How to Declutter When You Don’t Have The Time

One of the questions I am frequently asked is “how do you declutter when you don’t have the time?” I hear from women all the time that they want to declutter their homes but they just don’t have the time.  

Look I totally get it! We all want to live uncluttered, but life is filled with responsibilities.

Often you’ve done your research and have gotten some really good info on the “how to’s” of decluttering but the problem remains when are you supposed to do the actual decluttering?  

Finding The Time When You Have No Time To Declutter

The busier your schedule is the more important it is to work on decluttering. The good news is there are things you can do to get rid of the clutter no matter how busy your schedule is.

The truth is finding the time to declutter when you feel like you have no time to declutter is about clearing the clutter slowly and steadily. 

The wonderful thing is, the more clutter you clear the more time you will find in your day. 

So if you’re tired of hearing yourself say there’s just too much stuff and too little time, here are some simple steps to help you declutter when you don’t have the time so that you can conquer the clutter once and for all!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase something mentioned in this post. See more details here.

1. Make Decluttering A Priority

This may not be what you want to hear, but the truth is if you’re struggling with time to declutter its because you’ve not made it a priority

Look we are all extremely busy, decluttering isn’t just going to happen unless you make it a priority.

It may seem less important than all of the other activities and obligations on your calendar, but a clutter-free home has so much value.

Things are not going to change for you if you don’t start taking steps to make the changes you want. I can give you all the secrets and tips there are, but in the end, it’s up to you to make it a priority and do the work.

Commit right now to making decluttering your home a priority!

2. Set Yourself Up For Success

If you’re starting a new diet your not going to keep large tubs of chocolate ice cream or packages or Oreos in the house. Why, because you know at some point you’ll give in to temptation and eat them. (Don’t ask me how I know this). When you start a diet you know it’s important to set yourself up for success by stocking up on healthy foods and getting the junk foods out.

Well, when it comes to decluttering you need to set yourself up for success in the same way. Instead of making sure you have healthy snack alternatives, I want you to make sure you have a few baskets or boxes always handy. These baskets or boxes need to have a permanent spot in the house, even if it’s a closet.

Personally, I have found it most helpful to keep a cute decorative basket like this one in my living room. It is always accessible and it looks like a regular part of our decor. But honestly, an old box picked up from a grocery store dumpster will work just as well. You’ll probably want to keep that in a closet so it won’t be quite as handy.

Now as you go about your day-to-day business and you come across some clutter or something you don’t need anymore, put it straight in one of your baskets or boxes.  This way you won’t have to worry about setting aside time to declutter when you don’t have the time.

3. Commit To A Specific Time When You’ll Declutter

One of the things that prevent us from having the time to declutter is that we see decluttering our home, or even a room in our home, as one big project. However, you really don’t need to declutter everything all at once. Taking 15 minutes here and there, will over time, result in a big improvement.

We all have moments in our day that we can commit to using to declutter.

In the beginning, it’s hard, you have to steal these 10 to 15 minutes but, I promise once you get a handle on it, it’s not so bad.

Think about using the first 10 to 15 minutes of your kid’s nap time or pull out a drawer to declutter while watching TV.  Add 10 to 15 minutes to dinner preparation to declutter a kitchen drawer or cabinet.

One of the things I found most helpful when I only had 10 to 15 minutes to declutter was to set the timer on my phone. I would commit to spending 15 minutes on an area I want to declutter, I set the timer on my phone when it goes off, I’m done. I may not have finished the project but I made a dent.

If you do this just three or four days a week you will be shocked by how much you declutter when you don’t have the time.  All it takes is a simple 15-minute decluttering sprint, we all can make the time for that!

4. Declutter As You Go About Daily Tasks 

Here’s the honest to goodness truth! You actually do not have to take any extra time to work on decluttering your home! Really, I’m not kidding, all you have to do is pay attention when you’re going about your normal day-to-day household activities.

As you come across items that should be decluttered do it then and there. For example, when you’re folding the laundry pay attention to any old clothes, clothes that are ripped, stained, or no longer fit.  Toss them instead of folding and putting them away!

When you’re getting your kids ready for the day and realize this top does not fit them anymore, toss it straight into that declutter basket or box.

Find an old sippy cup hiding in the back of the cupboard. Toss it out right then and there!

Putting the dishes away and realizing you have 20 coffee cups you never use? Pull them out, and take them straight to that declutter box.

Come across that gaudy necklace your husband’s Aunt gave you? You know what to do with it!

You see you really can declutter when you don’t have the time just by paying attention!

5. Declutter When You Don’t Have The Time By Delegating

I am such a big proponent of delegating. Probably because I myself struggle with delegating. 

If you are a mom with children, trust me they are capable of doing a lot more than you think. Stop holding on to chores that others can do themselves and start delegating them. You’ll be happy you did!

Also, consider delegating other chores by paying someone else to do them. If it’s within the budget, it is money well spent.

For instance, delegate grocery shopping with a grocery delivery service?   Another area you can delegate is meal planning.  There are some great meal planning services.  Two of my favorites are e-meals and $5 meal plan.

Delegating is a great way to declutter when you don’t have the time.

6. Make Decluttering Appointments

Let’s be honest, if it’s not written down on the calendar it’s most likely not going to happen. After all, life is busy and things come up all the time. When you’re really having a hard time fitting in decluttering, you need to write it on the calendar.

View this appointment as a commitment, like any other appointment on your calendar. Decide ahead of time, how much time you can commit to each week and put it on the calendar.

An added benefit of making decluttering appointments is that you don’t have this hanging over your head when you’re dealing with other things and that makes a huge difference. You’ve scheduled a specific time to work on it and you know you’ll get to it at that time.

7. Be Realistic With How Much You Can Declutter

Often when we feel like we don’t have the time for the things we want to accomplish, it’s really because we want to do too much. This just leads to discouragement and we end up accomplishing nothing.

You need to be realistic about what you can accomplish in your season of life. If you have very young children they require extra time. Being realistic means knowing you’re not going to be able to do as much. Someone with kids in school all day has more expendable time.

The same is true if you have a full-time job outside of the home. If this is the case, you may have less time to work on home projects than someone who works from home. 

Consider your season of life and don’t try and take on more than is reasonable. Even 15 to 20 minutes a day can really add up and make a dramatic difference in your home. Don’t sweat the big stuff. Pay attention to little progress. Give yourself grace and do what you can.

Becoming Minimalist has a great list of 10 creative ways to declutter your home.  You can complete many of these tasks in just 5 minutes or less.

Remember your home didn’t get cluttered in a day and your not going to unclutter it in a day. However, you can declutter when you don’t have the time and make real progress by stealing minutes here and there. Make it a priority and commit to it. The benefits of having a clutter-free home will be well worth it.