Home Decluttering Checklist

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as coming home after a long day to find that your house is clean. The good news is that with some general home decluttering, you can keep it that way. Declutter fast – and stay organized – with this home decluttering checklist.

1) Stairs

2) Hallway

3) Living Room

4) Kitchen & Dining Room

5) Home Office

6) Home Utility Areas (laundry area, pantry, etc.)

7) Home Decorations/Accessories/Furniture

8) Miscellaneous Items (e.g., old letters, medications past their use-by date, broken appliances which don’t work anymore). Note: If the item has a sentimental value, it may be worth hanging onto.

9) Home Storage Area (e.g., storage closet, attic space). Note: Do not clear out the entire space all at once; start with one shelf or drawer, and work from there.

10) Bathroom/Toilet

11) Bedroom

12) Home Clothing Areas (closet & drawers). Note: If you can’t wear something right now because of its condition or size, either fix it up so you can wear it again or donate the item(s) to an appropriate charity/organization. Also include children’s clothing in this area. See point 7 for more information on sorting clothes past their use-by date.

13) Home Physical Fitness Equipment/Gym Equipment

14) Home Yard/Outdoor Living Space

15) Home Storage Areas (e.g., storage shed, attic space). Note: Do not clear out the entire space all at once; start with one shelf or drawer, and work from there.

16) Home Garage

17) Home Tools & Appliances that need repairs or have been replaced by a newer model. Note: Do not throw away appliances that you can fix easily just to clean up your home faster. Fix them instead! What’s more, old appliances often have a sentiment attached to them because they’ve been in the family for so long (i.e., an old washing machine, the first TV you ever owned, etc.) If you’re unsure about whether to keep something or not, err on the side of keeping it.

18) Home Clothing Garbage (e.g., old t-shirts that are worn thin or undergarments that no longer fit). Note: Keep clothing garbage bags in your home’s laundry area/back door/closet; do not store them in your bedroom!

19) Home Living Areas (e.g., hallways & closets). Note: When decluttering these areas make sure to throw away items like used tissues and empty soda cans. Place broken items in Home Repair Garbage (point #16), unless they’re small enough for the Home Garbage (point #2).

20) Home Cleaning Products in Home Beauty Items.

21) House Cleaning supplies. Note: If your clean-up efforts are creating more mess, stop immediately to avoid creating a home where everything is cluttered! Take a break, and when you return try again with the Home Decluttering Checklist. This will ensure that your task gets done without you becoming overwhelmed or burnt out.

22) Home Sleeping Areas (e.g., bed sheets & mattresses)

23) Home Physical Fitness Equipment/Gym Equipment.

24) Home Food Storage Areas (not including freezer & refrigerator areas; see point 1). Note: Do not throw away anything edible unless it is spoiled.

25) Home Basement/Cellar/Attic

26) Home Outside Space (e.g., front porch, backyard). Note: Do not throw away items that are broken or don’t work anymore; fix them! For example, if you have an old sprinkler that’s broken and leaks water everywhere, take it apart and attempt to figure out what’s wrong with it. Fix the problem and use it again. The same goes for home decorations: if a picture frame is missing its backing and has several cracked corners, consider whether you can repair the frame before throwing it away. Home repair items should also be stored in Home Storage Areas (point #13).