How to Easily Declutter Your Home in the Next 5 Days

How to Easily Declutter Your Home in the Next 5 Days? Have a declutter home! Are you tired of seeing clutter in every direction of your home? Can you open doors without risk of everything falling out? Everything just feels like a mess all the time? Then, my friend, it is time to declutter your home. I love doing this just before a new year or/and once again when it is time for spring cleaning. Our homes are the main central area to hold onto everything we ever buy but sometimes all the things we buy can cause use some messy harm. So let’s take the next 5 days to clean out, toss out, donate and recycle the things we don’t use anymore or need anymore. It will be some work but you will get it done easily.

Before we start, the first thing you will need is either a box or a medium garbage bag to hold onto all the things you want to donate. Next, you will need a large garbage and recycling bag for things that you want to throw away or recycle. Lastly, if you have a spare plastic bin or area on the floor to keep all the things you want to keep. Have all of these? Then let’s begin!

Day 1 – Declutter Your Kitchen

Let’s start with the kitchen! The kitchen is the main area that has the most things to collect of because there are many things getting lost in drawers and tosses around. Plus does it take a team to really get the drawers to open? Also, don’t forget that whenever you open a cabinet door there is a risk of an avalanche. It has always been an open at your own risk kind of situation until today of course.

Fridge/ Pantry – Clear out expired goods! You are not going to eat it so throw it out. That goes for pet food as well. Donate foods that are still good but you or your pets don’t want to eat. Try offering it to friends and family members. No one says no to food. If they don’t want it you can always donate it to a local food bank or the donation section of your grocery store. Once done, clean down everything and restock all the items you have taken out. There are many ways to organize your pantry, check out my pantry.

Cabinets – Those containers without lids and lids without containers must go! If the container is smaller you can use it to organize buttons in your storage room or hold all your paperclips together. If your container is stained but in good condition, you can always spray paint it and give it an alternate purpose in your home. Otherwise, recycle or donate the random containers, old jars, extra coffee mugs and plates that you have collected that don’t use. If the plate or mug is a momentum of some sort, don’t keep it a cabinet. Find a wall or display in your home to store it. If you store medicines and vitamins in your kitchen, throw away expired medicine, pills, and vitamins.

Drawers – Be honest with yourself. Ask yourself the last time you use this utensil. Most often you are going to say, I haven’t yet but I will. Don’t fall into that trap. If it has been there for two-plus years, it is pretty clear you are never going to use it or else you would have by now. Get rid of takeout cutely, plastic forks,, knives, spoons, and chopsticks. Replace with reusable ones. All those knives you don’t use. Donate it! Plastic bags are a common hassle. To avoid having plastic bags in your home, try having eco-friendly bags instead, however, it is easy to forget so try upcycling the plastic bags like I did when I created a pillow with it. Also, donate placemats, napkins and/or tablecloths that are not being used.

Counters – Time to get rid of those old recipe books, old calendars, old phones books (if you still have one) and old plants that are past bring back to life. Go throw the papers in your junk drawer or off the counter. We all have one area. Recycle old flyers, newspapers, keep one take-out menu, catalogs. Keep bills in your office cabinet and keep school information that is important such a field trip form or report card. The rest of the information such be on your calendar as reminders. Keep instruction manuals in an organizer or recycle them since most are online.

Day 2 – Declutter Your Living Room

Entertainment Centre – The DVDs that you don’t watch anymore can be donated. Only keep the movies that you can’t live without watching over again or that is a classic keepsake. If you have kids who are way too old to watch kids movies then donate them… especially donate the VHS movies if you no longer have the player for it. Most movies are on Netflix or online so you really don’t have to hold on to every movie anymore. For the only you can’t live without you can declutter the cases simply by buying a DVD organizer. I have a cool way to organize my family’s DVDs and video games that you can check out. This is the same for CDs as well. Only keep the ones you will actually listen to. Toss controls that done work, dried plants, and recycle outdated electronics.

Bookshelf – Are you actually going to read all those books? If not, donate it! That is the same for magazines. Keep the pictures or recipes in a folder and recycle the rest. Also toss away old pens with dried ink. There are keepsake pens from an island you went to, you can keep those and get rid of the rest along with old unused batteries. Consider buying reusable batteries and keep them organized into a storage container. Donate board games you no longer play with, unused vases and frames. Go through binders and get rid of non-important papers.

Toy Box – If you have a toy box in the living room be sure to go through the toys. Broken toys can be thrown away, those are the ones missing a head or leg or most of its body. Donate the toys that are still in good condition but are not being played with such as stuffed animals, lego, blocks, barbies, and cars. Another child would love to play with these toys. Keep only the ones that will be played with and/or ones that were a special keepsake. When I say keepsake doesn’t mean every toy every friend and family member bought your child, you can’t keep them all. Plus, they will buy more. Only special toys.

