This 7 day declutter challenge 2023 is a great way to get started on your clutter free journey. These tasks are easy and make a huge difference.
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I think a lot of people make a New Year’s resolution to clean out their homes to get a fresh start to the year. I’ve been driving through the neighborhood on trash day and there are a lot more bags than normal. People also love spring when the weather gets warm and cleaning out. I’ve done the kid clothes and my husband has tackled the garage. It’s so refreshing to see all that stuff you don’t need selling or trashed.
Luckily, you can start decluttering any time of year and this is a great 7 day challenge to get you started. The hardest and first step before decluttering is to mentally prepare. Many people struggle with having an emotional attachment to household items and have trouble getting rid of them. This is a simple way to get started on the little things so you’re motivated to tackle the larger areas in your home.
I was thinking of some other things that I declutter during spring. It feels so good when I step back and look at the new and organized areas. I’ve decided to give you the challenge to clean out seven things in seven days. There is no excuse to be overwhelmed and not knowing where to start! These are easy and simple tasks that can be done in a short amount of time but make a big difference.
This is a simple way to get started on the little things som you’re motivated to tackle the large areas in your home.
Declutter Challenge 2023
Organizing your whole house doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Just pick one week and grab a trash bag and get to work and in seven days you’ll feel good about what you’ve cleaned out and motivated to do even more.
Here are a few more articles that you make enjoy and get more tips and ideas!
- How to Clean Your House in Two Hours
- 30-Day Cleaning Challenge with a FREE Printable
- 50 Place People Forget to Clean
Decluttering Challenge
Before you start, grab a cardboard box that you can use as a donation box. If you have any unwanted items that are in good condition, consider giving those to a local charity. Don’t give away anything with stains or holes in them.
I’ve volunteered at some places and have spent time sorting the donations. You wouldn’t believe some of the items people donate. Many items are trashed because the condition is horrible. I think a lot of people feel bad about throwing about used items, but it’s okay to put these types of items in a trash bag before donating.
Day 1- Spices
Start decluttering with your spices in the kitchen. Getting rid of old jars is pretty easy and quick. It feels good to get one thing done and keep you excited about the rest of the week’s challenges.
Spice areas can get so messy. Take everything out and wipe it all down. I keep my spices in a drawer and there are always spills and crumbs. Throw away an expired items. Do you have three garlic powders? You should combine them to make more space. This spice rack is perfect if you don’t have a lot of space. It hooks to your cabinet door.
Now that you’ve completed day 1, you can tackle another area in your kitchen or rest until day 2. An area that gets messy in my kitchen is under my kitchen sink. It’s another easy area that’s easy to take everything out, wipe down and put only items you use back and trash the rest!
Day 2- Office Paper
Paper clutter makes a huge mess- junk mail, bills, receipts, grocery lists and school papers can easily be spread all over and make you feel overwhelmed. Most of my bills come via email, but I still get a ton of statements, insurance information, and policies I need to keep. I have file folders in my filing cabinet in my home office and I pick the ones that are overflowing, grab a garbage bag and start trashing the old stuff. Make sure to shred anything with your personal information. You don’t have to do them all (unless you’re REALLY motivated), but seeing your shred pile grow feels so good!
Day 3- Car
A car is always a good place at the beginning of your challenge since you are in it so much. I don’t know how the middle console and glove box can fill up with so much junk. I grab a bag and put everything in it. I dump it on my living room floor and start going through it. It’s amazing how little I put back in.
Day 4- Junk Drawer
I know you all have at least one. I have two! I always start with good intentions of keeping it organized and clean, but it never happens. Just dump it out and put everything where it belongs. At least it will be clean for a few days, right? 🙂 I have these and I love them!
Day 5- Shoes
I like to clean out everyone’s shoes and throw out any broken, too small and dirty shoes. My husband has about eight pairs of tennis shoes and it drives me crazy because they take up so much space. He never throws any of his old ones away. My boys have an old pair or two because I like them to wear old ones when they place outside. Shoes may last a few more months by just replacing the shoe strings. This storage rack is in our garage works well.
Day 6- Linen Closet
Once a year, I have to clean out the linen closet. How does this small space get so messy? Do I need that many sets of sheets? Throw away towels with bleach stains and take inventory of everything you need. I’m not sure how I accumulate so many throw blankets, just tossed in there and mismatched pillowcases.
Day 7- Laundry Room
My laundry room is more like a closet, but I like to organize my cleaners and rags, take inventory, and make sure I’m using up all the bottles of detergent. I like to gather up empty hangers in the closets and bring them down so I can have them to hang up clothes while I’m doing laundry. Don’t forget to wipe down the walls and baseboards while you’re in there because dryer lint gets everywhere!
BONUS DAY!
If you are on a roll and want to keep decluttering, work on your medicine cabinet. If you have kids, you have all kinds of ointments, nose sprays, cold medicines, bandaids and other unused prescriptions.
You won’t believe how many of these are probably expired, and if you come across an expired item, it needs to be thrown away in the trash. Many pharmacies have collection bins to throw out out-of-date medicine. My local Walgreens has an expired medicine bin in the back of the store so you can place your unused prescriptions.
If you complete this task quickly, then move to your bathroom cabinets. I recently donated years’ worth of little hotel shampoos and conditioners because I thought I would use them. They ended up in a basket under my sink. I have never once used these items.
This is something important that you should probably be doing yearly. Add it to your January calendar every year for a task to complete.
Doesn’t this sound much easier than doing it all in one day? The goal is to eventually be able to set some time aside each day to do a little daily declutter session. Five or ten minutes is all you need to keep on top of the main areas of your home.