Decluttering your home can feel like an overwhelming task, to say the least. But creating vague to-do lists only makes it worse. (We should know — we’ve had “declutter bathroom drawers” on ours since January.) Instead of taking a generalized approach to organizing and decluttering, be specific and think granularly about your ambitions. Starting small…
If you need some inspiration, we’ve compiled a list of five things you can declutter in just a few minutes. This will leave you with a sense of satisfaction and help you make a real dent in reducing your excess belongings.
1. Medicine Cabinet
One way to get near-instant satisfaction is to crack open your medicine cabinet and quickly sort through its contents. Begin by checking the dates on your medicine, skin care, and other toiletries, discarding anything expired or no longer needed. Next, look for empties that might not have made their way to the trash yet, as well as any products you tried and didn’t like but are holding onto because you feel bad tossing them. And, if you often use your medicine cabinet as a catchall for items that actually belong in your first aid kit, take this opportunity to put them back where they belong to free up valuable space.
2. Purses and Backpacks
Our purses and backpacks are highly prone to clutter (and, admittedly, trash). It really only takes a few minutes to dump them out and declutter, leaving you with just the essentials. Look for things that you’ve thrown in your bag for a night out and forgotten to put back, such as tubes of lipstick from your makeup pouch, loose cash and change that belong in a coin purse, and receipts that you can either file or discard. If your backpack has a lot of small, loose items, consider grabbing an extra zipper pouch (or ordering this cute one from Amazon) to keep things tidy.
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3. Entryway Shoe Storage and Hooks
If you have entryway shoe storage and/or hooks, chances are, they’re cluttered. Whether it’s a rack or a cabinet, go through the shoes by your front door and move any styles you don’t wear often back to your wardrobe for those special occasions. It’s also worth taking a look at your wall hooks and removing anything you don’t absolutely need by the front door, such as extra hats, empty tote bags and purses, or jackets that would look tidier in a closet.
4. Utensil Drawer
Overwhelmed by kitchen cabinets and drawers? Tackle your utensil drawer first. This is likely the drawer you reach for most, and as a result, it might have way too many extra chopsticks from sushi takeout, random straws, writing instruments, and other items that either don’t belong or could go elsewhere. Start by taking everything out and wiping down the organizer (don’t ask us how, but these always end up covered with crumbs). Then, place your utensils and other necessary items back in the drawer in an orderly fashion. Take a look at what’s left; can you find another place for it? For example, those chopsticks and any plastic takeout utensils can go in a zipper-top freezer bag or a mason jar in your pantry for future use.
5. Catchall Dishes
Catchall dishes certainly come in handy, allowing you to corral small clutter in one spot. But just like junk drawers, they eventually become unruly. Empty the dish (or dishes) and try to find homes for as many items as you can. Perhaps you have a bunch of loose change that could go in a coin purse for laundry day, or maybe you put some jewelry pieces in there while cleaning and forgot to return them to their designated spot. Whatever the item, chances are there’s a proper place for it elsewhere in your home.