Day 3 – Declutter Your Bathroom

Bathrooms are not usually the ones are the most to clean up when it comes to decluttering, however, if you don’t take care of the space it can get a little out of hand. There may be no space around the sink area, the tub area and don’t get me started on the shelves and cabinets. You have no idea the number of times, a bottle would fall on my foot when I open a cabinet or me knocking a bottle into the tub. I also decided to include the linen closet to the bathroom area for decluttering since it tends to be close enough or sometimes in the bathrooms depending on your home.

Cabinet/ Shelves – Throw away empty lotion cream, shampoo, condition, hair products that you know you should be getting rid of because it is on the list to buy more of. If you are using the remaining for sure tonight then flip the bottle over and make sure to use it. Also get rid of those sample-size toiletries that have expired or used up, dried up nail products, old toothbrushes, and air fresheners. Donate extra hair dryers, hair clippers, and hair straighteners that work but you no longer like using because you have an upgraded one.

Drawers -Throw away old makeup or makeup you no longer use. Broken hair clips, nail clipper, and ponytails can be thrown away. Donate hair accessories you no longer need but are in good condition. You can simply put those into a ziplock bag and toss it into your donation bag. Give away any brand new creams or perfumes or colognes that you don’t want to friends or family. Get rid of earrings that are missing a partner, broken or in need of a repair. Get rid of anything that is not bathroom related such as things you threw in the drawer from your pocket like small change.

Linen Closet – Get rid of old worn out towels, bath mats, bed sheets/bedding, hand towels and wash clothes. Donate the ones that you don’t like but are in good condition. If you store pillows in your closet be sure to get rid of these pillows that are gross, worn, extra flattened or stained. If you are crafty, you can upcycle them into other things like I have with my sister’s bunk bed pillow. Only keep what you have been using and also keep special blankets such a baby blanket. Not ten of them but the most special one such as the one you brought your child home in.

Day 4 – Declutter Your Bedrooms

Bedrooms are supposed to you sleep zone and a place to relax. So having clutter can cause you to have a lot more stress. It takes longer to find things and your closet and drawers may look like something had exploded inside. Why go to bed with some much around the room. By decluttering it you are keeping your sleep zone without stress, simple and calm.

Closet – Clothes that are worn out, that has a stain that cant be removed or has a hole needs to be removed from your closet. Now those clothing can’t be donated to your average places, however, places such as Forever 24 will take those and in return give your credit to but something in their store. Clothes that are too big, too small, a freebie that you received but never wore and that you just don’t like because it was a bad gift or because your style taste has changed can be donated. Get rid of old broken hangers and mittens that don’t have a pair. Donate shoes, scarves, old wallets and purses that you no longer use or wear

Drawers – Go through your socks, underwear, and stockings. Don’t keep them if they have holes, runs, stretches or tears. As much as they may be your favorite, they have lived a fabulous life and they are others you can wear. Also, think about ones you don’t like because it may feel scratchy or too tight or just doesn’t look nice at all. Those can be donated. Decide on jeans your actually wear and sweaters that are in great condition that you can’t live without. Take out the ones that you don’t need and keep the ones you wear.

Other/ Surfaces – On the top of your dresser or nightstand make sure that you go through your jewelry. Donate ones you don’t wear or don’t like and get rid of the ones that are broken, rusted, or in need of a repair. Get rid of extra shoelaces or buttons you don’t need. Go through your knickknacks that you received or bought from your travels. Keep only the ones that are sentimental. You don’t need everything. If you going through kids bedrooms, follow the same system when going through their toys and clothes.

Day 5 – Declutter Your Office

The desk area is by far where I tend to fail at. No matter how many times I try to keep it organize it just gets messy again. I hope I am not the only one with this problem. It is truly easier to get things done when your workspace is clear from clutter. By decluttering, you not only keep the space tidy but it stays that way because you don’t have things lingering around.

Desk – On top of your desk should be a computer, computer accessories such as a mouse, keyboards, and speakers. Those are the main things along with pencil and paper storage. Go through your desk surface and get rid of floating papers, mail, paperwork and taxes. It is essential to take out old notebooks, planner, receipts, business cards and coupons that you don’t need or use. Those things can cause clutter very quickly. Also remove old pens, broken office supplies and dried plants.

File Cabinet – Go through your filing cabinets and take out things you do not need. A simple trick is to only keep the essentials in your filing cabinets. All the rest can be scanned and filled onto a USB or onto your computer. Try to be as paperless as you can to keep from clutter in your file cabinet. I personally love being paperless and have three tips for going paperless.

Computer – Pictures and documents are usually the main storage hogger. Go through each and get rid of files, documents, and pictures that you don’t need. Over a USB I prefer using a cloud service such as One Drive or the Box. The downside of having a USB is that it can get broken and sometimes not be able to receive the items on it. Lost forever doesn’t sound nice or having to pay big bucks to get something. Also, try to clean out your computer history, passwords and garbage can at least monthly. You would be surprised the amount that can cause your computer to run slow.