Feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff you own? A decluttering checklist can help you get organized, feel more at peace and even help you save money in the long run. Decluttering your home and office is an essential part of frugal living and minimalism that everyone should consider doing.
Read on to learn about creating a decluttering checklist for your home and office.
What Is Decluttering?
First of all, what is decluttering? Simply put, decluttering is the process of getting rid of items in the home, office or other spaces that either:
- 1. Are garbage or junk; or,
- 2. You do not use frequently enough to justify owning.
What Should I Declutter?
Decluttering involves getting rid of things you don’t need so your environment is overall more pleasant. Let’s go over the two types of categories in further detail.
1. Junk and Garbage
The first and most obvious type of ‘stuff’ you need to declutter: junk and garbage. When you buy a new item of furniture or breakable item, it’s easy to keep the bubble wrap and boxes. You’ll use them again one day, right? However, when you do this time and time again, you’ll acquire tons of garbage that can clutter up your home, office, garage and more.
2. Items You Don’t Use Frequently Enough
Close your eyes for a moment. Visualize what’s in your garage right now. If you’re like many people, I’m sure you have 3, 4 or more boxes of holiday decorations behind your lawnmower. Sure, you use 1 or 2 boxes’ worth of decorations once a year for a month. What about the other two boxes? When you keep items you don’t need, you take up space that could be used for other things. Additionally, each time you open the garage and see distracting clutter, you’ll feel less settled and may even feel anxious.
3. Multiples of the Same Item
Decluttering isn’t just related to throwing out trash and old decorations that you don’t use enough. Think about what kitchen appliances you own. Did your sister-in-law gift you with a popcorn machine last winter but you already own one, and therefore, there is one sitting idly in your cupboard? Owning more than one appliance when you only actively use one is an unnecessary way to clutter up your cupboards.
Additionally, decluttering isn’t just about stuff you own in the house or the piles of binders in your office desk drawer. What about the vehicles you own? If you own two or three vehicles, think long and hard about if and how you can survive with just one. Get creative with potential solutions. If you live in a decent-sized city with reliable public transportation and your office isn’t too far away, is it possible to take the bus or train to work? Maybe your daughter or spouse can drive you to the bus or train station. Alternatively, if the transit system isn’t reliable (or is non-existent) in your region, think about ways you can carpool to work with a family member. If this isn’t possible, why not ask a coworker about carpooling possibilities?
Why Declutter Your Home?
1. Feel at Peace with a More Relaxed Environment
An obvious reason to create a ‘declutter your home’ checklist and clear out what you don’t need: less stuff means less mental clutter! When you have less things around your home, you’ll be less distracted. Less items also means that you’ll have less to take care of. For example, if you only own 2 televisions as opposed to four (one in every room), you’ll only have to worry about repairs or replacing two TVs instead of four. When you own one vehicle instead of two, you’ll cut maintenance time in half. You’ll only have to think about repairs, insurance and maintenance for one vehicle instead of two.
2. Save Money with a Decluttering Checklist and Routine
While the most obvious benefits to decluttering are reduced stress and increased space in your home, office and garage, there is a secondary benefit as well. When you have less stuff, you’ll spend less time digging through your cupboards and drawers and won’t spend money on multiples.
Example: The Cluttered Cupboards
Here’s an example to demonstrate my point: let’s say that you have an extremely cluttered cupboard with piles and piles of containers with mismatched lids. It’s Tuesday evening and you’re preparing your kids’ lunches for the following morning. You spend ten minutes digging through your cluttered cupboards in search of three sandwich containers with matching lids.
Unfortunately, after many minutes of digging, you’ve only found two containers and only one lid. Since you’re in a pinch and those sandwiches need containers, you run out to the dollar store to purchase new containers. The containers only come in sets of six and the cheapest pacakge you can find costs $12. Little did you know is that the lids and containers were hiding at the bottom of your pile of 50+ plastic containers, 90% of which you haven’t used in month. Your cluttered cupboards just cost you $12 (in addition to the time wasted spent looking for the containers).
While this doesn’t seem like a lot of money, if this happens to you multiple times a month with different items around the house, you’re literally throwing money away. When you get rid of things in the house you don’t need and get organized, you’ll be able to find items and won’t rush to find replacements you don’t need.
