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When a new year starts, we often feel motivated to make changes in our lives. As I said in a post about how to enjoy winter, I recommend not trying to overhaul everything at once in January. At least where I am in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s still cold and dark this time of year, and not the most energetic time. That being said, a very straightforward, easy 30-day declutter challenge that takes just a few minutes a day can be an excellent way to gain momentum for the rest of the year.
This challenge doesn’t take much of your time. But it helps you start the year on a positive note. By February, your space is clear, and that means your mind is clearer, as well. You can, of course, do this challenge, at any time of the year. If you have a goal to start a minimalist lifestyle, it’s a great way to kickstart that journey with some easy wins that will give you momentum to transform your habits.
This 30-day declutter challenge includes days dedicated to selling, donating, or recycling the items you decluttered. (Click the links for details on where to take things in each of those categories.) This way, you’ll end the 30 days with a clear space, not junk piles in your garage or garbage bags full of clothes in your trunk.
How to Do the 30-Day Declutter Challenge
Here are some quick guidelines for the challenge, to get you started on the right foot!
- This challenge is set up to start with easiest things first and get more challenging later in the month. This will help you build momentum and get some practice discarding the low-hanging fruit before you tackle harder things.
- Spend a maximum of 20 minutes per day on the challenge. Choose a time of day to declutter and try to stick with it to build the habit and keep going for the full 30 days.
- If you miss a day, try to do two areas the next day (even if that means you spend less than 20 minutes on each). It’s more important to be consistent than to be perfect.
- Tweak the plan to meet your needs. For example, maybe you don’t have kids, a pet, or a car. Replace those days with areas that need extra attention in your home.
- Print out the printable version and hang it up somewhere visible. Mark off each day as you complete it for motivation.
- Tell anyone who lives with you what you’ll be doing. They need a heads up that things may start disappearing. And they may even want to help!
- If you live with others, only declutter things that are yours (or that belong to small children). Trying to declutter things that belong to your partner or other family members will backfire.
- Prepare for the challenge by working on your mindset: One Mindset Shift that Will Turn You into a Minimalist
Tips for Deciding What to Declutter
Decluttering is not easy. There’s a reason things pile up. It all seems important! But if you’re only spending 20 minutes a day, you’ll need to make decisions fast. Here are some tips for when you’re waffling:
- Create a “maybe” box. When you’re unsure about something, throw it in the “maybe” box. When the 30 days are up, tape it shut. Leave it another 30 days. If you end up wanting something, open it and take it out. But after the waiting period, discard everything without going through it again. Most likely, you’ll never even unseal the box. This is mental trick creates an intermediate step. Throwing something in the “maybe” box doesn’t feel as final in the moment. But you’ll declutter most if it anyway.
- Ask yourself some questions…
- Do I have multiples of this item?
- Would this cost more than $20 to replace if I really needed to? (If not, let it go!)
- Have I used this in the past year?
- Do I even like it? (You’d be surprised how often we ignore this crucial question.)
- Is it expired? (This doesn’t just go for food – medicine, makeup, and other items can expire)
- Review the 10 Bad Reasons You Hold onto Junk. Don’t fall for any of these traps!
- Review these 10 questions to help you decide which clothes to declutter.
- Don’t let guilt hold you back. You may feel guilty about discarding things you can’t sell, donate, or recycle. It doesn’t feel good to add to landfills. But ultimately, that’s where junk will end up whether you keep it in your home for 50 years or not. Instead of feeling guilty, commit to changing your habits so you stop collecting junk in the first place.
The 30-Day Declutter Challenge
Let’s get started! Read below for descriptions of what to declutter each day. You can also download a printable version.
Day 1: Setup
Today you’re just preparing. Designate areas for Sell, Donate, and Recycle items. Order ThredUp clean-out bags to quickly get rid of your clothes at the end of the challenge.
Day 2: Kitchen – Pantry, Fridge, Freezer
Do a quick scan of your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Check the expiration dates on all your items and toss anything that’s out of date. Also, get rid of any ingredients you bought for a specific recipe that you know you’re unlikely to use again.
