5 Day Guide For De-Cluttering Your Home
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Do you ever feel like your home is overwhelming, cluttered, disorganized, and in effect not comfortable?… Don’t worry I’m here to help! It feels so good when the home is organized and clean. If this is something you struggle with each year let me guide you on the best way to de-clutter and organize your home in 5 days!
Why is it important to de-clutter your home?
Multiple studies (all linked below) have suggested that a cluttered home can contribute to depression, and further more cause confusion and irritability. You know the old saying “Happy Wife Happy Life” I say ‘Clean Home Clean Headspace’ I truly believe that when our home is clean and organized we are happier and our mental health is positively impacted.
Cleaning and de-cluttering your whole home can be an overwhelming task but trust me once its complete you will feel so much better! I really encourage de-cluttering your home at least once a year and I find the optimal time for our family is right after the holidays.
Follow below for my step-by-step guide and I have even included a list of products that help with organization and a free printable checklist below that covers everything from de-cluttering the main areas, cleaning out cupboards & pantries to even deep cleaning bedrooms and bathrooms! As an added bonus I have also included a weekly cleaning calendar to keep the house clean and organized all year long!
The reason the process is laid out over 5 days is to ensure you give yourself enough time to focus on each area. We have a two bedroom apartment and this process still takes us 5 days to complete.
Notes:
Step 1: Prepare for this project in three ways: 1. Set a timer! Dedicate time each day to this process to ensure you are successful. 2. Get Storage! Prepare to utilize/purchase additional storage boxes. 3. Say Goodbye! Prepare yourself with the mindset that you will be parting ways with some objects that you no longer use or need.
Step 2: Remove Holiday First
If you are like me and are starting this right after the holidays for a fresh start to the year then get all of the holiday decorations out first. I have included a link below to my Holiday Clean Up Guide which also highlights some great products to organize all the holiday decor! Just this step alone will make the house feel so much lighter but lets keep going we are going to make your house sparkle and shine!
Day 1: Focus On The Main Areas
Don’t make the mistake of emptying out everything under the bathroom sink first.. we will get there trust me. After removing all of the holiday items start in the main areas of the house, the living room, kitchen, and entryway. Take a look around and decide what the key elements you need in these spaces and what can be removed or stored elsewhere.
Entryway - The most ignored but important part of the home and the first place guests are welcomed. Ours always seems to get disorganized the quickest. We keep our dog’s leashes and bandanas hanging by the front door, along with umbrellas and raincoats. We also keep a pile of stuff that has to get donated or given back to the owner (ie Tupperware). Remove any shoes, coats, or unnecessary/duplicate items. Keep a box by the front for dog waste bags, grocery bags, etc.
Living Room - Obviously the furniture will remain, but are there any toys, books, games, movies, or extra decorations laying around that can be removed and/or stored somewhere? Perhaps remotes can be put into a cabinet/console/sidetable. Clear off the coffee table and just leave a few decor items on it. Put magazines into a holder.
Kitchen - Are there extra appliances out? Can you put fruit/veggies in a basket instead of them sitting loose on the counter? How about bread in a bread box? Left over candies or cookies could go into a nice jar. Hand soap/dish soap can go in the sink or underneath and same goes for sponges and rags. Put away all extra food into the pantry and don’t leave out any drying racks or mats.
The reason these are key places to start is because this is where you are interacting the most and where guests will most likely be when they come to your house. This will give the illusion that your whole house is this clean and organized plus a nice place to relax while you are still working through the other spaces in your home.
BONUS: Once these areas are cleaned I always like to light a candle. I feel like this just brings a nice sense of joy to the space and really lets me enjoy the serenity of the room in all its organized and de-cluttered glory.
Day 2: Bedrooms
You’d be surprised how much clutter gets absorbed by the bedrooms. Is anyone else guilty of the chair. You know what chair I’m talking about .. the chair that you throw your purse on, your shoes under, and pile all of your unworn or dirty clothes on top of.. with the empty promise of putting it all away eventually. Wouldn’t it be nice if this chair was actually functional so that you could actually put your shoes on or read a book on it like you originally intended.
Bedside Tables - Only leave the essentials on top. For me this includes an alarm clock, a coaster, and a photo frame of BB and me. My husband’s includes his catch-all tray for his wallet, keys, ring, and phone, a picture frame of the two of us, and a little tree decoration.
Dressers & Bureaus - Remove any extra piles of sunglass or jewelry. If possible use a case to store these items in, this will help keep them safe but also look more organized on top of your dresser.
The Chair - Clean up the chair - enough said!
The Floor - Put all shoes, piles of clothes, extra linens or pillows away and in closets. The floor of your bedroom should be clear of all extra items.
Note: If you have kids this step may take even longer because typically their rooms are filled with toys, clothes, or an endless amount of supplies for their hobbies. My suggestion is not to feel the need to completely de-clutter and reorganize their room and if they are old enough perhaps encourage a time for you to do it together so they can learn how to maintain their own spaces as well! My mom always did this with me and I still appreciate her taking that time with me to teach me such a valuable lesson and life skill.
Day 3: Bathrooms
Ok now you can empty out everything from under the sink. No matter how hard I try to keep my makeup and skincare products up to date I always find some old tubes of something or other under my bathroom sink.
Throw away old makeup and medicine
Use baskets & organizing trays for toothbrush, toothpaste, skin care, make up, nail polish etc.
Throw away any old shampoo bottles etc in the shower.
Place Q-Tips/ Cotton Balls in a nice container on your sink.
Day 4: Laundry Room & Closets
Now it may seem easy to just throw everything in the closet and wash your hands of any further work. In my experience however whatever is disorganized in the closet will eventually find its way out of the closet and taking up space somewhere else in your house. We have gotten this far don’t stop now!
Hall Closet - Determine how you use your hall closet and organize accordingly. For example if you use it for coats and shoes, remove anything else taking up space. If you use it for exercise or beach gear get baskets and organize from big items to small items, and like with like. If there is space I encourage using baskets to keep items organized.
Linen Closet - Donate old and unused linens. Fold like items with like items, ie towels with towels, pillow cases with pillow cases.. you get the idea.
Your Closet - Donate old clothes and shoes. Again put like items with like items, I hang all of my clothes together in order of type and color. Then I put all of my shoes together, organized by type, style, and color. Lastly all of my purses and hats are either hung or placed on a shelf.
Kids Closet - Donate old clothes, toys, and shoes that no longer fit or they no longer play with. Again use baskets and put like with like.
Day 5: Garage/Storage Area
My number one suggestion for organizing a garage or storage area, which is what we have outside of our condo, is storage racks and bins. This keeps everything organized and protected from exterior elements. Living in South West Florida, there is high heat and lots of critters in our storage area. We use large bins to store our holiday decorations and extra items that we don’t keep in the house.
CLICK HERE FOR 5 DAY DECLUTTER GUIDE PRINTABLE
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE WEEKLY CLEANING CALENDAR PRINTABLE
Article on correlation of stress & cluttered home
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-mental-health-and-cleaning-are-connected-5097496#citation-1
