How to Declutter Your Home in One Day
The days are getting longer and spring is only a few weeks away. If spring cleaning is on your annual list of things to do, you might need to declutter the house first. But who wants to spend days on decluttering followed by days of cleaning?
Let’s speed things up! This post will show you how to declutter your home in just one day.
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Why declutter?
There are so many benefits to decluttering.
Less to clean and maintain. The less you have, the less time it takes to clean the things that you do have. You can find stuff better around the house too.
Less stress. Messes lead to bad moods and stress. How relaxing is it to see a pile of clothes that need to be washed and put away? Clutter-free living will give you a clearer state of mind. You don’t have to worry about as many things what you don’t have as much to worry about.
The house looks better! Homes look better without clutter. Visitors look at the items you want to showcase instead of piles of paper on the table or toys on the floor.
Save money. Once you declutter, you’ll know what you have at home and where things are. You’re less likely to spend money buying duplicates of items. You can use up what you already have.
Decluttering may sound daunting if you have a large house and it’s been a long time since you’ve cleaned, but you can get it done relatively quickly.
How to declutter
There are several different methods to decluttering.
1) Quick cleanout
This is my favorite way to go and the way I advocate here. You go through your house as quickly as possible decluttering as much as you can to make the biggest impact on your home in a limited amount of time. In this case, it’s one day.
This method takes speed, focus, and some detachment from your items so that you meet your goal of decluttering the house as quickly as you can.
2) The KonMari Method
Marie Kondo has been a household name over the past few years because of her effective method of clearing homes. The method focuses on decluttering based on categories of items and being thoughtful about the items you decide to keep.
The items you keep should spark joy in your life. There’s no set amount of time required to declutter. You can read more about her method in her book. I’ve read it and it’s great!
3) Clean over time
Another method is to declutter the house over time such as tackling one room a week or removing one item each day for a month or year. These work well if you’re in no rush to declutter,
Honestly, I love cleaning quickly and being done with it! You’re probably a busy person too. You have work, family, hobbies, and other responsibilities. You may not want to spend a lot of time decluttering or have it weighing on your mind for months at a time.
How to declutter in a day
1) Schedule the day
Put a date on your calendar. It’s easy to say you’ll do it this Saturday and then something comes up and the plans go by the wayside. Mark your calendar with the date you’re going to declutter. Then plan to do your other errands and activities the day before or after.
2) Get help
Cleaning is always easier with more hands. If you live with others like family or roommates, get them to help you. They likely contributed to the clutter in the first place!
For those with children, this is a great way to show them how to declutter the house. They learn to weigh the value of items to keep or remove. You’re in luck if they can declutter their rooms so you don’t have to.
3) Gather supplies
You don’t need much, but it’s good to have some supplies on hand:
Garbage bags – for collecting trash and donations
Brown bags – for collecting recyclables like paper
Storage bins – for grouping like items together for storage
4) Focus on your goal for the day
Your goal for the day is to declutter the entire house. Don’t get bogged down with little details like looking at every picture or reminiscing over each souvenir you come across. Make a quick decision about them, even if it’s to keep them. Decide where it goes (see below) and move on.
If you have 12 hours available to you and 12 rooms or closets to address, that gives you an hour for each. Some spaces may take more time and some less, but you have to keep on track to get the whole house done.
Don’t worry about cleaning the house. You don’t have to sweep or mop the rooms, just declutter the space.
If you stay on top of your timing while focusing on the bigger picture, you’ll finish the day having met your goal. Then you don’t have to think about decluttering again for several months.
5) Turn on the music
Music makes car rides, showering, and decluttering more fun. Set your playlist and let it energize you as you go through the house.
Some people like to listen to podcasts or books. I’ll even put on a TV show or movie once in a while when I clean, but it’s distracting because I’ll stop to watch it. Don’t let it slow you down.
6) Let go of items
One of the hardest parts of decluttering is the emotional attachment people have to the items around their home. Throwing away or giving away items can cause sadness. It may even feel like getting rid of a piece of yourself.
Decluttering isn’t meant to be depressing. Instead, it’s about retaining the items of most value to you.
Marie Kondo’s criteria for keeping an item is to ask if it sparks joy for you. That may be enough to send a lot of things packing.
If not though, try to let go of the emotional hold some items have on you. Commit to being decisive about what to remove and keep.
Ask yourself these questions:
Have I used it recently?
Will I use it again soon?
Do I like it?
Do I have space for it?
Do I have something else that works as well?
7) Make piles
As you declutter, categorize items into piles to help keep them sorted:
Keep – These are items you want to keep either in their current place or stored away elsewhere in the house.
Donate – These are items you want to donate to places such as Goodwill or The Salvation Army.
Throw away – These are items that are going in your garbage.
Give away – These are items you think someone you know may want or like, sort of like regifting.
8) Find a place for things you keep
Giving each item you keep an assigned place will help cut down on clutter in the future. Designate a place for items that don’t already have a home.
Books go on the bookshelf. Shoes go in the closet or a shoe organizer. Knick-knacks go in drawers or baskets. Clothes go back in the closet or drawers. Once you put things in their place, your home will look neater overall.
9) Finish up the day
You’re almost done! Do these final steps to finish up your day:
Throw all your garbage in the trash.
Put recyclables in the recycle bin.
Bring your donations to the thrift store ASAP.
Put aside your give-away items ready for the next time you see their recipients.
Take a break and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.
Whew, you’ve finished! And your house is now clutter-free!
How to stay decluttered
The last bit of info here is about how to stay decluttered. You’ve done all that work. Now’s the time to keep it up!
1) Be intentional about what you keep
It’s easy to collect things around the house. Mail, gifts, and other random objects pile up. To avoid this, be intentional about what you bring home.
Resolve to buy less stuff. If someone offers you something and you don’t want or need it, say no thank you.
When I moved houses, people offered me furniture and dishes for my new place. I think they wanted to declutter their houses by giving stuff to me, but I declined because I already had most of what I needed.
2) Clean the house regularly
Dusting and sweeping are a must in a busy household. Beyond cleaning, putting things back in their regular place daily will go a long way to keeping the house decluttered.
Read your mail and drop in the recycle or file it away. Put scissors away when you’re done using them. Toys go back in their bins. The house will look better and you’ll feel better with it tidy.
3) Use organizational tools
A last tip to keep tidy is to use tools to keep your space organized. A few of my favorites:
A spice rack or plastic tub in the kitchen for spices and seasonings
Pantry bins for snacks and baking goods
File folders for important documents
Storage racks for items under the bathroom and kitchen sink
Baskets and plastic containers for storing clothes
A shoe rack by the door or closet organizer for shoes
While decluttering in a day may seem daunting, it’s doable if you start with a plan and keep your eye on the goal. Try the tips above and you’ll have a great start to spring!
