Changing your home from cluttered chaos to a peaceful, organized haven might seem like an impossible task, but with a clear plan and consistent effort, you can do it. In fact, with just 30 days of daily tasks, you can make significant changes in just 30 days.
And when you do, you’ll discover that decluttering not only improves the physical space around you but also brings mental clarity, intentionality, and a sense of accomplishment to your home and life.
We want you to experience that feeling and those benefits.
So we’ve created a 30-day Declutter challenge to simplify and organize your home, one day at a time.
To assist you in your efforts, you can download this free printable and mark off each daily task as you complete them.
Start with the heart of your home. Spend 15 minutes clearing surfaces in your living room. Remove clutter from coffee tables, side tables, and shelves. Use baskets to store small items like remote controls and chargers.
Spend 15 minutes going through decorations in your living room. Keep only what you love and use. Store or donate the rest. Keep the 15-minute timeframe to not overdo it, but if you can remove just 25% of your decorations (the ones with less meaning), you’ll notice a huge change every time you enter the room.
Clear out your nightstands. Remove any books, magazines, or items that don’t belong. Keep only the essentials like a lamp, a book, and a clock. Start with the surfaces (the visual area), proceed to any drawers if you’re feeling good.
Spend 20 minutes sorting through your closet. Remove clothes you haven’t worn in the last year and consider donating them. Organize the rest by category. Here are some helpful ideas for things to look for.
Declutter your bedroom drawers. Remove unnecessary items and organize your clothes, accessories, and small items using drawer dividers. If you’re finding the 15-minute tasks work best for you, start decluttering in your most frequently used drawers.
Spend 15 minutes going through your kitchen drawers. Remove any utensils or small appliances you rarely use—or anything that is not needed because you have another item that can complete the task.
Clear off your kitchen counters. Remove small appliances, water bottles, and other items. Store the rest in cabinets or drawers, keeping only the essentials out.
Sort through your pantry. Discard expired food and organize the remaining items by category. There may be other nonconsumable items in your pantry, declutter those as well removing anything you haven’t used in the last year and can’t see a specific use for in the future.
Clean out your fridge. Check expiration dates, throw out old food, and wipe down shelves. Now that you’ve looked closely in your pantry AND fridge, you might plan some meals specifically using what you have to clear up more space over the next several days.
Declutter your bathroom cabinets. Get rid of expired medications, old makeup, and any of those little shampoo bottles you took from hotels but never actually ended up using.
Tackle your bathroom drawers. Remove clutter and organize your toiletries, makeup, and other small items using drawer dividers if they are helpful.
Clear off your bathroom countertops. Keep only daily essentials like soap and toothbrushes out. Store the rest in cabinets or small containers.
Spend 20 minutes decluttering your desk. Remove old papers, pens that don’t work, and other unnecessary items. Aim to keep on your desktop only what you need for daily tasks.
Declutter your home office drawers removing old documents, extra pens, and cables. Again, if you commit to at least 15 minutes of focused work, you can make good progress—especially if you start with the most frequently used drawers.
Sort through your home office files. Shred old documents and organize important ones into labeled folders. Make this a routine task to keep your office clutter-free.
Sort through your kids’ toys by including them in the process. Spend 20 minutes donating those that they’ve outgrown or no longer play with. On Day 1, this would be tough to do. But they’ve been watching you declutter for the last two weeks and will be more helpful now than if you started in their room on Day 1.
Go through your kids’ clothes. Remove items they’ve outgrown and organize the rest by category. Donate items in good condition.
Spend 20 minutes decluttering other items in your kids’ rooms, like books, accessories, and small items. Look for physical boundaries that you can set going forward (books must fit on this shelf, collections in this bin, stuffed animals along this wall, etc.).
Tidy up your laundry room. Dispose of empty detergent bottles, old cleaning supplies, and mismatched socks. Use bins or baskets to organize laundry essentials if needed.
Organize your linen closet. Consider how few towels and bedding you actually need and then keep your favorites. Fold remaining towels and linens neatly, and donate any old or unused blankets and towels. Organize by keeping frequently used items within easy reach.
Declutter your dining room. Spend 15 minutes removing any items that don’t belong, like mail or kids’ toys. Keep the dining table clear except for a centerpiece or seasonal decor.
Declutter your entryway. Clear out any shoes, coats, and accessories that don’t belong. Use a basket for frequently used items and a donation box for those in good condition but no longer needed.
Spend 20 minutes clearing surfaces in your garage. Remove any items that don’t belong and organize tools and equipment.
Tackle the shelves in your garage. Remove broken tools, unused sports equipment, and other clutter. Organize the remaining items using storage solutions like shelves or bins.
If you have an attic, spend 20 minutes sorting through stored items. Donate or discard anything you haven’t used in years. Organize the rest into labeled bins.
Spend 20 minutes clearing surfaces in your basement. Remove any items that don’t belong and organize what’s left.
Go through storage areas in your basement. Discard or donate items you no longer need and organize the rest into labeled bins.
Go through your holiday decorations. Discard broken items and donate those you no longer use. Store the rest in labeled bins for easy access next season.
Spend 20 minutes going through sentimental items. Keep only those that truly bring you joy. Consider taking photos of items you want to remember but don’t need to keep.
Celebrate the completion of your 30-day Declutter Challenge! Before moving on, take a moment to appreciate your newly organized home and the hard work you’ve put in. No doubt, you see a big difference.
At this point, you can return to Day 1 and work back through the list removing even more. Or, if your progress is complete, maintain your clutter-free space by regularly revisiting these declutter tips.
By taking small, consistent steps each day (for just the next month), you’ll create an organized home that brings peace and clarity to your life. You might not think so right now. But trust me: Small consistent steps taken every day add up to a huge change!