Declutter Your Home Fast – 40 Fifteen Minute Decluttering Tasks

Today I want to look at how to declutter your home fast with 40 decluttering tasks you can complete in 15 minutes or less.

Even if you have no motivation to do any decluttering today, dealing with these decluttering tasks is so quick and easy that there’s no good reason not to do it. Everyone has 15 minutes they can spare. In fact, they will be the best 15 minutes you can spend!

Can You Really Declutter Your Home Fast?

Creating space in your home is the best way to create space in your life. For most of us, that begin’s with getting rid of the clutter. Truth be told that’s not always easy to do. You may even be wondering how in the world will you ever find the time to accomplish all these decluttering tasks, you may be putting it off.

I promise you I’ve been there myself and I know that decluttering can feel downright impossible at times. Now that I’m here on the other side of the clutter overwhelm, I promise you can do this piece by piece. Small decluttering tasks will add up much quicker than you realize. 

This of course means you do not have to spend hours and hours at a time decluttering.

It’s time to stop letting the idea of decluttering your entire home be overwhelming. Each of these tasks is designed to allow you to make real progress in just 15-minute increments, many of them will take even less time.

Declutter Room by Room

The best and easiest way to declutter your home fast is going room by room. 

Depending on the amount of clutter you have, decluttering your entire home can be a big undertaking. Needless to say, this feels overwhelming and causes us to procrastinate once again. 

However, when you break it down and focus on decluttering one room at a time it becomes much more manageable. 

Declutter your Home Fast – 40 Decluttering Tasks

Before you start, remember this list of decluttering tasks is not intended to be done all at once. The purpose is to help you take small steps forward so that you can begin to enjoy the benefits of a decluttered home. As you stick to them before you know it you will be on your way to creating a home you love!

If you’re not convinced that 15 minutes a day can make a difference I want you to consider what it means to spend just 15 minutes a day decluttering 5 days a week. If you do this, at the end of the year, you will have dedicated a whopping 3,900 minutes to decluttering. That equals 65 hours. And guess what, because you only spent 15 minutes at a time, you didn’t even notice the time.

But what you will notice is the amazing feeling of a clutter-free home! 

So if you’re ready to get started decluttering your home fast let’s go.

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How to Declutter Fast In The Bedroom

My favorite place to recommend starting the decluttering process is in the bedroom. This is the room that should be a sanctuary, relaxing and peaceful. Even if you have a lot of clutter in this room don’t worry, you can still declutter your home fast with these easy and quick bedroom decluttering tasks. 

The Tops of Your Nightstands

Your bedroom nightstands are often an area where all kinds of things get piled. Whether it’s books, water bottles, charging cords, alarm clocks, jewelry, lotions, lamps, candles, random papers, tissues, or any other number of items, clearing your nightstand surface will have a dramatic impact on the feel of your bedroom. 

You don’t necessarily have to clear off all of these items. Some do make sense to keep on the nightstand, such as a lamp or alarm clock. However, many of the items need to be cleared off and given a proper home. 

Take 15 minutes to declutter the surface enough to get rid of anything that should not be there. Carefully choose what you want to keep there. You don’t want it to feel cluttered, or make it difficult to reach for the things you do need. 

Going forward make it a part of your morning routine to declutter the nightstand surface every morning, right after your make the bed. This will keep the clutter from coming back.

The Nightstand Drawers

Now that the top of the nightstand is nice and clutter-free, if your nightstand has a drawer, clear it of clutter as well.  Just like with the nightstand surface, go through the drawers and get rid of anything that does not belong in there. 

Once you’ve cleared out the drawers, place a couple of small baskets in the drawer to organize small items so things don’t get cluttered again. 

The top of Dressers 

Let’s face it, any flat surface is pretty much fair game to plop things down on. Your dresser top is just another flat surface and that makes it a magnet for clutter.

Declutter all the stuff on the top of your dresser that shouldn’t be there.  Today is the day to see the top of this surface again and give it a good dusting.

You might like to have something decorative, but keep it to a minimum. It is more calming to have some clear surfaces, especially in your bedroom. This means being ruthless with clearing this area.

Remember having calming and relaxing environment is especially important for your bedroom. You want your bedroom to be a place for you to rest and relax.

Declutter Any Clothing or Shoes on the Floor or Furniture 

How many items of clothing do you have lying on the floor, on the bed, or on top of furniture? It’s time to do something with them!

Put all dirty clothes in the laundry hamper. All clean clothes go back in the closet or a drawer. Finally, put away any shoes sitting out.

