May 08, 2024

Your Decluttering Checklist for Ultimate Organisation!

Your Decluttering Checklist For Ultimate Organisation!

Conquer clutter with our handy decluttering checklist, with everything you need to declutter every part of your home.

Decluttering can feel like a never-ending task. You finish a big clear-out one week and you need another by the next. That’s because oftentimes when we declutter we don’t really declutter. We just move stuff from one room to another or hide it where it can’t be seen. That way we can hold our heads high when guests come round, without actually having to part ways with our beloved tat.

Not to fear! Our decluttering checklist leaves nowhere for clutter to hide. We’ll take you through every room in the home and help you decide what you should and shouldn’t keep.

But before we get to the checklist, we have some decluttering tips to make the process easier.

One in, One Out Rule

The holy grail of decluttering tips. The easiest way to declutter your home and keep it decluttered is to establish a one in, one out system. If you get a new pair of shoes, that means another pair have to go. This rule not only keeps your home tidy, but makes you more mindful of your shopping habits. So it’s good for your bank account and the environment!

Pick a Strategic Time to Declutter

Whilst you can have a clear out at any point in the year, some times are better than others. Spring is always a good time to declutter, as we like to start the year with a clear, tidy space. September may also be a good time to declutter, as the kids return to school and you can clear out any rubbish they’ve gathered over the summer. November is another good time to declutter, as you get rid of unwanted items to make way for impending Christmas gifts.

Tackle One Room at a Time

Breakdown what could otherwise seem like an impossible task into smaller, more manageable chunks. That’s why our decluttering checklist takes you through room by room. Set aside an hour each week to tackle a different room and you’ll have the whole house done in no time.

Sell or Donate Items

It can be disheartening to see how much clutter you’ve amassed over the years - especially when it’s heading to the rubbish tip. Wherever possible, try to sell or donate items so that they can find a new home.

Decluttering Checklist

1. Kitchen

Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home, which means it’s easy to gather lots of unnecessary items there over the years.

  • Clean out the fridge - get rid of expired food, sauces and empty wrappers.
  • Tidy up the spice cupboard - if you’ve got multiple tubs of the same spice, try to pour them into the same one.
  • Dirty dish towels - part with well worn dish towels that don’t do the job any more.
  • Excess pots, pans and utensils - decide how many you really need and get rid of any above that number.
  • Shopping bags - don’t leave bags for life scattered around once you’ve unpacked your shopping, store them away until your next shop.

2. Living Room

The whole family spend time in the living room, often leaving behind a trail of flotsam and jetsam as they go. A pair of earphones, a book and a half-finished piece of homework. Here’s your decluttering checklist for the living room.

  • Books and magazines - don’t leave stacks of books and magazines on the side, sell or recycle any you won’t read again.
  • Technology - nobody likes wires hanging around, remove or sell games consoles, laptops and other technology you no longer use.
  • Kids toys - try to keep the kids toys in a separate room, or get some nice storage boxes to keep them in.
  • Excess pillows and throws - if you’re often buried beneath a mountain of cushions and blankets, it may be time to get rid. Keep one good throw and one cushion per member of the family.
  • Candles - do you really need 3 scented candles on the go at once? No, get rid.

3. Home Office

Home Office

The office can easily become one of the most cluttered rooms in the home, with lots of miscellaneous notebooks, pens and paper floating around. It’s time to have a serious declutter. After all, tidy space, tidy mind.

  • Work documents - do you need them? If so, put them in a binder or folder and label them clearly. If not, send them to the recycling bin.
  • Diaries - make sure you only have one work diary at a time.
  • Pens and pencils - only keep a handful of pens on the desk, stored neatly in a holder and dispose of them once they run out.
  • Equipment - whether it’s printer ink, calculators or cables, only have what you’re using on your desk.

4. Bedroom

The bedroom should be a sanctuary; a place where we can relax and unwind at the end of a long day. But often it can become a source of stress, with dirty clothes and stray socks scattered everywhere. Declutter your bedroom and restore a sense of peace before you go to sleep.

