The ultimate declutter checklist: 100 things to declutter today
When it comes to decluttering, the best way to break large decluttering jobs down is by using a declutter checklist, so you can tackle small tasks room by room.
If you’re ready to start decluttering, here’s a checklist for decluttering that will have your home clutter free in no time.
Download your FREE declutter checklist with 100+ items to declutter here
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Why using a decluttering checklist works
Between toys, clothes, paperwork, excess kitchen gadgets, and a general influx of “stuff”, it’s easy to see how you can become overwhelmed about where to start your decluttering efforts.
A checklist for decluttering helps you:
- Get into a decluttering mindset
- Focus on quick decluttering tasks that make the biggest impact
- Stay focused
- Feel motivated to tackle larger decluttering projects
- Feel calmer in your home
100 things to declutter in your home
If you’re ready to start decluttering, here are 100 things you can declutter from your home that will make your home feel calm and spacious.
You can tackle these areas in any order you like. When I declutter using this decluttering checklist, I choose an area, set a timer for 20 minutes, and declutter as many items as I can.
Kitchen clutter
As our kitchens are used a lot, clutter can build up quickly.
Here’s some things you can declutter from your kitchen, to make kitchen decluttering easy:
- Expired food in your fridge, freezer and pantry
- Condiment packets
- Empty bottles
- Duplicate cooking utensils
- Containers with missing lids or bases
- Chipped mugs, bowls and plates
- Mismatched crockery
- Excess pots and pans
- Plastic cutlery
- Chipped or peeling cookware
- Appliances you don’t use
- Broken appliances
- Excess drink bottles and flasks
- Worn out dish towels and cleaning cloths
- Cleaning products you don’t use
- Mops and brooms you don’t use
- Excess tote bags
- Magnets you don’t use
- Old party supplies
Clothing and accessory clutter
Decluttering clothes and accessories is something I try to keep on top of every season, or whenever I’m doing a bedroom declutter.
Here are some things you can declutter from your wardrobe:
- Clothes not worn in over 12 months
- Clothing that doesn’t fit, is stained, or worn out
- Bras with underwire coming out
- Underwear with holes
- Shoes that don’t fit or are worn out
- Mismatched socks
- Active wear you don’t wear
- Worn out accessories
- Excess hats
- Broken or unworn jewellery
- Glasses with old prescriptions
- Sunglasses you don’t wear, or are scratched
- Bags and purses you don’t use
- Extra hangers
Bathroom clutter
Bathrooms are another area in your home where clutter builds up quickly, especially if you don’t have sufficient storage.
Here are some things to declutter from your bathroom:
- Expired medication
- Expired toiletries
- Expired makeup and nail polish
- Sunscreen over 1 year old
- Lotions over 1 year old
- Perfume and cologne over 2 years old
- Excess toiletry bags
- Broken or mouldy bath toys
- Extra brushes and combs
- Hair accessories you don’t use
- Excess kid’s medicine syringes
- Old vitamins
- Old toothbrushes
Two bathroom storage solutions I use to help me with my limited bathroom space are a bathroom under sink organiser, which I use to store back up deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, and a makeup organiser, which stores my makeup brushes and creams.
Living room clutter
Here are some things to declutter from your living room:
- Excess coffee table items
- Décor you don’t like
- Dead plants
- Candles you don’t use
- Vases you don’t use
Kid’s clutter
Decluttering kid’s rooms can feel like a never ending task, but tacking it bit by bit not only keeps kid’s clutter under control, but can make your kids play with their toys longer.
Here’s a checklist for decluttering kid’s items:
- Arts and crafts no longer used
- Broken toys
- Outgrown toys
- Soft toys no longer used
- Games and puzzles with missing pieces
- Sticker books no longer used
- Books with torn pages
- Outgrown books
- Outgrown furniture
If you’re not sure what toys to declutter consider using a toy rotation system instead, so instead of decluttering toys, you’re keeping some stored away for future use.
You can also use toy storage to get toys off bedroom floors to reduce the amount of visual clutter in their bedrooms.
Linen clutter
Decluttering linens is the perfect decluttering job when you only have a small amount of time.
Here are some linen items you can declutter:
- Damaged or old towels
- Excess bedding
- Excess pillows and blankets
- Old pillows
- Linens you don’t use
Hobby clutter
Sometimes we have the best intention to stick to a hobby, we buy what we need, but then we just don’t find the time to do it.
Here are some hobby clutter items you may have in your home that you can declutter:
- Materials from unfinished projects
- Spare buttons
- Spare supplies
- Markers that don’t work
- Dried out paint
Paper clutter
Paper can pile up in different areas of your home, including kitchens.
Here are some paper items you can declutter today:
- Excess stationery
- Books you won’t read
- Unused cookbooks
- Old magazines
- Old newspapers
- Used notebooks
- Receipts and brochures you don’t need
- Old bank statements
- Old user manuals
- Travel guide books
- Packaging
- Old calendars and planners
- Cards with no sentimental value
- Takeout menus
- Business cards you don’t need
- Scraps of paper
RELATED: Decluttering paperwork: How to sort and organise fast
Electrical clutter
Electronics can clutter your home, and when decluttering this area don’t forget about doing a digital declutter.
Here’s a declutter checklist when it comes to electrical items:
- Cords for items you no longer have
- DVDs and CDs you don’t use
- Old phones
- Old laptops
- Old remote controls
- Old electrical equipment
Outdoor clutter
Outdoor items pile up because they’re out of sight, making this a great area to declutter because you can clear a lot away at once.
Here are some things to declutter outdoors:
- Garden equipment you don’t use
- Tools you don’t need
- Old paint
- Moving boxes
- Wood scraps
Seasonal clutter
Seasonal items are items you may think about decluttering before Christmas, or as part of a New Year’s declutter, and include things like:
- Broken decorations
- Wrapping paper cut-offs
- Excess wrapping paper and gift bags
How to use your free printable decluttering checklist
Here’s how to get the best results out of your free declutter checklist, which you can download here.
- Print it and keep it somewhere visible, like on your fridge
- Set a daily goal to declutter a few items
- Cross off the areas you’ve done
Using a declutter checklist – a recap
Using a checklist makes decluttering feel less overwhelming, and can help you decide where to focus your limited time.
Best of all, once you start ticking items off your checklist, your home will start to feel lighter and less chaotic.
The best way to start decluttering is to print out your decluttering checklist, pick one area, then set a timer for 20 minutes and declutter as many items from the area as you can.
In case you missed it, here’s your free printable declutter checklist that has all the items listed in this post.
What’s one area from this checklist you can commit to decluttering today?
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