3. Strengthen Family Relationships and Reduce Tension
Aside from feeling relaxed and more at peace and saving money, decluttering can help your relationships. How so? When you and your family members aren’t spending hours and hours trying to find the missing kitchen scissors or arguing about why you don’t need that fourth Christmas wreath, you’ll feel happier. If your kids see you and your spouse simple living and decluttering, they’ll pick up positive habits as well!
Steps to Undertake Before Creating a Decluttering Checklist and Cleaning
Getting Your Family On Board
While you should focus on getting rid of items that you don’t need, you’ll need to be careful when decluttering. Before starting on your decluttering journey, sit down with your spouse. If you’re the person initiating the decluttering lifestyle, explain your reasons and why you think your family needs to do it. This will be a lot easier if your spouse leans more towards minimalism. If he or she tends to lean more towards a hoarding lifestyle, it will be more challenging.
A Note on Hoarding
While decluttering by yourself can generally be done by yourself, someone with a hoarding issue may need some help from a third party. Do you or a family member suffer from hoarding – an ongoing difficulty with getting rid of possessions? If so, feel free to seek help from a therapist or counsellor.
Determining Your Reasons for Decluttering
If you’re single, you’ll need to make a commitment to yourself before starting on your decluttering journey. Take some time to journal the reasons for decluttering. Spend an hour or so on a weekday or weekend evening curled up on the couch with a cup of tea, a blanket, a journal and a pen. Write down the following questions and answer them in your own words:
“Why do I need to declutter?”
“What will I gain from decluttering? Will I become happier, have more energy, feel more at peace or save money?”
“How will I commit to a minimalist lifestyle and living a clutter-free lifestyle?”
Writing in a journal will help you remember your ‘why’ and stay motivated. Decluttering is a huge undertaking. However, this doesn’t mean it’s impossible! When you’re feeling overwhelmed about decluttering and are tempted to buy something you don’t need, refer back to your journal. Reflect on why you need to declutter and how it will benefit you both personally and financially. Be gentle on yourself and congratulate yourself on taking that first step of committing to a happier and less cluttered lifestyle.
A Decluttering Checklist Guide For Your Home
Decluttering Your Home
The most obvious place you should seriously consider decluttering is your home. The home is where your life is truly lived. If you work from home or are a stay-at-home parent, you spend even more time at home than the average person. If your home is neat and tidy, you’ll be a lot more likely to stay focused and be less stressed. However, if your home is cluttered and messy, the opposite is likely true.
When your home is littered with piles of things you don’t need, you’ll spend more mental energy thinking about what you see every time you enter your home. Additionally, if you work from home, the excess clutter may distract you from completing essential tasks. It’s nearly impossible to complete your monthly reports when you can see a pile of 50 dusty books in your peripheral vision!
When decluttering your home, you’ll need to first create a ‘decluttering your home checklist’ before cleaning. But where do you start? It’s best to go room by room. Let’s go over each step in your home declutter checklist.
Bedroom Decluttering Checklist
Any declutter checklist must start with the place one tends to accumulate stuff the most: your bedroom! While you might think your bedroom is the last place you need to declutter, think again. When guests or family come over, you can simply close the door and hide the mess, right? Sure, you can do that. However, as mentioned earlier, a cluttered bedroom can cause distractions.
When your bedroom is messy, it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. If the last thing you see before you turn off the lights are piles and piles of dirty clothing and books everywhere, you’ll carry that into your dreams. Your bedroom should be a place for you to rest and recover from the chaos of everyday life. Therefore, start with decluttering your bedroom first! Here are the steps to do this.
Step 1: Label Keep, Donate and Throw Out Boxes and Bags
Before beginning the process of decluttering clothes shoes, books and more, the first step on your decluttering checklist should be getting organized. How so? Get some storage containers and boxes. Label two boxes, one with the word ‘Keep’ and the other with the word ‘Donate’ on it. Additionally, buy some trash bags for any clothing that you don’t want to keep or cannot donate.
