Decluttering checklist: How to declutter any area in your home

This is part 2 of a 3 part series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to check out Part 1, which is all about choosing the right space to start. To view the other articles, click below:

How to start decluttering your home when you feel completely overwhelmed
Decluttering checklist: How to declutter any area in your home (that’s this page!)
Decluttering your home: How to decide what stays and what goes

And don’t forget to grab my free decluttering guide:

Free decluttering guide

I created a free, 3 page decluttering guide to go along with this series:

Page 1: My decluttering plan (getting started)

Page 2: Step-by-step decluttering (what to do before, during, and after decluttering)

Page 3: Sorting it out (how to decide what stays and what goes)

GET THE GUIDE HERE!

Today I’m taking the guesswork out of decluttering.

I’m breaking it waaaay down, step by step.

Just do the things on this list- in order- and you’ll be able to declutter any space in your entire home.

Ready? Let’s go!

Here’s what to do BEFORE you start decluttering a space:

1. Take a picture

Taking a before picture is more important than you might think. For one thing, you’ll be more motivated to finish.

Tip: Post your before picture to our Facebook group: The Organized Mom Life Community. Our members will be happy to cheer you on, offer suggestions, and help answer any questions you might have about your space!

2. Grab a trash bag and a donate box

Move them into the room where you’ll be working. You’re going to need them!

Download the free decluttering checklist here.

DURING decluttering:

3. Take everything out of your space

If it’s a closet, take everything out and set it on the floor. If it’s a dresser, clear everything out of each drawer. It might seem like things are getting messier before they get cleaner, but I promise that this is the most effective way to really declutter and reorganize a space.

4. Clean/wipe down the space

You might as well, now that it’s empty. 😉

Give yourself a nice, clean blank slate to work with.

5. Sort it out

It’s decision time. Pick up every single item, and sort it into 4 groups or piles:

Trash
Donate
Move (to a different location in your home)
Keep here

If this step seems overwhelming to you, don’t worry! Part 3 in this series is all about how to make these decisions a little easier.

6. Neatly put back everything that you’re keeping

You hopefully have a lot less stuff now, so it should fit much better and more neatly. However, you might also want to…

7. Use baskets, bins, and/or labels to keep everything organized

I think that this is the most fun step. You’ve done the work of deciding what you’re keeping. Now- if you choose to- you can use fun baskets or bins to display those items in a neat and orderly fashion.

I also love to use labels to make sure my family knows where everything belongs, and to help encourage them to return items to their proper homes.

(If you don’t already, come follow me on Instagram to see some of the decluttering/organizing projects I’m currently tackling.)