To stop the clutter from reappearing make a commitment to put your clothes away as soon as you take them off. I know this is not an easy habit to develop, but once it’s ingrained, you’ll never go back to tossing them on the floor or on top of furniture.

Declutter Any Clothing You Don’t Like or no Longer Fits

For the most part, decluttering your clothing is not usually a task that can be done in 15 minutes. Unless you are decluttering specific items each day.

There is nothing that says you have to take everything out and declutter it all at once. So go ahead and pick an area of clothing to go through each day if have a lot of clothing clutter.

For now, start with getting rid of those items that you know do not fit or that you never wear because you don’t like them. This is a great way to get started.

Once you’ve done that you can go back the next day and either go drawer by drawer or consider doing items, like all t-shirts on Monday, dresses on Tuesday, Pants on Wednesday, etc.

Declutter Jewelry & Accessories

Similar to clothing, if you have a lot of jewelry and/or accessories you may have to spread this out over a few days.

The goal is to go through and quickly pick items you definitely don’t wear anymore. Don’t spend too much time thinking about it, just pick out those pieces you don’t love or haven’t worn for years. 

Next, declutter all broken pieces or items missing a pair. Toss all of these items. These simple tasks should not take too long and will make a good dent in this clutter!

Make Your Bed Every Day

This may not seem like a decluttering task in the traditional sense. However, it’s an easy way to declutter your home fast. Getting in the habit of making your bed first thing every morning, will make your bedroom feel put together and less cluttered. This will motivate you to both continue decluttering and maintain a clutter-free room.

Plus, making your bed first thing starts your day on a positive note because you’ve already accomplished one thing. It only takes a moment to make your bed, there really is no reason not to do it!!

How to Declutter Fast in the Bathroom

Clear the Counter Tops

Bathrooms tend to be the smallest rooms in the house and they can easily look cluttered with only a few items out of place.

To keep your bathroom looking neat and clutter-free you want your bathroom counters as clear as possible.

Store all toiletries in cabinets or drawers when you are done using them. Limit decor on the countertops as much as possible. For those things that you do keep on the countertops use baskets or trays to corral them so they don’t get out of hand. 

To maintain clutter-free bathroom countertops clear them at least twice a day. In the morning after getting ready put anything out away and wipe down the sink and counters quickly. As you are getting ready for bed, do the same thing. This little habit that takes less than 5 minutes will keep the clutter at bay.

Declutter The Medicine Cabinet

If it’s been a while since you’ve decluttered the medicine cabinet don’t be surprised to find a few expired items.  Properly dispose of all expired medication. 

Go through and get rid of any other items that you know you will never use or that don’t belong in there. Give it a good wipe down and you’re all done!

Declutter Hair Care Products

Hair products have a tendency to pile up easily. 

Toss any empty containers.  If you have more than one open bottle of the same product you might want to combine them to cut down on clutter.

Also, throw out any old products that you won’s use or products that you purchased but really don’t like. There is no reason to hang on to those, they just add clutter.

While you’re going through your hair care products go ahead and toss out any broken hair clips and hair ties. 

Once you are done, organize what’s left neatly into the cabinets or drawers. 

Clear Out Your Make-up 

Did you realize that make-up products have expiration dates? We often hold on to make-up products way longer than we should. Well, today’s the day to grab that make-up bag or drawer and get rid of all those expired products, your skin will thank you for it!

Also, look at the items you have that you are not using, you want to declutter those items as well. After all, if you are not using it, why do you want to hang on to it?

By decluttering these products, getting ready in the morning will be so much easier with those unneeded products out of the way. 

Declutter Lotions and Other Toiletries

When it comes to decluttering your home fast, the bathroom is probably the easiest place to start because there are usually no sentimental items in there. However, we do tend to accumulate a lot in that small space. This is never more true than when it comes to lotions and toiletries. 

We purchase items and then don’t like the scent, so we shove them in the back of a cabinet, drawer, or under the sink. The same goes with many other toiletries items, we try new things, end up using a small portion and then they sit unused cluttering up the bathroom. 

Let’s go through all of these items and get rid of them. It should not take too long. Make quick decisions, if you don’t like it or use it regularly get rid of it right now. You will not regret it, because you will love your new cleared-out space. 

Declutter Under the Bathroom Sink

If you’ve decluttered the other items in your bathroom this should be a very fast assignment. Take out whatever is left under the bathroom sink and get rid of anything you do not need or use. This includes any cleaning products you store there.

Invest in a storage caddy or two to organize what’s left.

Old Towels and Washcloths

Now that the bathroom is pretty much clutter-free, you want to make sure you’re not hanging onto ratty, torn, or stained bath towels and washcloths.

