper shredder on hand as a way to declutter the stacks of papers you might have lingering around!
And, don’t forget to also grab some vacuum storage bags! I LOVE my vacuum seal storage bags for all my winter clothes. I can put them in these bags and store them under the bed and they don’t take a lot of room either!
Finally you’ll need organizational items to help you have a clutter-free space!
- Drawer dividers
- Expanding file folders
- Shoe organizer (they stack your shoes for more room!)
- Kitchen shelf organizers
- Airtight food storage containers – get rid of bulky food boxes!
Now that you have a list of what you need to help you declutter your home, let’s go room-by-room and start decluttering all that clutter!
Declutter Fast: How to Get Your Home in Order Almost Immediately
Look –
No one has time to spend all day decluttering. I sure dont!
I don’t want any cleaning chore or decluttering session to last more than two hours!
And if you live in an apartment, you can learn how to declutter fast in one hour or less!
But, how?
With timing how to clean a cluttered house!
Yes – this works.
Set a 30-minute timer for when you start decluttering and try to get a room or several rooms done in that time frame.
Get your piles ready for donate, keep and discard and quickly go through each area of your room and toss an item in on of your piles!
Ask yourself these questions before you toss or keep an item:
- Do I use this item?
- Is this item still good (not expired or worn out)?
- Would I buy this again today?
Answer those questions and if they are all YES, then keep the item, but if you get one NO, toss it!
Once you cleaned a cluttered house, you can start to organize your house.
I like to space these two monumental tasks and give myself a break.
So, in the morning, I’ll work on decluttering, take a snack break, and resume with organizing up until lunch time.
Usually, this is more than enough time for decluttering an apartment.
For more help, look to Dana K. White and her AWESOME book, Declutter at the Speed of Life.
Her method to decluttering is to start visually.
I prioritize decluttering projects according to visibility. I need a definite prioritization strategy. Otherwise, I spin around looking at all the things I could and should be doing in my home, and I waste valuable time.
– Dana K. White
Decluttering Your Bedroom
Look –
The bedroom will the be the hardest to declutter.
You probably have hundreds of clothing items and shoes to boot!
So you might want to tackle this one project over one afternoon and then take a break. Don’t get overwhelmed by the clutter!
It’s also important to stick to your guns and toss clothing items that you may think is cute but that you’ll probably never wear!
I’m also talking to those jeans that are two sizes too small too!
In your declutter your home printable checklist, you’ll see what items you must toss and get rid of.
Things to Get Rid Of:
- Old bedding
- Mismatched socks
- Old clothes that are stained, ruined or don’t fit
- Extra buttons, belts, purses
- Accessories you never wear (jewelry, hair ties)
- Shoes you haven’t worn in five years (declutter shoes is a MUST)
The general rule of thumb is if you haven’t seen or worn an item/accessory in over 1 year, then it’s best you get rid of it.
You wan’t a minimalist home, right?
This is the time to be cut-throat and purposeful in your choices to remove clutter from your place.
The first step in decluttering your bedroom is to go through your clothes.
Make a pile to discard, donate to a local charity or consignment shop and keep.
Declutter your closet by getting rid of anything that doesn’t fit or that you no longer wear. Also get rid of old shoes, worn out coats and jackets and anything else that you don’t see yourself wearing anytime soon.
Again, donation or consignment are great options for these items.
Then move on to your nightstand and dresser.
Get rid of any items that you don’t use on a regular basis.
For example, if you only wear jewelry on special occasions, put it in a box and store it away from your everyday pieces.
I was handed down a pearl chocker necklace and only wear it when I go to dinner parties.
And I keep this special necklace in my dresser drawer underneath my clothes!
Decluttering Your Bathroom
It’s time to tackle the bathroom!
The bathroom is the one room that needs to be cleaned every day and is probably used the most too!
Here’s your decluttering list for the bathroom.
Things to Get Rid Of:
- Expired toiletries
- Unused towels
- Old makeup
- Used and old makeup brushes
- Hair accessories
- Expired hair products (hair spray, shampoo)
- Old medication
- Old nail polish
- Replace that old shower curtain now!
Begin by picking areas in your bathroom to work on.
For example, go through your medicine cabinet and get rid of any expired medications or products that you don’t use anymore.
Then move on to your makeup collection and declutter anything that’s old or that you no longer wear.
Make sure to also go through your towel collection and discard any towels that are old or worn out.
And once you decluttered everything, you can now begin to organize your bathroom. Find a place to store everything so it’s easy to access.
