Decluttering When You Don’t Have Time: 10 Strategies That Work

You know that feeling when you walk into a room and it looks like a confetti bomb went off? That’s my daughter’s bedroom and bathroom on any given day — beauty products, clothes, hair ties, stuffed animals, tiny toys everywhere. It’s a lot. And finding the time to actually deal with it feels impossible when life is already pulling you in ten directions.

But here’s what I’ve learned — decluttering when you don’t have time doesn’t have to mean carving out a whole afternoon. Real progress can happen in small stolen moments throughout your day. A few minutes here, a quick decision there, and before long the clutter actually starts to retreat.

Here are 10 strategies that work even on your busiest days.

10 Ways to Declutter When You Don’t Have Time

Here’s the best part: none of these decluttering strategies require a free weekend or a major time commitment. Pick one that fits where you are today and just get started — even five minutes counts.

1. Start small

Whenever a project seems too big, you must first to break down the steps into smaller ones (think small to accomplish something big).  Decluttering is no different and you can feel accomplished, even with a small act of decluttering, when you don’t have much time available.  

Clean out one drawer, one shelf or one area of your closet.  Tell yourself you are clearing out items from only one space and allow a maximum amount of time.  These small, minuscule acts will allow you to make decluttering progress without spending hours to do it.

2. Declutter as you go about your day

When you don’t have time to declutter, give it a try while you are moving about the house and your daily routine.  Look for ways to remove excess items from your home while simply living in it.  When you take on this perspective you’ll be surprised at what you see that no longer fits your needs or works well for you.

Ways to declutter throughout your day

• Before moving dry, clean clothes back to their closet after doing laundry, take a closer look and remove what no longer fits, is ever worn or is in bad condition.  Throw said items into a donation bag.
• While washing dishes in the sink or emptying the dishwasher, notice chipped mugs, glassware that you really never loved (or have too many of), mismatched plates that don’t work with your decor and place them in a box for donation.  
• Clear out 5 items from your fridge and pantry that are expired, gross or you no longer plan to eat when you are making out a grocery list or meal planning.
• When paying bills, sort your mail and one stack of papers to avoid paper clutter.
• During a playroom tidy remove any toys that are broken, have missing game pieces or is well past its prime.  
• While getting ready for the day and putting on makeup – declutter your makeup!  Toss expired, old or no longer used items.
• During your next bath or shower remove 3 items of never-used shampoo, body wash or an old bath sponge.

3. Keep a donation box on hand

As you declutter you’ll need a designated area to put discarded items.  Have a box or bag available to hold what you’ve cleaned out until you are ready to donate them.  You can use grocery bags, Amazon boxes or an old laundry hamper – any sort of simple container.

Keep the container in a convenient location such as your laundry room, the floor of a closet, the garage, etc., where it’s out of the way but not so removed you don’t use it. This will give you a drop zone (so to speak) of unwanted stuff in one place.

4. Set a timer

Block a small amount of time for a declutter by setting a timer.  Allow yourself 15 minutes max and get started.  Go after mini projects or small declutter hotspots you can clean out in 10-15 minutes.  This is a great strategy if you don’t want to get too deep into a project and before you know it half a Saturday has gone by. Stay focused with limited time so you can move on to other tasks or activities for the day.

Mini Declutter Projects

• Your handbag, backpack or purse
• Your car
• Your shower or bathtub contents
• Your medications
• Your coffee mugs
• Your sock drawer
• Two shelves of your refrigerator
• Two shelves of your pantry

5. Declutter spontaneously

For bigger projects, yes, you’ll want to schedule time on your calendar if, for example, you are preparing to move or setting up a garage sale.  But sometimes the best time to declutter is when it is entirely unplanned.  Go on a whim!

Here’s an example…you are watching Netflix one evening and spy that overstuffed basket of blankets – remove ones you no longer need, love or are past their prime.  Boom! You’ve decluttered!  Place blankets in a box and have them set aside for a donation run.

When you are sick of staring at a bunch of stuff and the mood strikes, go with it. Even ten minutes will lighten your load — both literally and mentally.

6. Involve your family

There is no need for only one person be responsible for keeping your home tidy and clear of excess stuff.  Involve other family members if possible.  Talk with your spouse or household family members about the benefits of decluttering and that their help would be appreciated. 

Kids can get in on the action too – get some one-one-one time with them for a few minutes by going through their bookshelf or winter jackets.  If planning to donate or pass anything down to others, teach the valuable lesson of giving to those in need. 

7. Toss, don’t put away

As you are tidying up or doing general household chores, don’t just put things away – toss or recycle items that keep piling up or only get moved from place to place.  With this mindset you’ll notice things that serve no purpose and be able to get rid of things quickly. This could be a stack of mail, excess grocery bags, nightstand items you never use, etc.

8. Use a checklist or challenge

A great way to declutter when you don’t have time is to use a checklist.  You can get a free declutter checklist here.  A checklist will keep you on task and provide ideas for what you no longer need. 

Or motivate yourself with a daily declutter challenge (get a free 30 day declutter challenge here). This gives you simple, daily decluttering tasks.  Use it as a daily or weekly challenge – whatever amount of time is available to you. The projects are designed to be small but mighty.

9. Don’t feel guilty about limited time 

Avoid the guilt or frustration of feeling you don’t have time to declutter.  Embrace the idea of progress over perfection and be proud of even little steps you make towards decluttering your home. Decluttering can be a long-game strategy, not something that is done in one fatal swoop.  It took a long time to collect the clutter in the first place so it won’t go away overnight.

10. Keep up daily habits 

It is easier to declutter when you don’t have much time by keeping your home tidy on a daily basis with simple routines and organization.  This keeps clutter to a minimum and allows you to declutter quickly when you don’t have much time.  Also consider your shopping habits and what you bring into your home. Less stuff means less to manage and declutter.  A simple concept for being able to declutter when you don’t have time.

Small Moments Add Up to a Big Difference

Decluttering when you don’t have time isn’t about finding a free Saturday (that may never happen). It’s about making the most of the small windows you already have. Five minutes here, one quick decision there, a donation bag that slowly fills up over time. It all adds up.

The clutter didn’t appear overnight and it won’t disappear overnight either. But with a little consistency and these strategies in your back pocket, you’ll be surprised how much lighter your home — or pre-teen daughter’s room — starts to feel, even on your busiest days.