  • Books and magazines - don’t keep stacks of books and magazines on the bedside table, only those you are currently reading.
  • Decorative items - get rid of excess decorative items so your bedroom doesn’t feel overcrowded.
  • Underwear drawer - get rid of old underwear you haven’t worn in years.
  • Under the bed - clear out random items which may have found their way under your bed.

5. Wardrobe

Wardrobe

Perhaps the most daunting task on our entire decluttering checklist is tackling the wardrobe. We can all admit to holding onto that pair of jeans long past we’ve been able to get them on. Now’s the time to let them go.

  • Seasonal clothes - store them out of the way until the appropriate season when you can swap them in.
  • Formal outfits - if you’re unlikely to attend a ball any time soon, it may be time to get rid of your prom dress.
  • Clothes that don’t fit - donate or sell clothes that no longer fit, or send them to a seamstress.
  • Clothes that you don’t wear - if you haven’t worn it in a year, send it to the charity shop.
  • Hangers - recycle excess clothes hangers to clear room in the wardrobe.

6. Kids' Bedrooms

Kids’ bedrooms are often a treasure cove of clutter. They move in and out of new phases so quickly, one toy is replaced by another and another and another, without ever getting rid of the old ones. Now’s the time to clear them out. Encourage kids to get rid of their toys by donating or selling them, so they go to another home, not the rubbish dump.

  • LEGO® bricks - you can sell your old LEGO® bricks by weight to at WeBuyBricks.
  • Toys - if they haven’t played with it in a year, it might be time to rehome them.
  • Teddies - keep the most special, sentimental teddies and get rid of the rest.
  • Technology - that games console they begged for but never use? It may be time to sell, recycle or store it.
  • Character bedding - if they’ve outgrown their paw patrol phase, get rid of that bedding.

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7. Bathroom

Bathroom

The bathroom can easily become cluttered as you amass all sorts of skincare, toiletries and makeup over the years. Clear some space on the bathroom shelf by getting rid of those that you don’t use or need.

  • Empty bottles - shampoo, conditioner, cleanser, deoderant - whatever it is, recycle empty bottles or get them refilled in store if possible.
  • Expired skincare - dispose of expired skincare and if you haven’t used it in 5 years, then you probably don’t need a new one.
  • Excess products - you don’t need 3 different bottles of bodywash, pick one bottle to keep in the shower at a time.
  • Excess towels and flannels - two towels, a flannel for your face and a flannel for your body. That’s enough.
  • Bobbles and bobby pins - these end up everywhere! Try to keep bobbles, clips, pins and brushes in basket so you always know where they are.

8. Attic

Clutter often migrates to the attic sooner or later. It’s an admission that an item is not important enough for you to keep it close at hand, but a stubborn refusal to let it go once and for all. Soon enough your attic becomes a healthy and safety hazard, packed to the rafters with bits and bobs you’ve picked up over the years. Make sure you don’t miss this off your decluttering checklist.

  • Photo albums - these may be the hardest item to let go of, but if you find yourself looking through photos of people you don’t remember, it may be time to get rid. Keep the photos you really love of the people that you really love, and try to streamline them into a few photo albums.
  • Certificates and trophies - do you really need your Frostie’s 10m swimming badge? Keep the certificates and trophies you’re really proud of and get rid of the rest.
  • Outdated decor - if you’ve stored old furniture and decor from your last home makeover, try to sell or donate them to clear space.
  • Old kids toys - will your kids really want to look back on a battered old Barbie in 20 years time? Keep their favourites and sell or donate the rest.

We Hope You’ve Found this Decluttering Checklist Useful!

If you come across any unwanted LEGO® bricks, you can sell it to us here at WeBuyBricks.

We buy unwanted LEGO® bricks by weight and resell it to people across the world! It’s good for the environment, good for your bank account and most importantly leaves you with a nice, clean home, free from LEGO® brick covered floors!

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