You’re looking around your house and thinking, how did all this junk pile up? Having your favourite items on display is fine, but more is not always better. Whether you are wanting to freshen up your space for the spring or preparing your home for a listing, removing all the clutter is a great place to start. But we get it; decluttering your home can be overwhelming. So, we have simplified the process for you. In just one hour for seven days, you can have a fresh, uncluttered space to relax and enjoy. It may seem like a daunting task, but after the first few minutes you will build some momentum and want to keep going. Remember, just one hour for seven days. Let the purging begin!
Note: Before we begin to tackle the rooms, here are a few tips when trying to get rid of items in your home. Have you used it in the past year? Do you still love it? Does it hold sentimental value to you? If your answer was no to all of these, it’s time to toss or donate! Some local spots you can donate your items include St. Vincent de Paul Society, Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and many local thrift shops.
Day 1: Kitchen
It’s a place where your family gathers, a spot where you can unwind and cook your favourite meal, an area for entertainment. It is also considered one of the most important rooms in your home. Keeping a clean and decluttered kitchen can make your home more visually appealing. So when decluttering your home, it’s best to start here!
- Take everything out of your fridge and wipe it down.
- Dispose of old food and expired condiments.
- Return and organize remaining items.
- Do the same for your pantry and cupboards.
- Refresh your drawers- get rid of any excess utensils, dishes, or containers.
- Don’t forget your junk drawer! Go through it, get rid of the things you don’t need and organize the things you do.
- Sell or donate any small appliances you no longer use.
- Try to keep countertops clear and keep displayed items to a minimum.
- If you have the storage space, tuck small appliances away.
- Organizing tip: using bins/containers is a great way to organize your pantry and fridge. On a budget? Dollar stores have plenty of options to help keep you organized.
Looking for ways to take your kitchen organization to the next level? Check out this blog on 26 Quick and Easy Tips for Organizing Your Entire Kitchen by HGTV.
Day 2: Family Room, Dining Room, Entryway
These places can get messy quickly, but decluttering these areas shouldn’t take long. Remember, our goal here is to declutter the space, getting rid of excess items. This will make cleaning these areas easier to do.
- Go through any dressers, drawers, and bins in these rooms.
- Sell or donate the items you no longer love.
- Open your front closet and remove any coats, shoes, hats, mitts, or scarves you have not worn in the past year. Sell or donate these items.
- Take a final look at each of these rooms. If it still feels cluttered, remove the items that do spark joy (think Marie Kondo here).
Day 3: Bathrooms
After the kitchen, the master bathroom is considered the second most important room in the house. So, on day 3 we are starting there. I mean, who wants to show off a cluttered master bath? But don’t think this is one and done. It’s time to declutter all the bathrooms in your home.
- Remove everything from drawers and underneath the sink, wipe it all down.
- Get rid of any products or toiletries that are expired or you no longer need/use.
- Return and organize remaining items.
- Look in your shower. Are there products you no longer need/use? Get rid of them!
- What do you have on your countertop? Try keeping these items to a minimum, having everything tucked away and keeping only essential items out on display (e.g., hand soap).
- Organizing tip: using bins to organize the bathroom can be visually appealing and helps to keep like items together.
Day 4: Bedrooms
Today is the day to purge all the clothes you have hoarded. The ones for “when I lose weight” or “maybe it will come back in style”. No! It’s time to let it go.
- Go through all your clothing, removing the items that you have not worn in the last year or no longer fit.
- Use the same method for your children’s clothes, if applicable.
- Go through all their books and toys, setting aside items they no longer use.
- Sell or donate clothes, books, and toys.
- Organize remaining items.
- Organizing tip: organize clothes based on clothing type, then colour within each category.
If you are looking for a more extensive project for your closets, check out these organization and storage tips by The Home Depot.
Day 5: Office
If you’re like most of us, this space can easily become a pile of papers in no time. Now it’s time to tackle the chaos and create a more productive environment.
- Go through that pile of items you have put aside and throw away the junk.
- Go through drawers and file cabinets. Throw away old papers, magazines, etc. that you are no longer using.
- Look around, what haven’t you used in a while? If you don’t need it, toss it.
- Donate any books to create space for new ones.
- Organize remaining items.
- Revise your filing system, if possible. Most of what we do these days can be stored digitally, which can really help to clear the clutter. Be sure to do regular back-ups if you are storing files on your computer.
Day 6: Garage
The garage is a space that is often neglected. If you’re running out of floor space or having a hard time finding things it’s time to tackle the chaos.
- Go through each and every item you are storing in your garage, including bins that are tucked away.
- Donate or sell the items you no longer need/use.
- Organize remaining items by creating dedicated zones so things can be easily found (e.g., gardening tools and camping equipment).
- Consider packing away items that aren’t used as often.
- Organizing tip: storage solutions can optimize and create more space in your garage. For DIY garage storage ideas, click here.
Day 7: Basement and Storage Rooms
If you don’t have a basement, then congratulations! You get the day off. If you do have a basement, welcome to the last day of decluttering your home! You’re almost there. Depending on the size of your basement and the number of things you have stored away, this room may take more than an hour. The best thing to do is create a plan and have a starting point.
- Go through all the items in your basement and storage rooms, including any bins and boxes that are tucked away.
- Donate or sell any items that no longer fit you, that you no longer use, or that do not have sentimental value.
- Organize remaining items using similar methods used when decluttering the garage.
- Pack away items you don’t use as often and keep the items that you use the most at the front where they are easily accessible.
- Consider labelling boxes/bins so that they can be easily found when you need them.
Now that the decluttering is complete, you can move on to deep cleaning your home!
Click here for a summarized checklist for Decluttering Your Home.