A lovely reader recently recommended taking these items to an animal shelter. This is a great thing to do and while you are out, you can pick up any new items that need to be replaced. 

How to Declutter Fast in the Kitchen

Kitchen Counter Tops

Having a lot of items on your kitchen countertops is a guaranteed way to have your kitchen look cluttered. If you have a lot of items out it may take more than 15 minutes to clear the countertops. If that is the case, you are going to start by removing 5 things from your kitchen counters. That’s it, each day pick just 5 items to remove and give a new home until your countertops are clear.

Store Kitchen Appliances

When it comes to the kitchen, the goal is to have as few items out and visible as possible. Do your best to store your toaster, electric can opener, coffee pot, and other appliances out of sight. If you use them daily store them in a cabinet where they are easily accessible. Trust me nothing will make you fall in love with your kitchen quicker than clear countertops!

Expired Food

For this task, go through your pantry and fridge and toss everything that’s expired. 

Many of us have expired foods tucked into shelves without realizing it! Expired food items take up room and make it more time-consuming to get to the things you actually use. 

The Pantry

Groceries are expensive and there are certain things I like to stock up on when they are on sale. However, over the years I have learned there is even greater value in keeping a minimalist pantry. You’ll save time and money when you can easily see what you have on hand. 

You have two choices here, you can either donate the extra items to a food pantry or you can challenge yourself to cook using only what you already have in your pantry. Either way, you will clear the excess.

Dish Towels

How many dishtowels do you have? If it’s more than you will reasonably need between washes donate those that are in good condition. Toss all dish towels that are stained, or no longer are worth keeping. You can also use them for cleaning rags. Once again, animal shelters are a good place to donate larger dish towels.

Kitchen Utensils

Go through your kitchen utensils and let go of any duplicates. Next, eliminate all items you don’t regularly use or have another item that serves the same purpose. 

Be honest here, when was the last time you used that egg slicer, a simple knife will work just as well. When you declutter all those unnecessary utensils it makes finding what you need so much easier!

Cleaning Supplies

Once again, you going to quickly note and toss any cleaning supplies you no longer use. If you have multiple bottles with the same product, combine them. For cleaning supplies that you don’t really like or use pass them on to someone who will use them.

Going forward consider purchasing multipurpose products. This will allow you to have fewer products overall. 

Cookbooks

These days pretty much any recipe you need is available online. For most of us, we likely can’t even remember the last time we actually opened a cookbook. If you have cookbooks that you do not regularly use or love, pass them on. 

Coffee Cups 

Are you really going to have 52 guests over for coffee at the same time? No? Then why are you hanging on to all those coffee mugs and cups? 

Declutter those excess coffee cups. A good rule of thumb is to keep two per person in your home. This allows you enough for yourself and guests. 

Declutter the Front of the Fridge

Between magnets, photos, kids’ artwork, shopping lists, and coupons, the fridge counts as a flat surface. Meaning it is a serious clutter magnet.

The good news is that it can be decluttered fairly quickly! Toss any expired coupons, or old grocery lists, and other random bits of paper.

For the other items, keep them in a folder or drawer to keep things looking calm and tidy.

The Junk Drawer

This is the catch-all space and easily becomes a place for anything and everything to be thrown into that you don’t know what else to do with. It’s usually filled with random items 

Only keep those things that are needed. Consider picking up one or two inexpensive drawer organizers for the things that you keep. 

For more tips on decluttering your kitchen, these high-impact tips are excellent!  

How to Declutter Fas in the Living Room Fast

The living room tends to be the most used room in your home. It’s the room where everyone hangs out when they’re at home and relaxing. This is why it’s important to keep this room clutter-free to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere. 

Remove What Does Not Belong in There

Set your timer for 15 minutes and quickly remove everything sitting out in the open that does not belong in that room. Whether it’s trash, dishes, or toys left out, remove them from the living room.

Now remove all the things that are sitting around in the open that nobody actually needs or uses. These might be books, games, older electronic devices, etc. If no one uses it, remove it from the living room.

Put Away Clothing and Shoes 

Clothing tends to accumulate on the back of chairs and couches or scattered on the floor. Take 15 minutes and put all wayward clothing items away. Whether it’s in the laundry basket or hung back up, remove all clothing, accessories, and shoes from the living room.

Put Away the Remote Controls and Charging Cables

This is a very simple task and should take less than a minute or two to do. Pick up any remote controls and charging cables and put them away where they belong. If they don’t have a home, use a small basket or tray to corral them.

Declutter Reading Materials

Because we often use the living room to relax it’s common to find, books, magazines, and even crossword puzzles scattered about. Recycle any items you are done with, such as magazines, and return books and other unfinished reading materials to their proper home!

