The problem with decluttering is not knowing where to start. I have 4 steps to give you a quick start on your decluttering. You’ll gain momentum and be motivated to continue – that’s the best kind of decluttering. Getting rid of the clutter quickly, easily, and while seeing almost instant progress in the early stages.

Throughout the month of January we will be following this free printable – Clean Mama’s Declutter Order (also found in The Clutter Handbook) as our guide. I’ll be posting on Mondays with a couple bonus posts for the week ahead. Make sure you’re following me on Instagram for behind the scenes progress in our home!

If you’re ready for decluttering but not quite sure where to start, I have a simple method to make a lot of progress in a short period of time. Ready?

STEP 1: Do a 3 Bag Quick Declutter – fill up 3 bags as quickly as you can. The bags can be to donate or trash/recycling but the goal is the get them out of the house as quickly as possible.

STEP 2: Set up a Decluttering Station with these categories:
KEEP – Love it, need it, or use it
TOSS – Recycle or trash
DONATE – Don’t love it, need it or use it but someone else could
RELOCATE – Still love it, use it or need it, but it doesn’t belong here

Use boxes, bins, or bags (doesn’t have to be fancy) – the main thing is that you are moving quickly and separating things that you can move to a better place or get rid of. I used the labels from The Clutter Handbook and attached them with a clothespin to these laundry baskets from IKEA.

STEP 3: Consider every single thing you bring into your home this month.
If you need to do a no-spend January, do it!  The goal is to get rid of clutter and you don’t want to be bringing things in to add to the clutter you’re trying to clear.

STEP 4: Declutter your Cleaning Supplies and Laundry Area.
Less is more when it comes to cleaning supplies and laundry – you don’t need a gazillion things to clean with or do laundry with. I use only natural cleaners and laundry products because they are safe and economical. This is a whole other topic for another day or you can check out my books (I bet your library has them if you want to do a no-spend month) for more too.

Go through your cleaning and laundry supplies, keep what you need and use and let go of the rest. Get caught up on your laundry and clean your laundry area. You can see my favorite cleaning and laundry supplies here. I’ll be talking more in depth about these areas on Instagram and in the private Facebook group for anyone that purchases The Clutter Handbook as well over the next couple days.

Here’s what you can expect on the blog for the month of January:
January 1 – INTRO – Join the Challenge!
January 2 – Decluttering Quick Start + Cleaning Supplies / Laundry Area
January 6 – Kitchen
January 13 – Bathrooms
January 20 – Clothing + Bedrooms
January 22 – Entertainment + Kids
January 27 – Office Space + Paper Clutter
January 29 – Digital Clutter
Find all the posts from the Clean Mama Clutter Challenge here.

What will you GAIN when you declutter?  TIME, LESS STRESS, A CALM + COZY HOME you are excited to come home to!

please note: the Clean Mama Clutter Challenge is free – it is not necessary to purchase the handbook to take part in the challenge but the handbook will definitely help! Grab it now while it’s on sale!

Ready to clear the clutter? I’m SO excited to share The Clutter Handbook with you! It’s updated and ready to help you take on your clutter in a fresh, new way for 2020. The FREE Clean Mama Clutter Challenge through the month of January will be on the blog, Instagram, and in a new private Facebook group (purchase The Clutter Handbook to be in the Facebook group). Grab The Clutter Handbook to take you even more in depth through the challenge!

The Clutter Handbook is a 47-page pdf guide designed to take the guesswork out of decluttering your home. If you’re starting from a room you can’t walk into or just a couple clutter piles, this guide is designed to take you from clutter to decluttered in simple, manageable steps.