The thought of decluttering and organizing your home could be daunting, but giving your home a refresher is more rewarding than the tedious task itself. Not only does it come with physical rewards (I mean clean house, new energy), but it can also be therapeutic and even a fun challenge.

Remember, you don’t need to tackle everything at once. Focus on one room at a time and create a schedule that suits your lifestyle. Dedicate a few hours each week to make steady progress, and you’ll see the transformative results.

How to Declutter and Organize Your Home

Week 1: Bookshelf(ves)

We love having a library, and sometimes it’s hard to let go of good books. Although we’re all about decluttering, we also keep a library of books we can return to. After all, you’re never the same person when you read the same book twice or thrice, so you may have new perspectives.

Here are some tips:

• Group by genre
• Follow the two-thirds rule. According to experts, “only fill two-thirds of each shelf with books. What you do with the empty space depends on what look you’re trying to achieve. Add in decorative accessories or leave it clear for a minimalist vibe.”
• Separate your hard and soft covers.

Week 2: Closets

Sometimes a closest can turn into secondary storage. We might end up packing away extra houshold goods, bundles of unused towels and blankets, along with items accumulated from bargain shopping trips.

Here are some tips:

• Start by removing everything from your closet. This gives you a clear view of the space and what you have.
• Sort your items into categories—clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. This helps you organize them efficiently.
• Keep the current season’s clothing at the front and store away off-season items.
• Use boxes, dividers, or hanging organizers to maximize space and organize items like scarves, belts, and socks.

Week 3: Old Clothes 

Going through old piles of clothes can also be overwhelming, especially when we become attached to them. When some items hold sentimental value, it might be harder to them go.

Here are our tips:

• Go through each drawer and put your clothes in three piles.
  • Pile 1: Worn within the last few weeks 
  • Pile 2: Worn within the last few months 
  • Pile 3: Don’t remember when last worn

Consider donating items from piles 2 and 3. Our friends at our favorite charity thrift shop, Hidden Treasures, are accepting donations. We love their generous initiatives, such as their food pantry program, where they donate non-perishable foods to the homeless. 

• Take it from Marie Kondo and spend time with each item to see if it sparks joy. If it no longer does, it’s time to part ways. 
• Follow the Minimalists’ 90/90 rule and ask yourself if you used it within the last 90 days. Then, ask yourself if you’ll use it in the next 90 days. If not, then you might not use it at all. 

Week 4: Bedroom

While your entire home is a sanctuary, your bedroom is where you should feel most at peace (and rested). A clean bedroom can help with better sleep quality. 

Here are our tips:

• If you have space underneath your bed, use under-the-bed storage to store thicker blankets or seasonal clothes. 
• Start by cleaning your flat surface areas– table, dresser, vanity. Minimalize the items on your bedside table to essentials such as a lamp, clock, and a book. 
• Keep your hampers underneath open bedside tables. Use a cute basket to add to your bedroom aesthetics.

Week 5: Bathroom 

Schedule a day to do some deep cleaning for your bathroom and another day to focus just on organizing and taking inventory. This alleviates the pressure of making decluttering an all day event and have you ready for last minute overnight guests.

Here are our tips:

• Throw out old and unused items. 
• Take everything off the shelves and categorize it: towels, skin and hair care, everyday products and toiletries, and cleaning products. 
• Consider purchasing a shower caddy to organize your shampoo and conditioner bottles.
• Put spare items like toothbrushes and dental floss in clear decorative storage. Seeing them will remind you that you still have items that need to be used. 

Week 6: Kids Room 

Organizing your child’s room can be a tricky task. Children outgrow clothes, toys, and books pretty quickly. Use a couple of organizers and bins to get started.

Here are our tips:

• Divide toys into categories and keep the favorites within easy reach. Consider donating toys that are no longer played with.
• Use kid-friendly closet organizers and ensure clothes are hung or folded at their height for easy access.
• Use bins, baskets, or shelves for storing books, art supplies, and small toys.
• Engage your kids in organizing, making it a fun activity to do together. Let them decide which items to keep or donate.
• Encourage daily or weekly clean-up routines to maintain the organization.

Week 7: Kitchen Pantry 

One of our favorite rooms in our home is our kitchen. We spend endless hours cooking up new recipes and baking fresh goodies. Of course, with cooking comes the mess and a whole cupboard of expired products we forgot to use.

Here are our tips:

• Utilize your wall space with photo ledges for your cookbooks, or use a suspended pot hack. It also helps with aesthetics! 
• Throw away anything that’s expired. 
• Move your “use first” items to the bottom rack of your pantry. 
• Consider meal prepping based on items you have in your pantry 

For inspo, watch how our lovely friend Jojo organizes her pantry!

Week 8: Office 

We run Week to Weekend from our home and keeping a tidy office is key to staying productive. Keeping track of our documents is crucial to our business and also knowing where everything is placed.

Here are our tips:

• Remove everything from your desk, then only add back essential items.
• Utilize drawer dividers, pen holders, and document trays to keep supplies in order.
• Use clips or ties to keep cords untangled and out of sight.
• Install shelves to store books, documents, and office supplies, keeping your desk space clear.
• Regularly organize digital files and emails to reduce clutter on your computer.

Don’t know where to start? Try this challenge instead. 

Throw out or donate the calendar number of items for an entire month. For example, on the 1st, throw out one item, and on the 2nd, throw out two. By the end of the month, you’ll have about 465 items thrown or donated. Don’t overthink the process, and it can be simple items such as:

• Old pens and notebooks 
• Expired travel amenities 
• Faded towels 
• Broken phone chargers and chords 
• Worn out shoes 
• Unused bags 
• Board games 
• Paper trails of junk mail and documents

Let us know how you declutter and organize your home in the comments below.