In addition to a ‘Donate’ box, you can also create a ‘Family and Friends’ box of clothing and shoes you think family members may want to look at before donating. However, if you want to keep it simple, give your family and members a chance to sift through the ‘Donate’ box before sending it off to the local charity store. This saves the step of moving clothing from a ‘Family and Friends’ box to a ‘Donate’ box.
Step 2: Go Through Your Drawers and Shelves One By One
Next, go through every single drawer in your dresser and closet shelf. Ask yourself “Do I use this item enough? Does it serve a purpose and bring me joy?” For example, if you have a dress you only wear once or twice a year and don’t really love, you should donate it.
However, if there’s a special occasion dress that serves a purpose (such as being a great wedding or dinner dress), by all means, keep it – even if you wear it only a couple times a year! If the answer is ‘no’ and if it’s in good condition, put it in your donations box. Items in poor condition should be thrown out or recycled if possible. Clothing in poor condition should be mended (learning how to sew is a great way to save money and be frugal!) or thrown out if not salvageable.
Deciding Whether or Not to Keep Items of Clothing
If you don’t know if you should keep an item of clothing, try the closet hanger experiment. Place all clothing on hangers in your closet and push all the hangers to the left side. Once you’ve worn an item of clothing once, push it to the right side of your closet. After a month has passed, assess every single item of clothing that is still on the left side. If you know you won’t wear it for a special occasion or at all, you can most likely donate it.
Decluttering Shoes and Accessories
Do the same for shoes by putting the ones you haven’t worn on the left side of your shoe rack and moving them to the right side. If you don’t have enough room on your shoe rack, invest in two baskets, one for shoes you’ve worn that month and the other for shoes you haven’t worn yet. Additionally, go through your accessories like hats, shoes and purses. If you haven’t worn or used any of them in a month, you’ll need to decide whether or not you really need them.
Step 3: Clean Out Your Bookshelves and Under Your Bed
After having cleaned out your clothing and shoe inventory, it’s time to declutter everything else. Go through every single book, binder and picture frame you own. Ask yourself if the item brings you joy and serves a purpose. If you’re unsure if you should keep an item, put it into an ‘Unsure’ box. Wait 24-48 hours and think about whether or not you really want or need this item in your life. After this period of time has passed, decide whether to keep it or get rid of it. Waiting this period of time can help you make more informed decisions and give you time to think about whether you need the item or not.
Step 4: Clean Your Floors and Everything Else
Once you’ve decluttered your shelves, closet and dresser, it’s time to clean up the rest of your room. Pick up every single item off your floor. This includes old papers, knick-knacks and other clothing that wasn’t in your closet, shelf or dresser. Be sure to get behind your bed and dresser. After your room is completely clear, do a deep sweep, mop and vacuum of the room.
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Kitchen Decluttering Checklist
Step 1: Label Keep and Throw Away Boxes
Before cleaning out your cupboards, fridge and freezer, get two boxes and label them with ‘Keep’ and ‘Throw Out.’ Alternatively, you can use a garbage bag for your items to be thrown away. This is a good option if you don’t have too much in your kitchen and saves the extra step of transferring the throw away items into the trash.
Step 2: Go Through Your Cupboard
Next, go through your cupboards. Pull out every single item of canned food, box of pasta and bag of rice. Check the expiry date on each item. Items that are past their expiry date should be thrown out. Items that haven’t yet expired should be put back. Be sure to put the items closest to expiry at the front of the cupboard and the newest items at the back of the cupboards. This way, you’ll be a lot more likely to use cans before they go bad and subsequently save money by not wasting food!
Step 3: Go Through Your Freezer, Fridge and Drawers
After you’ve finished decluttering your closet, the next step on your decluttering checklist for the kitchen is the freezer. First, pull out every single item in your freezer and fridge. Get a bucket of water, sponge and soap, then clean the inside of the fridge and freezer thoroughly. Next, check the expiry date on each item. Throw away expired items and put the oldest items in the front. Also go through your cupboards and shelves and donate any appliances you do not need. Old appliances and kitchen accessories that no longer work can be thrown away.
Step 4: Decluttering the Garage
If you don’t have a garage, skip this step. If you do have a garage, undertake the exact same steps you did with your kitchen, bedroom and other rooms. When decluttering the garage, start with one area of the garage. Donate or throw away any items you don’t need. Get rid of any duplicate items you have such as multiple garbage bins or lawn mowers if you only use one.
