Declutter Your Home Checklist • Kath Eats

I’m sharing a home decluttering checklist that will help you make cleaning and organizing every room in your home a stress-free and satisfying experience. Find the free printable decluttering checklist at the end of this post.

Decluttering your home isn’t just about creating a visually pleasing space, it’s about creating an environment that fosters your well-being and enhances your daily life. When your environment is clutter-free, it can have a significant impact on your mood and productivity.

The benefits of tidying go far beyond simply decluttering. Here’s how it can positively impact your life:

1. Improved mood: A clutter-free environment can promote feelings of calm and relaxation, reducing stress and anxiety levels. Feeling overwhelmed? Getting that pile of mail in order will help!
2. Increased productivity: When your space is organized, you can find things more easily, allowing you to focus on the tasks at hand without distractions.
3. Improved focus: A clutter-free space helps clear your mind and allows you to better focus on your work or activities.
4. Enhanced Creativity: An organized environment can stimulate creativity by providing a clear mental space for new ideas.

Starting a cleaning project can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re not sure where to start or feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of items in your home. That’s why having a systematic approach is key to success.

Below is a checklist to guide you through the ordering process.

Checklist for organizing your home

My method to keep in mind: Start with the most visible surfaces (like countertops) and work your way down the checklist until you reach the deepest, darkest corners.

Bedroom tidying checklist

1. Floor – Pick up anything that’s on the floor! Hopefully, you don’t have any clothes on the floor, but if you do, I’m looking at you! Put away clean clothes and toss dirty ones in the laundry basket. If you have random stuff on the floor, like shopping bags or shipping boxes, pick them up. Give your bedroom a quick vacuum.
2. Top of the dresser – What’s on your vanity table that you can take out? From knickknacks to perfumes you never wear, consider leaving out only the things you have access to on a daily basis.
3. Bedside tables (including drawers) – Bedside table drawers can become a repository for clutter. If you never use your eye mask, consider relocating it or getting rid of it. I recently had to get rid of some paper books that I know I will never read.

Kitchen tidying checklist

The kitchen is a HUGE project, but it’s also one of the messiest places in the house. Complete your to-do list in one day, or work your way down to a task per day over several nights in a row. If it helps, try setting a timer and working your way down to a task—30 minutes a day can make all the difference!

1. Countertops – To keep the flow of surfaces to hidden places, start with the countertops. My rule is that they can stay out if you use them daily. Even the appliances you use every week I try to store somewhere else. If your kitchen is small, consider using other rooms like the dining room or living room for the larger appliances (slow cooker, waffle maker, etc.) that you only use occasionally. Consider the advantage that if you store them inside a cabinet, they won’t collect as much dirt. Less to clean! Sort through papers and put away anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen.
2. Drawers + Cabinets – We often have more dishes than we need. Unless you’re entertaining more than a dozen people, consider having 8-10 of each type and you’re good to go. The same goes for plastic containers. You can always use a covered bowl or plate for leftovers, so try not to keep more than you need. In this post you’ll find plenty of ideas for organizing kitchen drawers.
3. Pantry – Check out this post for tips on how to organize a pantry!
4. The junk drawer – Reduce space and organize it with clear acrylic drawer containers. how are you.

Office tidying checklist

1. Desk – Start organizing what you see when you sit down to work. Remove everything from your desk that is not directly related to work (except you can keep that family photo!).
2. Drawers – Desk drawers are next on the list of things to sort through. Sorting through papers can be tedious, but you probably don’t need to keep much. My rule is that other than tax documents, if they’re years old, I don’t need them. Scan anything you’re not sure about with your phone’s digital scanner and upload it to your cloud storage of choice. There are paper shredders at most office supply stores. It cost me $10 to shred 10 years’ worth of papers!
3. Bookshelf – If you have a bookshelf, now is the time to go through it too. Donate the books from a previous era and keep only the decorative objects you like the most!

Cousin: Organize your Digital clutter!

Bathroom tidying checklist

1. Countertops – Just like in the kitchen, start with the countertops so you feel progress right away. A new organizer can help you organize items you use frequently, like your toothbrush or makeup. There are also clever organizers that attach to the inside of cabinets to hold a hair dryer or other frequently used items. Visit my Amazon store for all the organizational accessories I have.
2. Drawers – Next, tackle drawers and lower cabinets. Most people have WAY too much stuff in this area! I agree with you – I used to love samples and keeping extras of everything “just in case.” If you’ve already used more than half of something and haven’t touched it in a year, get rid of it! Those types of items don’t belong in your drawer, as they take up valuable space.
3. Wardrobes – Check your linen closet, if you have one, or your bathroom accessories closet. Throw away anything that is expired or that you never use. Medications are an important item in this department. In this post you will find many ideas for storing medications.

Closet Decluttering Checklist

1. Most used clothing – Start with the areas you access most often. For me, it’s pajamas, loungewear, and workout clothes. All the workout clothes! I start here and take out everything I haven’t worn in six months. If you’re scared to donate things, you can put them in a box in the attic or garage and see if you think something is worth going back for. If so, you can keep it!
2. Shelves and drawers – Next, move on to your secondary clothing: all the items you’re replacing. Refold and sort them, and remove anything you’ve forgotten or anything that doesn’t make you feel good wearing it. If it doesn’t fit or is torn, don’t wear it, even if you once loved it!
3. Arrange the hanging clothes – Next, go through the clothes you have hanging: office clothes, dresses, and also any out-of-season items. Donate what you don’t like. I always recommend the trick of turning hangers around: turn hangers around at the beginning of the season, turn them in the right direction once you’ve worn and washed the item, and at the end of the season, go through the hangers to see what you actually wore.
4. Shoes – Put your shoes away! My new rule is that if they are not comfortable It’s a gift, that shows my age.
5. Jewelry – Finally, organize your jewelry and accessories. Just like my clothes, my style for jewelry and handbags has changed over the years.

Check out these 3 closet makeovers and don’t forget your linen closet!

Checklist for organizing the garage

Garages and storage rooms are always the hardest for me. They tend to house all the stuff you think you might need or don’t want to see in your main living spaces: holiday decor, gardening supplies, kids’ stuff, seasonal stuff. Here’s a post I did about our garage when we had one!

1. Start in the middle / on the ground – Start with the last things you added. For us, that was the middle of the apartment, meaning there was no more room for them! First, sort the apartment so you can get to the shelves and back more easily. Throw away anything that’s broken – the garage or storage room is where I usually put the things I no longer use but have been putting off getting rid of.
2. Shelves – Next, go through the shelves and sort by category. Group like items together, and if you need storage containers, now is a great time to get some new ones!
3. Things in containers – Finally, go through the bins or boxes you already have. You may not want to sort through your holiday decor right now, but make a note to do so next time you open the box. Gardening supplies in the summer and Christmas decorations in December!

Home Decluttering Checklist

For you: a free PDF decluttering checklist!

Check out this blog post for more tips on decluttering other spaces, like the living room and more!

THE CURE FOR DISORDER

If you are getting ready to get organized, consider checking out my friend Mia’s workshop to eliminate clutterMia has a way of approaching clutter unlike anyone else and her methods are truly life-changing! If you’re struggling to find a method that works long-term, this workshop is for you!

You’ll learn:

• The Bulletproof Process for Living Clutter-Free
• Why Most People Fail at Decluttering (and How to Avoid It)
• How to Turn Your Home Into Your Greatest Support System
• How to optimize energy and flow in your space

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