I don’t know about you, but I have tried so many decluttering challenges. Every man and their dog seems to have one. I’m no expert, but I have seen a few episodes of that Marie Kondo show on Netflix and I listen to a podcast that is all about decluttering. But when I found this challenge I knew it was something I could achieve. This one decluttering challenge claimed it would help me get rid of at least 465 things in 30 days.
I learned about this challenge through Shelley from Let’s Live and Learn’s Instagram account.
Four Hundred and sixty-five is no small number! Do I even own that many things? I’m sure I do. Like, right now I can see eight bars of wax melts next to my computer screen.
So I decided to take up the challenge. One item per day for a whole month, plus an extra item each day. So one item on the first day, two items on the second day, three items on the third day. You get the idea.
I had to cheat a little bit though. There is no way I was going to find the time or energy to find a bunch of things after working, cooking and cleaning. So I got smart. I went through a few areas that I knew would give me quick wins at the start, also helping me get ahead.
I took 11 items out of my bookshelf. A bag of makeup gave me 19 unopened items to donate. My pantry also offered up a few unexpired items that I wasn’t planning to let go of just yet.
Before I’d even started, I also decided that I would keep track of what I throw away, donate and sell/giveaway. At the start, a lot of it was going in the bin. Which made me quite sad.
I listed a lot of things on the Facebook marketplace, mostly for free. But unfortunately, I was stuffed around a few times with people not picking up their items.
So I ended up selling 25 items, throwing out 133 items and donating 307 items. And that doesn’t include the bag of stuff that already I had to donate that made its way to our storage space!
To ensure your success with any kind of decluttering, the best advice is to get it out of your house to its destination as soon as possible. I know that is the hardest part. So during this decluttering challenge, I dropped off donations roughly every week.
I will definitely be completing this declutter challenge again. But perhaps I will spread it out and do it every three or so months.
Before you begin your challenge
Decide what you would like to do with items in good condition. You might consider offering them in a Buy Nothing Facebook Group, selling on Facebook Marketplace, or donating to a thrift store or a local charity like the Salvation Army.
Decide when you’d like to start your challenge. For some, it’s a new year’s resolution. For others, it could be before moving into their new home. And in some cases, it’s adding a member to the household.
Decide if you need help. It’s totally fine if you want to go it alone. But consider asking family members for help, especially if they live with you. You might also need the help from a professional organizer.
Pick a starting point. You might like to pick an area that really bothers you. But it can also be a good idea to start with something you think will be easy, like old books.
Easy areas to declutter
Sometimes it can be hard to get rid of unwanted items. Either because you paid a lot of money for them or they were a gift. Either way, there are probably a few areas in your house that can give you a quick win. Plus some of these can be completed with smaller chunks of time.
- junk drawer
- coat closet
- kitchen drawers
- old receipts
- a shelf of the linen closet
- old papers and paper clutter in your home office
- medicine cabinet and first aid supplies
- expired items in your pantry
- decorative items like holiday decor
- beauty products in the bathroom cabinets
- clear off kitchen counters including the kitchen sink
It can be helpful to start with a small space with small items. But it can be just as beneficial to start with a larger space that has larger items, like the small appliances cupboard.
Supplies for your declutter challenge
While you don’t need anything to start a declutter challenge, it might help to have some of these items on hand.
- cleaning supplies
- a trash bag or garbage bag
- donation box
- minimise distractions by sending other household members out for the day
Need more inspiration to declutter?
If going through your entire home seems like it will take forever, take some inspiration from these blog posts.
Joshua and Ryan from The Minimalists encourage you to complete a 30-day challenge called Mins Game that gets harder by the day.
Brittany from The Homestead Challenge encourages you to declutter sustainably with a 30-day declutter challenge.
Lynn from Nourish and Nestle takes you on a 7-week declutter challenge.
Sophia from The Organised Family gives you 5+ decluttering hints.
Stephanie from Son Shone Kitchen helps you reach an organized kitchen after just 6 days.
Sophia from The Organized Family gives you five tips to help you get the most out of decluttering.
Kim from Shop With Me Mamma really gets into the decluttering process by watching Hoarders.
Lisa from The Stress-Free Christmas takes you on decluttering journey right before Christmas.
Remember, your good intentions won’t go to waste if you take that first step.