Step 5: Clean Your Floors, Appliances and Counters
After you’ve cleaned out your cupboards, freezer and fridge, clean your kitchen. Start by wiping down all your jars, the counter and all appliances. Thoroughly scrub any dirt off appliances and corners where you don’t usually get. Next, sweep your kitchen floors and mop. After you’ve cleaned your kitchen, throw away the expired food items. All done!
Living Room and Bathroom Decluttering Checklist
The living room and bathroom should be decluttered the same way you cleaned out your bedroom. Start with one area of your space such as the shelves and the coffee table. Throw away any items such as magazines or books that you do not read or do not serve a purpose. Dig under your couch and behind it to find any books or junk hiding. After decluttering your living room, vacuum the carpet.
For your bathroom, throw out any old plastic packages from toiletries and re-organize your toiletries. Invest in baskets and a shower rack to keep your toilet paper rolls, shampoo and conditioner organized! After you’re finished cleaning your bathroom, thoroughly scrub the shower, toilet, sink and sweep and mop the floors.
Closet Decluttering Checklist
Your closet should be decluttered in the same way you cleaned out your living room and bedroom. Start with one shelf at a time. Decide whether each item serves a purpose or not and throw it in a ‘Keep’ or ‘Throw Out’ box.
Committing to a Clutter-Free Lifestyle
You’ve created a decluttering checklist for every single room in your house and have successfully decluttered your life. Next, you’ll need to commit to sticking to a clutter-free life. On average, it takes about 59 days to build new habits – approximately 2 months. To successfully stick to a clutter-free lifestyle, you’ll need to make a daily commitment to cleaning. Here are the best ways to create and stick to healthy habits:
Clean As You Go
Here’s one of my favorite decluttering hacks: the best way to keep clean and maintain a clutter-free lifestyle is to commit to daily cleaning. Always throw dirty laundry straight in the basket and not on the floor. Pieces of scrap paper you don’t need should be recycled – or shredded if they’re confidential documents. Create a designated spot for your toiletries, hair ties and watch such as a labelled basket.
Do A Weekly Closet and Kitchen Cleanup
Aside from daily cleaning, commit to a weekly cleaning schedule. In addition to sweeping, mopping and wiping down surfaces, take time to go through your shelves, freezer, fridge and cupboards. Fold your clothing and ask yourself if there are any pieces of clothing you don’t need anymore – if so, donate them. In your kitchen, double-check to see if any items are expired and commit to using foods close to expiry in your recipes this week.
Get Family On Board
Family and friends are a great source of decluttering motivation. When loved ones are also committed to a clutter-free lifestyle, it’ll be a lot easier to stick to good habits. If your spouse, son or daughter cleans and declutters, it’ll remind you to do the same. Additionally, when you declutter, you’ll be helping your whole family live a more peaceful, minimal lifestyle. Encourage each other to live a happier lifestyle full of things that bring you joy!
A Decluttering Checklist Guide For Your Office
When decluttering the office, you’ll want to think about what you need that’s absolutely necessary for work. I’ll touch on three different parts:
1. Going through your desk drawers and what’s on your desk
2. Organizing documents
3. Decluttering your office closet.
If you don’t have your own office and just have a cubicle or workspace either at a corporate office or at home, skip step #3.
Step 1: Go Through Your Desk Drawers and Table
The first and most important step before organizing key documents: going through your desk drawers. For this step, you’ll need one large box, a garbage bag and a bag for recycling.
The longer you’ve been at a job, the more likely it is that you’ve acquired lots of junk files and knick-knacks you don’t need. If you work from home or have your own private office, feel free to dump everything on the floor so it’s easier to go through. If you can’t dump everything and need to be mindful of others in nearby cubicles, take each item out one by one.
First, start with any items that aren’t documents or papers (I’ll cover that in Step #2). Next, for each item you pull out of your drawer, ask yourself, “Do I need this item?” If the answer is no, you can go ahead and throw it out. If you do need it or use it frequently enough, put it in the ‘keep’ box. If not, throw it in the garbage or recycling bin.
Once you’ve gone through all your non-documents, it’s time to organize your papers. Read on for the steps you’ll need to take when sorting out your documents.