Declutter Extra Home Decor

Truth be told, I probably have more home decor items than I should. I really do love to decorate and to change things up every now and again.

However, if your living room is feeling cluttered remove a few decor items. You want to make sure your surfaces have some white space to help things feel calm and relaxing. 

If you’re struggling to get rid of pieces challenge yourself to remove a few items at a time and see how it affects the feel of the room.

Clear Off The Coffee Table 

We’ve talked several times about the flat surfaces acting as a magnet for clutter. Well, you guessed it, your coffee table is no different.

Throw out any garbage left on the table. Put dishes in the sink. Recycle all papers that you no longer need and relocate items that don’t belong on the coffee. 

This is a fast decluttering task that makes a big difference right away!

Super Quick Tasks for Decluttering the Dining Room 

In my house, the clutter somehow always migrates to the dining room table. It was one of the first areas I really focused on eliminating clutter from. The thing to remember about clutter is that it attracts clutter. This means if you don’t clear off those hot spots more and more clutter will grow.

Decluttering the dining room table does not take long. It’s just about returning out-of-place items to their proper home.

However, once you’ve cleared off the table, it’s now essential to keep it that way. Do not allow clutter to accumulate back on this surface. Make sure to keep it clutter-free.

This means making sure to find a home for all the stuff that lands on that table. Make a point of having a specific time every day that you clear off anything that ends up on the dining room table that does not belong there. 

Declutter the Entry Way Fast

If you have an entryway table, this may very well be your major clutter hotspot. Because this is the first surface you encounter when you walk in the door, it’s typical to drop keys, mail, sunglasses, and many other things here. 

Start by clearing everything off. Next, find a small basket or tray for keys and other small items. Place only one or two decorative items on the top. 

Going forward avoid piling up mail, make a point of dealing with it immediately. Take junk mail directly to recycling. Have a designated spot for bills and other mail you need to keep.

Just as with the dining room table, each day make a point of clearing the area. 

How to Declutter The Office/Paperwork Fast

Sort Through Your Pile of Papers

All you have to do for this task is take 15 minutes to simply sort through that stack of papers. Create a pile for filing, a pile for recycling, and a pile of papers that need action.  You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel afterward.

File Those Papers

Now that your papers are all sorted. Take the recycling pile out to the recycle bin. Next, spend 15 minutes filing away papers.  You can do this over a period of days if needed. 

Desk Top Surface

The top of our desks can get messy rather quickly, I know mine does. Between cords, notes, pens, coffee cups, and water bottles, it gets cluttered fast. 

To clear the clutter fast, quickly grab any garbage or recycling that needs dealing with. Then file anything that needs filing. Return any books and other items to their proper homes.

Finally, neatly arrange the things that need to remain on the desktop.

How to Decluttering the Miscellaneous Areas Fast

The Linen/Hall Closet

Whether you have a linen closet, front hall closet, or even a guest room closet, you need to clear it out!  To accomplish this task in 15-minute increments. Begin by sorting like items together and focus on one set of items at a time. 

For example, if you’re working on linens, put the sheet sets together, the washcloths with the other washcloths, bath towels with bath towels, etc.

Donate, toss or create cleaning rags from the worn or unneeded items. As you sort, each set of items put them back in the same order. 

Continue with this process for 15 minutes a day until you’ve gone through all the items in the closet. 

Declutter The Kids 

For this next set of tasks, you are going to focus on the kids’ stuff. Spend your 15-minute increments going through each of these items, one at a time:

• School Supplies
• Toy Box
• Craft Supplies
• Coloring Books 

Declutter Your Purse

Now that you have a really solid handle on the clutter in your home, there are just a couple more items to focus on. The first one is your purse.

I’m willing to wager that you are carrying around a lot more clutter than you realize in that bag. Go through your handbag and see how much lighter you feel.

Declutter Your Car

Gather all the garbage into one grocery bag, and any recycling (like water bottles) into another. 

Return all the items that don’t belong in your car to the house.

Try and get into the habit of bringing out anything that you brought into the car when you return home each day. If you develop this habit you will absolutely love having a clutter-free car!

Decluttering Fast Brings Fast Results

Even decluttering a few things can make a big difference! Spending just 15 minutes or less, even a few days a week will transform your home. 

By staying consistent with these room-by-room decluttering tasks, you not only declutter fast, but you see results of your efforts fast. 

This is one of the best ways to give yourself the motivation and push to keep going. 

Now I’d like to challenge you to do this just 5 days out of the week. You can grab the Master Decluttering Check List to help you out, just sign up below!