Tiny Steps to Declutter Your Home | Easy Minimalism Hacks

Do you feel overwhelmed and lost in your own house, with cabinet avalanches and clutter tripping up walkways?

When decluttering an entire house, it can feel like an endless battle, and unless you’re going to hire a professional organizer, you’ve gotta pace yourself.

Let’s look at this decluttering checklist of small tasks that are impossibly easy.

Tiny tasks to start the decluttering process.

5-minute decluttering tasks.

Here are some simple five-minute tasks you can do, practically as you walk through a room.

Entryway

Even if you don’t have a foyer, you’ve got some kind of entryway. Maybe a table where you throw your keys, an overdressed coatrack, and a stuffed shoe rack?

Sort through one shoe rack shelf
Clear expired coupons from your purse
Organize keys and remove old ones (and mysteries)
Recycle junk mail
Sort through one coat pocket

Kitchen

Check expiration dates in one shelf of pantry
Wipe down and sort one refrigerator shelf
Match 5 food containers with lids
Sort one utensil drawer section
Clear cards/notes from refrigerator door

Bathroom

I like to do one small chore every time I’m in the bathroom, be it straightening towels on the rod, picking up some discarded socks, or wiping out the sink. Here are 5-minute tasks to do in the bathroom.

Dispose of expired medications
Test and toss old makeup
Match towel pairs
Sort one drawer of toiletries
Clear and wipe bathroom sink

Bedroom

Sort 5 hangers in closet
Match 5 pairs of socks
Clear bedside table top
Sort one jewelry box compartment
File or recycle 5 papers from nightstand

10-minute decluttering tasks.

Got a little more time on your hands, hotshot? Let’s do some 10-minute decluttering challenges!

Kitchen

Declutter one of your kitchen cabinets
Work on a junk drawer for 10 minutes
Sort and declutter cleaning products
Install an extra shelf/storage
Start organizing the pantry floor

Digital

It’s important to have peace in your digital space as well, since we spend so much time there.

Delete 10 old emails
Remove unused apps from phone
Sort photos from one event
Unsubscribe from 3 email lists
Clear downloads folder

Office/Desk

Test 10 pens, dispose of non-working ones
Sort one file folder
Clear browser bookmarks
Organize one desk drawer
Match charging cables to devices–discard or store extras

Living Room

Sort through one magazine stack
Organize one shelf of books
Find a home for remote controls
Sort through one basket of toys
Clear 2 shelves on the entertainment center

Laundry Room

If you don’t have a laundry room, you probably have a closet or corner your washer and dryer live in, plus maybe a few shelves to hang clothes and forget about them.

Gather clean clothing and distribute to proper rooms
Put a load washing
Sort detergents and other laundry supplies
If you have a pile of unwanteds waiting, go ahead and donate clothes
Clear top of washer or dryer

Garage

Remove 2 duplicate tools
Throw out 3 seasonal items
Home 3 items from flat surfaces
Donate 2 unwanted items
Don’t have a garage sale

Quick decluttering tips.

The decluttering process can be confusing and overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it all at once, and you don’t have to do it alone. Enlist family members and friends, or join our Facebook group for moral support.

Here are some decluttering tips and strategies to make real progress quickly.

Five-Minute Methods

Here are a few every day decluttering tips that you can do in no time at all.

Set a timer for 5 minutes and work on one spot
Fill one trash bag (garbage or donate)
Clear one flat surface completely
Do the “hanger trick” in your closet (flip them backwards until you wear them next. declutter backwards hangers in 6 months)
Follow the “one in, one out” rule

Decision-Making Shortcuts

Have trouble deciding what to do with items?

If expired, toss it
Haven’t used it in a year? Donate
One touch rule: handle items only once–pick it up and put it where it belongs instead of dropping it somewhere else
Keep like with like
When in doubt, throw it out
Snooze sentimental items for later