Day 3: Mail / Papers
Most of us have an area of a countertop somewhere in our homes where we throw our mail, receipts, and other papers. Shuffle through these papers and separate what’s trash from what’s important. Most things will be shredded or thrown in the trash. A few things may actually be important – stick those in a folder.
Day 4: Kitchen – Gadgets, Appliances, Dishware
Examine your kitchen gadgets, appliances, and dishware. Discard anything you don’t use or don’t particularly like. Be honest with yourself about how often you really plan to make homemade yogurt, ice cream, juice or any other product you have a single-use machine for.
Day 5: Kitchen – Countertop
Clear off anything still on your kitchen countertops after the past few days. Wipe them down. Only return high-use items that actually belong in a kitchen.
Day 6: Bathroom – Medicine Cabinet + Makeup
Look through both your medicines and check expiration dates. We often forget that medicines can expire. Dispose of any that are past the expiration date. The same goes for makeup. Are there any products you’ve been hanging on for over a year? Here’s a resource for average shelf lives of various makeup products.
Day 7: Bathroom – Hair and Makeup Tools
Look through your drawers and cabinets for any hair or makeup tools you don’t use regularly. Hair dryers and irons, makeup brushes and sponges, etc. If you have a few minutes leftover, do a sweep of your cosmetics (lotions, nail polish, etc.) If you don’t use it at least once a week, dump it.
Day 8: Junk Drawer
This drawer gets a day all to itself. It appears in different rooms of the house for different people. But it’s generally full of all kinds of things you don’t know what to do with – parts of appliances, old keys, paperclips, coins, etc. It’s a bit intimidating. But think of it this way: this drawer is a waiting area for things we don’t want to make decisions about. Go ahead and make the decision today to discard most of it.
Day 9: Dresser / Closet
Today, focus only on anything that’s damaged. Socks with holes, shirts with permanent stains, shoes with worn out soles. This is the low-hanging fruit before you get to the bigger questions about clothes.
Day 10: Dresser / Closet
Do a quick scan of anything that is not your current size. Don’t spend enough time to have feelings about any size changes you’ve gone through over the years. Just throw the items that don’t fit in the “donate” or “sell” pile.
Day 11: Dresser / Closet
Choose 15 items that made the previous cuts. Look for things you rarely wear. They may be a bit unflattering, uncomfortable, or not practical for where you currently live. (Refer to these 10 questions to help guide you.)
Day 12: Dresser / Closet
Declutter any jewelry you don’t use regularly. If you haven’t worn a piece in the last 6 months, you’re unlikely to in the future.
Day 13: Linen Closet
Declutter sheets and towels that have seen better days, or that you just don’t need. You can donate them to your local animal shelter.
Day 14: Cleaning Supplies
Delve into the cabinet where you keep your cleaning supplies. Declutter all but what you regularly use. If you have duplicates of certain products, combine them into the same container.
Day 15: Entryway / Coat Closet
Clear out old scarves, hats, gloves, coats, and umbrellas that you don’t use anymore. Plus, declutter any other miscellaneous items that tend to pile up in that area.
Day 16: Pet Items
If you have a pet, look for old toys, treats, and medicines that they no longer use or need.
Day 17: Kids’ Clothes
If you have kids, find 10 items they’ve outgrown and put them in the donation pile. If they’re older, ask for their help with this task.
Day 18: Kids’ Toys
Again, if you have kids, find 10 toys they no longer use and discard them. If they’re older, ask them for help with this task.
Day 19: Living Room
Scan your living room. Grab any junk that’s been stashed there, as well as any decor that isn’t adding anything (coffee table books, extra pillows and blankets, etc.)
Day 20: Living Room – Entertainment Console
Do you have a cabinet somewhere in your living room where you keep things like board games, decks of cards, DVDs, etc.? Look through that. I find that things pile up here very easily – and most can be decluttered.
