September Decluttering Ideas to Get Your House Ready for Fall

We’ve put emphasis on resetting your home to say goodbye to summer and welcome fall with open arms with our September decluttering month.

With this, and other decluttering months, the goal is to simply do your little bit every day. Good luck with the decluttering, and scroll to the bottom to get this calendar as a printable.

September 1-5

Organize your summer photos (on the phone & print).

Donate or gift summer books you’ve finished reading.

Declutter BBQ and picnic supplies (donate what you don’t need).

Sort through your reusable water bottles (toss broken ones).

Declutter beach and pool gear (and store away if no longer used).

September 6-12

Sort through your summer clothes and get the fall clothes out. Set a timer for 30 minutes and try to do this in batches to avoid getting overwhelmed. Put away summer clothes you no longer need in September but plan to wear again next year. Donate ones you no longer want or need as well as ones that don’t fit anymore. Pull fall clothes to the front of your closet.

Organize fall accessories (coats, scarves, gloves, hats). You can do this one category at a time and use organization items to help you (e.g., a multi-scarf hanger, clear boxes or hooks for purses, a jewelry stand or box). Consider whether there are any accessories you want to donate.

Sort through the summer shoes and get the fall ones out. Line up your summer shoes to see them all. Sort them into 1) store away 2) keep out to still wear in September 3) donate and 4) toss. Get the fall shoes out of storage and organize them.

Take 30 minutes to declutter the nightstands in the bedroom. Start with the top of the nightstands, clearing everything from it and wiping it clean. Return only the essentials (e.g. phone charger, lamp, book). Next, focus on the inside of the nightstands, sorting into 1) keep 2) relocate 3) donate and 4) toss.

Take 30 minutes to declutter under the bed. Pull everything out and vacuum/clean under the bed. Sort everything into 1) keep 2) relocate 3) donate 4) toss.

Take 30 minutes for a general bedroom declutter. A quick way to declutter the bedroom is to first take 15 minutes to identify things to donate or toss. And then take the remaining 15 minutes to focus on visible surfaces for quick wins (e.g. put away any clean clothes, put dirty clothes in the laundry, wipe all the surfaces clean).

Declutter the entryway, making room for fall items (backpacks, umbrellas, jackets). Remove everything you no longer plan to wear or use in September and sort into 1) store away 2) donate or 3) toss. Organize the fall items that belong in the entryway (e.g. fall shoes, jackets).

Get the September 6-12 printable here.

September 13-19

Get the umbrellas and other fall items out of storage. Check all the umbrellas open and close properly and toss any that are broken. If you have too many good umbrellas, donate a couple. If you have more time today, get other fall items out of storage and sort through them. This could include fall decorations, space heaters, rain boots, blankets, slow cookers, and more. Set a timer or only pick a couple categories so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Have a general 30-minute living room declutter. Start with an easy win today by picking at least one item from the living room to donate or toss. Then, focus on visible wins like decluttering flat surfaces (e.g., coffee table, side tables, TV stand). Finally, relocate things that don’t belong in the living room.

Take 30 minutes to put away summer home accessories and get the fall ones out. Put away your summer home accessories (e.g., summer wall art, summer decor). Label the storage bins so you can easily find the items next summer. Then, pull out your fall home accessories and sort through as many as you can in the time you have left.

Sort through school or home office supplies (markers/pens/pencils/notebooks). An easy win here is to toss any pens and markers that no longer work. Put all your pens, markers, and pencils in a pencil case or a container. Sort other supplies by category and use small bins or drawer organizers to keep them neatly arranged. If you have too many items in one category (e.g., too many pencils or notebooks), donate them to your local school or charity.

Take 30 minutes to sort through paperwork and mail. Set a timer for 30 minutes and go through your mail and paperwork you have and sort into two piles: 1) shred and 2) file/organize.

Cover or store away garden furniture. If it’s already rainy where you live, cover any outdoor furniture you have to protect it from the rain. Consider whether there’s anything you want to donate from your garden/backyard.

Toss any broken garden items. Walk around your entire garden/backyard and check any garden tools. If there’s anything broken, toss it or recycle it if you can.

Get the Week 3 decluttering printable here.

September 20-26

Sort through and organize bathroom products.

In the kitchen, toss expired condiments.

Organize and declutter the bakeware (for baking this fall).

Have a general 30-minute kitchen declutter.

Organize the pantry for fall and winter (hot teas, hot chocolate, baking supplies).

Take 30 minutes for a general pantry declutter.

Declutter and sort through sports and hobby gear.

September 27-30

Declutter your backpack/purse and suitcases.

Sort through workout gear.

Declutter and organize the linen closet.

Take 30 minutes to declutter the car.

You might also want to check out this living room cleaning checklist (with printable).