Life is busy and our homes can become cluttered and messy. This is perfectly normal, but living in constant clutter can totally disrupt other aspects of your life. When the state of your home becomes too overwhelming, most of us don’t know where to start. That’s where the 30-Day Clutter Challenge comes in.
Print out this chart, stick it on the fridge and take on one tidying project a day. If you follow it, organizing your home will seem much less stressful and by the end of the month your home will look like a completely different space. Let’s get started!
Day 1: Every house has at least one junk drawer. Choose the worst one and sort the items that have ended up there. Keep only the most important stuff and get rid of everything else.
Day 2: Cleaning out your closet is a great way to feel more organized. Donate clothes that no longer fit or that you haven’t worn in a while. It’s also a good idea to organize clothes by season or occasion.
Day 3: Most people have a basket or drawer of VHS tapes and DVDs. Keep the ones you like the most or have sentimental value, and donate the ones you don’t watch or aren’t too interested in.
Day 4: TV closets often have a drawer or cupboard that we fill with old electronics and other useless items. Sort through and get rid of anything you’ve lost, broken or no longer use.
Day 5: Most people have a lot of old bills, letters and other correspondence lying around. File important documents in a folder and shred everything else.
Day 6: It sounds simple enough, but clearing the kitchen table can make a big difference in the organization of your home. Food is the only thing that should be on the table, so take the opportunity to pick up the rest.
Day 7: At the end of the first week, gain confidence and take care of two kitchen cupboards. Get rid of expired food, items you no longer use and other unnecessary junk.
Day 8: Books are one of the easiest things to hoard. You can keep your favorite titles and books that have sentimental value, but consider giving away the ones you’ve read and feel you can part with.
Day 9: Our wallets can quickly fill up with outdated cards and old receipts. Get rid of what’s not important and say hello to your cluttered wallet.
Day 10: And while you’re at it, clean out your purse too. Purses should contain your wallet, a pair of sunglasses and maybe some lip balm or hand cream. Anything that is not necessary should not go in a purse.
Day 11: It is important to periodically empty your makeup drawer or makeup bag. Throw out anything that is expired or not in use. This is also the time to clean and disinfect your makeup brushes.
Day 12: It is important to clean and de-clutter the shower. Throw away unused products and limit your shower to the bare necessities: shampoo, conditioner, body wash and razor.
Day 13: While we’re on the subject of bathrooms, take the opportunity to empty your closets. Throw away any products you don’t use or that have expired, and get rid of any other utensils or accessories you don’t need.
Day 14: As a general rule, for every pair of shoes you buy, you should consider donating an old pair that you no longer wear. Go through your shoe pile and get rid of the ones you don’t wear.
Day 15: It’s time to take care of two more pieces of kitchen furniture. When you de-clutter areas of your home in small doses, you feel much less overwhelmed.
Day 16: If your linen closet looks like a mess, go through the bedding, towels and anything else in there to see if you really need or use it.
Day 17: Go through your medicine cabinet and check the expiration dates on all the labels. Throw out anything that has expired or you never use.
Day 18: We never think much about our freezers, but they can build up quickly. Even frozen foods can go bad, so throw out anything that’s been in there a long time and you know won’t be consumed.
Day 19: Kitchen counters are often the place where mail, bags and other miscellaneous items are thrown away. Get rid of everything and give them a good wipe down.
Day 20: Now that you feel more confident about tidying up, take care of another junk drawer. If you don’t have another drawer, take the opportunity to make sure the one you have stays organized.
Day 21: Go through your fridge and toss any food that’s expired or you know you won’t eat. Wipe down the shelves and drawers, too.
Day 22: It’s now time to take on two more kitchen cabinets. By this time, you should be a de-cluttering pro!
Day 23: Most of us have random accessories floating around our homes that we don’t pay much attention to. Donate any items and accessories that you don’t really use.
Day 24: Go through your car and get rid of any old coffee cups, garbage, or items that don’t belong there. Don’t forget to organize your glove box and trunk, too.
Day 25: If you have children or grandchildren, go through their toys and donate all the ones that they no longer play with or care about.
Day 26: Now that you’ve donated unused toys, you can go about organizing the remaining ones. Invest in a shelving unit or baskets to organize everything and get toys off of the floor.
Day 27: On the topic of toys, it’s now time to go through old games. Keep the ones that still get used regularly, but donate the rest of them.
Day 28: Most of us keep our cleaning supplies under the kitchen or bathroom cabinets, so take this day to go through them all. Of course, keep the ones you use. But make sure everything is stored in an organized, neat fashion.
Day 29: It’s time to take on two more kitchen cabinets! Feel proud of yourself, you’re almost done!
Day 30: Organizing is the hardest part, and now you’re finished! Take this last day to give your entire home a thorough clean. Dust, disinfect, and make everything sparkling clean!