Step 2: Organize Your Documents
After sorting out what physical items to keep and what to throw out, pull out every single document you own, whether they’re loose or in folders or binders. Create three separate piles: a ‘keep’ pile, a ‘recycle’ pile and a ‘shred’ pile. Take a look at each document and ask yourself “Do I keep it, recycle it or shred it?” The keep pile is for any files you need to hold onto including tax documents, contracts or anything else necessary for your job. Next, pull out each piece of paper one by one.
Anything that’s not confidential and no longer needed can be recycled. This includes any information that’s publicly available outside of your organization, such as brochures. Shred any documents that are confidential. This includes internal financial reports, agendas and memos with information not meant for anyone outside your department or company.
Step 3: Declutter Your Office Closet and Bookshelves
After having decluttered your desk drawers and the surface, do the same steps for your closet and any bookshelves you own. First, pull out any items off your bookshelves and from your closet that aren’t documents. After having decluttered these items, work on individual files.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of documents, start small – don’t think you need to undertake decluttering fast. Commit to cleaning a specific number of items and documents or folders per day or week. When you set small, achievable goals, you’ll be a lot more likely to complete this task!
Where to Start with Decluttering When Overwhelmed
Feeling overwhelmed with your decluttering checklist? Completely understandable. The process of getting rid of things can be a lot, especially if you own a lot of things to begin with. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start small. Think about the smallest room in your house. You can even start out with a closet that’s a bit overcrowded with old documents that can either be shredded or scanned.
Rewarding Yourself for Your Decluttering Progress
Once you’ve completed a significant stage of the decluttering process (such as finishing a room or closet), reward yourself with a treat. This can be anything from an ice cream cone to an afternoon at the amusement park with family. Be sure to plan ahead for this expense by creating a budget and including fun stuff in it!
Additionally, if you’ve gotten rid of a large amount of items, you’re likely in a spot to go shopping. A great place to start is with what you wear. Now is a great time to commit to creating a minimalist capsule wardrobe. Take inventory of:
- What items of clothing you own
- How many of each you own
- The colors of each
Next, compare it to a standard minimalist capsule wardrobe list such as the one in this article. Make a list of any items of clothing missing from your wardrobe and go shopping for them. Not sure where to start? Begin with t-shirts, pants and shoes. Every minimalist closet should include a pair of jeans, dress pants, t-shirts in black and white, black dress shoes or heels and white tennis shoes.
Decluttering is hard work. Be proud of yourself for the progress you’ve made. Remember: any progress is good progress! The more you declutter and commit to a simpler lifestyle, the more likely you’ll experience long-term happiness and appreciation for what you have. Celebrate committing to a healthier lifestyle!
What Not to Throw Out When Decluttering
When making a decluttering checklist and cleaning out your life, there are some exceptions to what you should throw out. If you have sentimental items such as a handmade blanket from your grandmother or a special bracelet passed down several generations that you don’t wear but mean a lot to you, by all means, keep it! Even if you don’t wear it regularly, it still brings you joy and means a lot to you. Therefore, don’t feel obligated to get rid of items like this.
Before you declutter shared items, check with your family to ensure that it’s okay you throw out specific items. For example, the bicycle in the shed, garden tools you aren’t sure if your partner uses and sports equipment. If you’re single, you only have yourself to ask!
A Final Word on Making a Decluttering Checklist
Creating a decluttering checklist and cleaning out your home and office is a big step. Be proud of yourself for committing to a happier, clutter-free lifestyle! If you’re feeling overwhelmed, start with one room. If one room is still too much for you, start with one area of your room, such as your closet.
Once you’ve seen and felt the benefits of living a simpler, clutter-free lifestyle, you won’t want to stop!
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Janita is a frugal living expert and owner of Frugal Fun Finance. With over five years of personal experience finding and trying out the best ways to make and save more money, she's eager to share her knowledge. Janita's strategies have helped her save thousands of dollars for funding investments and traveling to over 20 countries.
Janita completed training in personal finance at The University of Western Ontario and McGill University, two prestigious Canadian universities. Her expertise has been shared on GoBankingRates, Yahoo Finance, and NASDAQ.com.
