How to Quickly Declutter 5 Areas in 10 Minutes or Less

Inside: Quickly declutter five main areas in and around your house with these simple, effective strategies for a 10 minute declutter mini project.

Does the idea of decluttering overwhelm you? Does a Marie Condo clean-out give you hives? You would not be alone if you answered yes to one or both questions!

Decluttering can be a scary thought. It’s perceived to be tedious, boring, and time-consuming. For these reasons, many people avoid it altogether. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can quickly declutter and feel accomplished in 10 minutes or less.

Like many things we dread but must do (exercise, do laundry, tackle work projects) it can be hard to begin but feel great once we do. We just need a strategy. And there are strategies for how to quickly declutter so you feel productive straight away.

Enter the snowball effect.

The snowball effect is the strategy of tackling a large project with one small, manageable item at a time. When I have a mountain of work to do I attack the simplest task first.  Being able to check something off the list is satisfying and inspires me to keep going. This momentum grows like a snowball.

Follow the easy strategies below for how to quickly declutter five (typically) messy areas around the house. I promise you will immediately feel more clear-headed and in control of your life.

Areas at Home You Can Quickly Declutter

The Dreaded Junk Drawer

I’m willing to bet you have a junk drawer. Who doesn’t? The beauty of how quickly you can declutter this spot is that much of it truly is junk: items long forgotten that you no longer need or no longer work. Tackle this drawer using the steps below. If you are ruthless you’ll quickly declutter this area in 10 minutes flat and feeling lighter than ever.

Steps to quickly declutter your junk drawer:

1. Pick the messiest drawer in your home.
2. Dump it. Take every item out and spread it all on the floor.
3. Take stock of everything and make quick decisions about what to toss, keep or donate (this is not life or limb — you’ll be surprised how fast you can eliminate items when you remind yourself of its true value)
4. Toss broken or useless items (i.e., random screws, old keys, dried out pens)
5. Keep items you actually use (i.e., small tools, hair ties, band-aids, pens you love)
6. Organize the keep items in small trays

The Hub of the Family Kitchen — The Fridge

The refrigerator might be the MVP of your kitchen as the one appliance you truly can’t live without (my dishwasher is a close second). A great time to quickly declutter your fridge is before a grocery run. Taking 10 minutes to do this will allow you to see what food you actually need and provide room to store it.

Steps to quickly declutter your refrigerator:

1. Toss expired items, empty bottles and leftovers you know will never get eaten.  
2. Wipe down the shelves with a damp rag.
3. If you want a deep clean, remove all the refrigerator contents, wipe down shelves and remove drawers and trays to wash in the sink. This takes longer of course but is good to do every couple of months.

Extra credit: Take this a step further and organize your fridge’s contents. Use clear plastic bins in various sizes to contain small and medium sized items.

The Other Hub of the Family Kitchen — The Pantry

The pantry is one of the most common clutter hotspots. It’s so easy for this area to get crowded and cluttered but essential to keeping organized, since it’s a highly used area of the house.

Steps to quickly declutter your pantry:

1. Make quick decisions and toss what is expired or past its prime. 
2. Be honest with yourself…don’t hold on to that random can of chickpeas because you keep saying you’ll make homemade hummus (but know you won’t). 
3. Keep an ongoing grocery list (a dry erase board works great for this) and note the missing items you often use (spices, condiments, etc.)  to replenish at next grocery run.
4. Donate canned goods.  Visit Feeding America to find a food bank near you.  

Your Home Library

As a book lover, I have a lot of books in my home for myself and my children. However, in my pursuit of simplified living, I use our local library so much more. Books are expensive and generally not read more than once by adults (although kids read their favorites time and time again).

Steps to quickly declutter your books:

1. Go through each bookshelf or area of your home where you keep books (nightstand, coffee table, bathroom (ha!). Have a couple of sturdy boxes available for this as books get super heavy of course!
2. For children’s books, remove ones that are super worn or too juvenile. 
3. For adult books remove ones you’ll never read again (or never read in the first place).  Be honest with yourself. If you’ve had a book for over a year that you keep meaning to read but don’t — you probably won’t.
4. Keep books that are extra special (i.e., a gift book, family heirloom, an absolute favorite) or reference books you often use.
5. Pack all unwanted books in a sturdy bag or cardboard box.
6. Donate gently used books to your local library, school, church or Goodwill.

Extra credit: Either donate your unwanted books or set up a book exchange with friends. This is an awesome way to try out new books without the cost and clutter.  Also, use the library!

Your Home Away from Home — Your Car

If you have children you know how disgusting a car can get. Or if you’re a mom who says “no eating in the car” I bow to you because as neat obsessed as I am, I cannot enforce this rule. I can’t even enforce it on myself. LOL! Regardless if you have kids or you don’t eat in your car, it is easy to become a hotbed of clutter.

steps to quickly declutter your car:

1. Open all doors and the trunk.
2. With a trash bag go through every seat and cup holder in your car tossing all trash (you’ll be surprised how much accumulates especially if you have children sitting in the back seat). 
3. Take everything out of the storage compartment between the driver and passenger seats.  Like the junk drawer above, lay everything out to toss or keep. Again, the key is quick decisions.
4. Organize items you want easy access to in small pouches (I like to keep lip balm, sunscreen, hand sanitizer and napkins on hand). 
5. Do the same exercise above with all storage compartments inside the car (i.e., the dash compartment, seat pockets). Important tip! Be sure to keep your car registration and insurance within easy access.
6. Repeat the process with the trunk.  Use a travel storage caddy to store essential items such as an umbrella, a flashlight, a beach towel or outdoor blanket, etc.

You can also gather books, random toys, flung-off shoes, etc and toss all in one spot (keep a basket in the car for corralling loose items). When you arrive home transfer the basket inside for proper placement of contents.

Extra credit:  Next time you get gas, resist scrolling your phone and survey the car for trash to throw away or recycle (there is always trash and recycle bins next to pumps).  Simply cleaning out the dirty tissues and gum wrappers will immediately make your car look better. 

Using the Snowball Effect for a Quick Declutter

Instead of looking at decluttering as a scary project, remember the snowball effect and start with a small area such as the ones suggested above.  Set your phone timer to keep you on track if necessary so you’ll work quickly.  Even decluttering small spots in your home will bring clarity and space for the valuable things in your life.

P.S. I didn’t speak to toys because that’s a whole other ballgame (check out my Toy Declutter Strategy).