Day 21: Electronics
Look for cords, cables, and even phones and laptops that you no longer use, or which have stopped working. It’s tempting to keep electronics forever because a) they’re expensive, and b) we’re worried they have data we might need in the future. It’s also common to keep cords when we don’t remember what device they pair with – just in case. These aren’t good enough reasons to keep an electronics graveyard in your home. Go ahead and recycle them.
Day 22: Bookshelf
Declutter books you’ve already read. For those you haven’t, be honest with yourself: are you ever going to read them, or are you simply not that interested? Remember that you don’t need old textbooks if you’ve finished school! You can bring what you declutter to a free library.
Day 23: Desk / Office
If you have an area of your home you use for work or study, declutter your papers, office supplies, pens, etc. I work remotely, and when I decluttered I was shocked to realize I barely need any office supplies or paper anymore. Just about everything I do is online these days. You may be in the same boat. If you have a few extra minutes, shuffle through your documents. Are there any bills or tax documents that you kept for a previous tax year that you don’t need anymore? Or documents that you have electronic duplicates of? Shred them.
Day 24: Hobby-Related Items
Do you have any equipment from a hobby or sport that you stopped pursuing? (Craft supplies, sports equipment, etc.) Don’t leave these as reminders of your former hobby. Get rid of them!
Day 25: Car
If you have a car, do a quick declutter. Trash piles up easily in cars, but also things like mail, cans and bottles, hats and gloves, etc. You don’t need to do a full detail here. Just clear up what’s cluttering your seats and trunk.
Day 26: Exercise Equipment
Do an assessment of any home exercise equipment you have. It’s hard to tackle exercise equipment. Even if we know we don’t use something, we tell ourselves we need to keep it because we “should” use it. Here’s how to counter that: If you don’t use something at least once a week, get rid of it. And don’t feel bad about buying an ab roller or Pilates ball you don’t use. You learned that it’s not practical for your lifestyle. Which is fine! Donate it to someone who can use it.
Day 27: Purge – Mail Your ThredUp Clean-Out Bags
Congratulations! You’re done with the decluttering portion of the challenge! The next step is the one we often put off: getting things from the “discard” piles out of our homes. If you ordered ThredUp clean-out bags at the beginning of the challenge, they should have been delivered by now. Put all the clothing items you decluttered that are in good condition in the bags and drop them off at UPS.
Day 28: Purge – Drop Off Donations
Grab your “donate” pile and take it to a local donation center (like Goodwill or Salvation Army) or donation bin. See this post for more on where to donate what you decluttered.
Day 29: Purge – Recycle
Separate the items in your “recycle” pile – clothes, electronics, household items, etc. Take some time today to drop items off at the appropriate recycling bins. See this post for ideas about where to recycle various items.
Day 30: Purge – Sell Online
Congratulations! You made it to Day 30! If there are any valuable items you want to spend a little extra time selling online, take a few minutes today to post them on a platform like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Poshmark. Check this post for ideas on where to sell.
Next Steps After the 30-Day Declutter Challenge
If you want to keep your momentum going, here are some ideas for goals for the rest of the year:
- Ruthlessly declutter your wardrobe
- Employ the KonMari Method to dedicate a few days to deep and transformative decluttering
- Create minimalist skincare, makeup, and hair routines
- Create a capsule wardrobe
- Do a no-buy month
Your Printable 30-Day Declutter Challenge
I encourage you to print this PDF version of the challenge, post it somewhere visible in your home, and cross off days as you complete them. It’s a great motivator for the month!
What Do You Think?
Have you ever done a 30-day declutter challenge? Did you just finish this one and you have some thoughts? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
You May Also Like…
How to Make Money from Your Clutter: Where to Sell Online After You Declutter
Minimalist Mindset: How to Go Beyond Decluttering to Become a Minimalist
How to Declutter Clothes: 10 Questions to Purge Your Closet
How to Declutter for Good: 10 Bad Reasons You Hold onto Junk
One Mindset Shift that Will Turn You into a Minimalist
How to Donate Your Clutter: 6 Ideas for Getting Rid of Clutter Fast