A cool bathroom organizing hack is to use vertical organization!
You can create more room in such a small space.
My absolute FAVORITE vertical organizer is under the sink one!
Decluttering Your Kitchen
Now comes the kitchen!
I feel this room of the house will be the biggest challenge to declutter.
There are just soooo many tiny gadgets, multiple sets of things and big appliances to go through!
But, with your trusty declutter your home checklist, you be able to start and finish this project in 30 minutes or less!
Things to Get Rid Of:
- Condiments
- Plastic cutlery
- Paper plates/cups (or move to a different part of the home)
- Unnecessary gadgets ( like a popcorn machine, bagel cutters, egg slicers, etc.) Donate these items!
- Expired food/pantry items
- Mismatched plastic storage containers
- Appliance you never used (looking at you bread machine!)
It’s time to get rid of unused pots and pans, dishes and silverware.
No need to keep an extra cutlery set!
Go through your cabinets and pantry and get rid of any expired food or food that you no longer eat. Make sure to get extra strong garbage bags for expired canned food or other heavy boxed food items.
Tackle your countertops and discard any appliances or gadgets you don’t use on a regular basis.
You know, things like your waffle iron, bread machine, rice cooker…things you just don’t use every day or once a week!
If these appliances still work, then go ahead and donate them!
Decluttering Your Living Room
Now it’s time to declutter your living room.
If this is your first apartment, then you shouldn’t have a very messy living room!
But, it’s okay if you do.
That’s why you’re taking the time to declutter with my FREE room by room declutter checklist!
And, well, the living room is typically one of the easiest rooms to declutter.
Things to Get Rid Of:
- Old remote controls
- Old product manuals
- Worn out pillows
- Knick knacks that make your living room look cluttered (multiple plants, vases, books, figurines)
- Old DVDs, video games
- Unused video playing systems (old PlayStation)
Start by going through your bookcases and donating any books you no longer want or need.
Then do the same with any decorative items that you have on display – picture frames, book ends, etc.
And, if you have any furniture you no longer use or that’s in poor condition, consider selling it or donating it to a local charity.
Straighten up your living room if you use it to dump your laundry or old clothes to be washed.
Consider getting a coat rack to hang your clothes on if you find the living room your personal closet.
Decluttering the Entrance Way
I recently got a new front door and am working on organizing and decorating my front entrance hallway.
For now, I often clean my door, storm door and windows to keep it sparkling white and clean!
And because of this, I want to keep the entrance way free of clutter.
This is the first and last thing people see when they come to your home, so make sure it’s always clean and clutter-free.
Things to Get Rid Of:
- Old boot mats
- Old or large console table
- Old mats, hallway rugs
- Broken hangers (in your coat closet)
- Unused shoes (soccer shoes, boots, etc.)
- Old umbrellas, hats, scarves
- Old sunglasses, suntan lotion, bug spray
Declutter your entrance way by first removing any unnecessary items lying around, such as shoes, coats, and bags.
Donate or discard these items.
Then, give the area a good cleaning (watch my Story Pin!). I like to use a DIY solution of vinegar and Dawn dish soap.
This cuts the grease and doesn’t leave streaks.
Decluttering Your Home Office
Ready to get your home office in tip-top shape?
If you have a home office or even if you have a desk in your small bedroom, it’s a good idea to declutter your desk space, shred any documents you don’t need and organize it for a fresh and functional look.
Things to Get Rid Of:
- Pens that ran out of ink
- Old magazines
- Old newspapers
- Expired coupons
- Old mail, greeting cards, last years calendar
- Receipts
- Old office supplies (scissors, colored pencils)
Go through all of the items on your office desk and decide what you really need and what can be donated or thrown away.
If you’re having trouble letting go of certain things, remember my rule – if it hasn’t been used in a year, toss it!
Next, go through your file cabinets (if you have them) and take out file folders and documents you don’t need. Shred those documents and store your file folders at the back of your filing cabinet.
If your home office has a closet, make sure to give that a look over and declutter the items in there too!
For my home office, I store office equipment (keyboards, monitors) and books!
So, I will have to go through my keyboards and remove ones that don’t work or I don’t need and bye-bye books I’ve never read!
Things to Declutter in Your Home
There you go!
Download your FREE Declutter Your Home Checklist and start decluttering today!
For more organizing help, check out these guides:
25 Highly Inexpensive Small Bedroom Organization Ideas
41 Genius Small Walk In Closet Ideas for the Tiniest Bedrooms
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