The Organized Mom Life

Simple solutions to help calm the chaos of motherhood

31 Day Decluttering Challenge

This decluttering challenge is all about easy wins.

Every day for the next month, you will declutter one small area of your home. (And I do mean small- each challenge should take you 15 minutes or less to complete.)

And those 15 minutes a day will add up in a big way by the end of the month!

Note: This calendar has been updated for January, 2026. But you can always use it to complete the challenge anytime you want.

And if you’re looking for a more comprehensive decluttering checklist, you can grab that here!

Download the decluttering challenge here:

Download the calendar here!
Link not working? Click here instead.

Also, if you need a little help thinking through the decluttering process before you get started, I have some great resources available for you here:

  1. How to start decluttering your home when you feel completely overwhelmed
  2. The step-by-step checklist for decluttering any area of your home
  3. Decluttering your home: How to decide what stays and what goes

Alright, time to get started with the daily challenges:

Day 1: Write down your motivation

Day 1 of your challenge is to write down why you want to declutter your home.

This is your motivation. The reason that you can keep coming back to when you get discouraged or feel like giving up.

Be as specific as you can. For example, instead of saying, “I want to have a cleaner home,” try saying, “I want to spend less time picking things up and putting them away, so that I have more time and energy to spend with my kids.”

Day 2: Fill in the free days

On Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 of the decluttering challenge, you get to choose a space in your home to organize. Pick these spaces ahead of time and write them down.

Pick an area in your home that will be a win for you- where 15 minutes of decluttering will make a big difference.

Just remember to keep it small and specific. Instead of the entire kitchen, pick one cabinet or drawer that’s been driving you crazy. Instead of your whole bathroom, just declutter under the sink.

(You can always keep going later if you’re on a decluttering roll!)

Day 3: Set up a donate box

This might sound too easy, but it’s going to set you up for big successes this month.

Find a big box or bag, and label it DONATE. Then put it somewhere you can easily use it each day during this challenge. (I put mine in the garage.)

You’ll also need to decide what to do with items that you declutter from your home. Will you give them away, donate them to a thrift store, post them to a local buy-nothing group, or try to sell some of them?

You may be able to get some money for your items if you sell them, but that also takes more time and effort. Donating all of your items is easier and faster.

Either way, decide now so that you’re ready to go on your drop-off days (day 15 and day 31.)

Day 4: Christmas cards

Time to say goodbye to this year’s Christmas cards.

I like to look through the cards we’ve received one last time, enjoy the updates and the photos, and put them in the recycling.

If you save Christmas cards because you truly enjoy looking back at them again years later, then use today to pack this year’s cards away in storage until next Christmas.

Day 5: Wallet

Empty your wallet and decide what can stay, and what can be shredded or trashed.

Day 6: Makeup

Sort through your makeup. Trash or give away anything that you don’t use. Keep only the items that you use and love.

Day 7: Medicine

Take all of your medicine out of the space where you store it. Check expiration dates, and throw away any expired medicine.

Put back all the medicine that you want to keep. Throw away (or possibly give away) any medicine that you know you will not use.

Day 8: Refrigerator door

Take everything off the door to your refrigerator.

Now put back only the magnets and papers that you want to keep. Throw away or give away the rest. (You can also store any papers or photos that you want to keep, but no longer want to display on your refrigerator door.)

Day 9: Car

Take all of the trash out of your car and throw it away. (You can do this at a gas station while you’re pumping gas if you want.)

Take all the things that don’t belong in your car inside and put them away where they belong, or donate them if they are no longer needed.

Day 10: Free day

Whatever space you’ve chosen to declutter today, you can follow the same basic steps:

First, take every single item out of the space.

Next, sort everything into 4 categories: Keep, donate, trash, and relocate (to a different place in your home.)

Return the KEEP items to your space.

Put the DONATE items in your donation box.

Throw away the TRASH items.

Put each RELOCATE item back where it belongs around your home.

Day 11: Apps on your phone

Today, take a few minutes to browse through all the apps on your phone and delete the ones that you no longer use.

Day 12: Freezer

Go through your freezer and clean out any old or expired food. Straighten up what’s left.

Day 13: Mugs

Take all of your mugs out and divide them into 2 piles: Keep and donate. Put the keep mugs back, and put the donate mugs in the box or bag that you set up on day 3.

Day 14: Jewelry

Take a look through your jewelry today and remove all the pieces that you don’t love and use.

Day 15: Donation day

You’re halfway done. Congratulations!

Today you’ll be dropping off the items you’ve collected in your DONATE boxes. Or, if you’ve chosen to sell items or give them away, spend some time taking pictures and posting them today.

Day 16: Books

If you have more than one bookshelf in your home, just pick one to start with. Look at each title and decide whether you still love and enjoy reading it. If not: donate it.

Day 17: Free day

Day 18: Nightstand

Pull everything out of your nightstand. Throw away or donate things you no longer need. Return everything else to the space.

Day 19: A kitchen cabinet

Pick one cabinet or drawer in your kitchen that is in need of decluttering.

Take everything out and wipe down the space.

Then sort the items into your four categories: KEEP, DONATE, TRASH, and RELOCATE. Return only the keep items to the space.

Day 20: Magazines

If you have a pile of magazines in your house somewhere, go through them today. Any that you have already read can be recycled or given away.

If you haven’t read them yet, ask yourself if you ever will, and cancel your subscription if the answer is no.

Day 21: Winter gear

Get out all of your family’s winter gear: Hats, gloves, scarves, etc. and take a look at what each person actually has.

If you have multiples, ask each family member what their favorites are, and donate the rest.

Donate or store any items that no longer fit your kids.

Day 22: Mismatched socks

Do you have any mismatched socks in your laundry room, just waiting to find their mate?

Today is the day to give up on that dream, throw them away, and start fresh for the new year.

Day 23: Games

Today we’re tackling board games! Take all of your games out of the space where they belong.

Throw away any games that are missing pieces or broken. Put games that you no longer play or enjoy in your donate box.

Return the rest to their space.

Day 24: Free day

Day 25: Potholders

Take a few minutes today to dump out all of your potholders and get rid of any that are damaged, worn out, or unused.

Day 26: Coffee/tea supplies

Clean up your coffee and tea supplies today. If you have any tea bags that are expired, or that you don’t like, compost or throw them away.

Donate any extra accessories including travel mugs that you don’t use.

Day 27: Under the sink

Pick an under-the-sink area to declutter today (either your kitchen sink or one in your bathroom.)

Take everything out.

Only put back the things that you actually use, and that make sense to stay in that space.

Day 28: Your purse or diaper bag

Dump everything out of your purse or diaper bag. Sort through everything, deciding whether to keep each item, get rid of it, or relocate it.

Day 29: Bath toys

Sort through your kids’ bath toys, and throw away any that could have mold inside of them. Donate any that they no longer love and use.

Day 30: Email subscriptions

If you use gmail, just click on Manage Subscriptions and unsubscribe from anyone you no longer want to receive emails from.

Day 31: Donation day

Congratulations- you made it to the end of the decluttering challenge!

Now finish strong by getting all of those donate items out of your house today, and reclaim the space that they were taking up.

I’m so proud of you. Nice job!

If you loved the 31 day decluttering challenge, share it on Facebook or Pinterest!

More great organizing ideas:

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