The 30 Day Home Decluttering Plan

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We are excited to share the 30 Day Home Decluttering  Plan!

As Jenn and I shared in our post last week, Top Ten Posts of 2020 – Plus our Plans and Goals, we are each ready to tackle the clutter in our homes once and for all! Like most people, when the New Year ushers in we are ready to start off with a clean slate. We are no different. Whether it be health, career, personal goals, etc – we want everything to be fresh and new. Especially after 2020 – we crave peace and solace. Our home is our sanctuary. For us, cleaning and purging are at the top of our lists. The 30 day home decluttering plan is a concise guide to help all of us.

Problem Areas

It’s amazing to Jenn and I how quickly clutter collects. Paperwork and closets are trouble areas for each of us in our homes. It seems like in a short amount of time, papers tend to multiply and closets seem cluttered. Working the 30 day decluttering plan is super helpful! Here’s how we do it.

Day 1: Paperwork

Do you have a pile of paperwork collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts and any other paperwork. Toss, shred or recycle what you don’t need. Sort whatever is left over into its proper location. This is a good time to use file folders to hold important papers. One folder for items that you need to do some kind of action with and one folder for items that just need to be filed.

Day 2: Front Entryway and Coat Closet/Mudroom

Donate any coats, shoes or accessories that you no longer use or need. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home – possibly in under-the-bed storage containers, the attic or basement.

Day 3: Purse

Empty out all of the garbage and other items that you do not use regularly. Sort through receipts, filing what you need to keep and tossing the rest. Use a small pouch to hold makeup and other essentials so this can easily be transferred from purse to purse.

Day 4: Cleaning Supplies

Go through all of your cleaning supplies and get rid of any products that you don’t use. Use multipurpose cleaners to cut down on the amount of cleaning supplies needed or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple, partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old cleaning rags or cloths that are at the end of their use. Commit to using old bottles up before opening up or purchasing new supplies.

Day 5: Fridge and Freezer

Remove all items from the fridge and freezer that have expired or that you know you will not use. Make note of items that are close to expiring and ensure that you use these items up first. Minimize packaging whenever possible to save space. This is the perfect time to clean and sanitize as well.

Day 6 – Pantry and Other Dry Food Storage

Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don’t forget to go through all of those spices too and keep only what you use on a fairly regular basis. Place items that will be expiring soon or that you would like to use first toward the front of the cupboard. 

Day 7 – Play Catch-up

This is your catch-up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home and spend some time there.

Day 8 – Kitchen Cabinets

Look for any obvious kitchen items that you do not use or do not have room for. Ensure that all food storage containers have matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks and utensils as you can. If you’re overwhelmed, just pick your messiest cabinet to address. Remember that during the detox you are just looking at those obvious items that you need to get rid of. We’ll be doing a much more thorough organization of this space when we work on the kitchen.

Day 9 – Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies

Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal.

Day 10 – Dining Area

Commit to keeping your dining table clutter-free. The dining room table seems to be a cathchall for most people. For us it’s the kitchen counter. Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table such as crafts or kids’ projects. Donate any dishes, serving ware or other items that you don’t use regularly.

Day 11: Entertainment Area

Make sure all CDs or DVDs are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through computers and mobile devices these days that CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past. We were shocked by how many CD’s we still had. Most were already in our iTunes library, so we easily eliminated this clutter.

Day 12: Magazines and Books

Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions. Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system or binder. Recycle or donate old books that you no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.

Day 13: Junk Drawer

Everyone has one. Get rid of everything that’s not needed or used. Even though it’s called a junk drawer, remember that it’s for useful miscellaneous items, not random junk. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.

Day 14: Play Catch-up

This is your catch-up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 15: Desk

File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers with personal information. Sort smaller office supplies into handy containers and only keep products that you use. Get rid of any old calendars or planners.

Halfway there!

Day 16: Bathroom Cabinets

Sort through your beauty products and keep only what you really use. Place items that are partially done toward the front of the cupboard so you can use those up first. Toss hotel shampoos or soaps if you have had them for a while and not used them.

Day 17: Linen Closet

Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition. Often, animal and homeless shelters are places that need linens most. Toss any items that are really dingy, stained or have holes.

Day 18: Makeup

Toss anything that has expired. Also get rid of items that are no longer use.Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes, lotions or products that you never wear.

Day 19: Jewelry

Sort through all of your jewelry and decide what items you still wear. Toss costume jewelry pieces that are tarnished or broken and donate the rest. If you have more expensive jewelry items that are in need of repair or professional maintenance, keep these aside to take to a jeweler as soon as you can.

Day 20: Bedroom Closet

Sort through your closet and donate items that you obviously don’t wear or don’t fit you.

Day 21: Play catch-up

This is your catch-up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 22: Sock and Underwear Drawer

Go through all of those socks and lingerie items. Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and toss items that are extremely worn or that you no longer wear.

Day 23: Nightstand

Clear off the tabletop and sort through drawers, keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.

Day 24: Kids’ Toys

This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use (and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough). Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling. Toss the rest!

Day 25: Kids’ Closets

Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.

Day 26: Craft Space

Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of. This is a big one for us too!

Day 27: Laundry Room

Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used. Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.

Day 28: Free-for-All

This is your catch-up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.

Day 29: Basement

Chances are this is one of the biggest sources of clutter. Set a timer and get rid of as many items as possible. Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.

Day 30: Garage and Car

This one is also a big clutter offender. Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need. Grab two bags—one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house. Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.

Tips for a Successful Decluttering

The main goal throughout The 30 Day Home Decluttering Plan is to eliminate as much of your excess home weight as possible. Look primarily at all of that surface clutter that’s always staring you in the face or those areas of your home that are a constant frustration for you. I realize that it’s sometimes hard to get started, but once you do, it can really be exciting to see some of that home weight come off!

We love to use a timer when we are doing chores. We guesstimate how long it should take to complete a task and then we set a timer. It’s fun to beat the clock on any of our tasks. It is so easy to get sidetracked and distracted, especially when decluttering. The timer provides a fun way to keep on track. 

Remember: Don’t replace the clutter with new clutter!😁

• Pace Yourself
• Stay Focused
• Don’t Let Perfection Get in the Way
• Be Flexible
• Use the Timer Method
• Get Your Family Involved

We hope that you find The 30 Day Home Decluttering Plan helpful to you and your home.

Don’t forget to print this and Pin it to your favorite Pinterest Board!

30 Days to Declutter Your Home Checklist