Fun Decluttering Challenges (with Printables)
If decluttering your home feels like a lot, make it a little more manageable with one or more of these decluttering challenges.
These challenges set specific targets for you to achieve and focus on a particular room or theme. These activities are also a great way to get other members of the family involved in decluttering the house.
Decluttering Challenges
‘Unexpected guests’ challenge – pretend guests will be arriving in 15 minutes and declutter/tidy the house in that time.
‘Find 3’ challenge – find 3 items to donate, 3 to toss, 3 that belong in another room.
‘Commercial break’ challenge – have a speed round of decluttering every time a commercial break comes on.
‘Color declutter’ game – pick a color a day and declutter only items of that color.
‘One bag dash’ challenge – get a donation bag and fill it up with items from the house to donate.
‘Best before and after photo’ challenge – in a group chat with friends, post your before and after photos of decluttering; the one with the best photos gets treated to dinner.
‘Alphabet declutter’ challenge – every day, pick a letter and only declutter items that start with that letter.
‘Pretend you’re a professional organizer’ game – walk through the house and pretend you’re a professional home organizer and make a list of what you would change.
‘One-in, one-out’ challenge – for every new item you bring into the house, you have to donate an old item.
‘Scavenger quest: decluttering edition’ – find and donate or toss 1 item with a missing part, 1 item you’ve never used, 1 item that annoys you, 1 unwanted gift, 1 duplicate, 1 expired food item, 1 piece of clothing that no longer fits, 1 pair of shoes that no longer fit or are worn out, 1 old cable you no longer need (and you can adjust the list as you wish). Repeat the game as many times as you like.
Get the Decluttering Challenges printable here.
More Decluttering Challenges
Weekend Declutter Sprint – Dedicate one weekend to decluttering the house.
Bathroom Drawer Declutter – Empty and reorganize all bathroom drawers.
One Area a Day – Declutter just one area, shelf, or drawer daily.
180/180 Closet Challenge – Get rid of anything you haven’t used in the last 180 days and that you won’t use in the next 180 days.
Declutter by Color – Choose one color and remove all items in that color that you don’t need from the house.
Under the Bed Declutter – Remove everything stored under your bed and reorganize.
Car Declutter Challenge – Clean out your vehicle, including the trunk and glove box.
Holiday Decor Declutter – Sort through and simplify your holiday decorations.
Cord & Cable Declutter – Untangle and organize your electronic cords and cables.
Sentimental Photo Declutter – Go through old photos, digitize and organize them.
Gift Declutter Challenge – Go through all the gifts you’ve received but no longer need.
Capsule Wardrobe Challenge – Simplify your wardrobe to 30-40 essential pieces.
Junk Drawer Clean-Out – Declutter that junk drawer and reorganize it.
Seasonal Declutter Challenge – Declutter the house at the start of each season.
Kitchen Cabinet Clean-Out – Clean out and reorganize all kitchen cabinets.
Get the Additional Decluttering Challenges Printable here.
Even More Decluttering Challenges
You may also like these mini decluttering ideas, these 10-minute surface decluttering ideas, and our monthly decluttering calendars (which you can find here).
