Hi all!
Today I am going to be sharing ten easy areas in your home to declutter; that should take approximately less than an hour each. As we are currently spending most of our time in quarantine, I thought it would be fun to make this into a sort of challenge. Each day, for 10 days, you can clean/organise the categories mentioned below. I picked things you normally wouldn’t think of, as they probably need the most attention over the more obvious ones like cleaning out your closet, your skincare and car etc. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
1.) DOCUMENTS
If you don’t already have an expanding file folder, I recommend getting one for your documents stat! Ours is from Officeworks – click here to check it out. On your first day of the challenge, pull out all of your documents and sort them by category. I have ours sorted by warranties, manuals, medical documents, personal documents and miscellaneous. You can order it however feels right to you. If it’s been a while since you went through your paperwork, you’ll probably find lots of things you no longer need. I found manuals for products I don’t even own anymore! This one is easy, but essential. It’s nice knowing where everything is, because if you happen to need something, it won’t take hours of digging through piles to find it.
2.) EMAILS
For the second day, focus entirely on emails. This may take longer than an hour, depending on how full your inbox is. Delete everything you no longer need, including emails you have stored in various folders created over the years. I did this recently and had so many documents and files from old jobs that I will literally never need nor reference again. Create new folders if necessary and sort everything into their relevant categories. You’ll be so glad you did. The best part is you can make a hot beverage, put on a show and do this entirely on the couch. It won’t feel like a chore at all I promise! Also, I would recommend using Unroll Me, which is a free service that shows everything you’re subscribed to and gives the option to bulk unsubscribe. It’s so handy!
3.) MUGS
Unless you’re a mug collector, you probably have a stash of them you never use; gathering dust in your cupboard. For the third day, pull every single mug out and keep only your favourites. These can be sentimental or just the ones you reach for every time you make a coffee/tea. I had so many that we don’t and won’t ever use, so I got rid of them. Don’t worry, we have enough stored away for future visitors!
4.) BEDSIDE TABLE
Chances are, you probably have a bunch of stuff strewn all over your bedside table. On the fourth day, I want you take every single thing off the surface and only put back what you really need/use. My sister gave me this cute basket which I turned into a hamper for my essentials. I keep my daily journals, planner, pen, Kindle and Sleep Assist essential oil in there. Next to it, I have my Himalayan Salt Lamp which I read by and not pictured is whatever physical book I’m currently reading, plus water bottle. It’s nice to create a sleeping space of peace, not chaos – so give it a go!
5.) KIDS TOYS
If you don’t have children, use the fifth day to declutter pet toys or an area of your choosing. I love regularly mixing up my toddler’s toys/books so she interacts with different developmental activities. I also assess what she has grown out of, destroyed or no longer plays with and sort them into three different categories: donate, toss and store. A really good tip is to put toys away and bring them out later, so your child feels like they have brand new things to play with that didn’t cost you extra!
6.) PHONE APPS
The sixth day is all about phone apps! Do you have apps you no longer use or can offload? I sure did! I had one called The Bump, where I kept my growing baby bump photos. I saved the pictures, uploaded them to Google Photos and finally deleted the app which saved me a lot of space. Go through your phone and assess what you actually use regularly. If you haven’t opened it in six months, you can probably afford to let it go. Not only will you free up more storage, you may also prevent mindless scrolling. Give it a try!
7.) TEA
Tea is something we tend to forget about because it can last a very long time…but it does in fact expire. It’s also something that can clutter our pantry quite easily. I recently went through my stash and sorted them into my tea-box (pictured). I had nursing tea bags from back when I was breastfeeding (I stopped nearly a year ago) and some for pregnancy! If you don’t drink tea, maybe you can go through your coffee? This seventh day challenge is super easy and shouldn’t take you long at all! Treat yourself to a hot cup afterwards!
8.) WALLET
You would not believe how dirty/cluttered wallets can become. From reward cards to receipts to random buttons, paperclips and more – you will definitely find something that doesn’t belong. Besides money, take out all of the contents from your wallet/purse and trash the stuff taking up unnecessary room. I had expired coupons, cards from stores that had closed down permanently and receipts that were super old. On the eight day, give your wallet a complete decluttering! If anyone likes my wallet, I bought it here.
9.) STATIONERY/CRAFTING MATERIALS
If you love to journal, scrapbook or do arts & crafts, you might want to use the ninth day to sort through all of your materials. I have a stationery box (pictured below) for my creative outlets. I had a lot of unused stickers, dried out pens and photographs that needed to be put into an album. If you have children or are just spending more time crafting, it’s the perfect time to have everything ordered and easily accessible.
10.) LUXURY BEAUTY PRODUCTS
For the tenth and final day of the challenge, you are going to want to tackle your luxury beauty products. This is not your makeup or skincare. This is your face masks, nail polishes, body butters, bath products, foot soaks and more. I have a hamper on my bathtub (pictured above) with all of my favourite pamper goods. I sorted through all of it and kept only what I do and will use. Once everything is to your liking, reward yourself with a spa session!
Let me know how you went with this challenge! Did you enjoy it? Was it satisfying and relaxing? Thanks so much for reading!
Peace & Love xoxo