July Decluttering (Small Wins for Summer)
Our July decluttering challenge keeps things simple. In the heat and with so much going on in the summer, it can be tough to motivate yourself to declutter.
We’ve kept the ideas very simple. Do your little bit, then get back to making the most of summer! Join us every day for a deeper dive into specific tasks and motivation to keep you going.
July Decluttering Calendar
Week 1 (June 28-July 4)
You can see June’s ideas here in case you missed them.
July 1st: Clean and organize any grilling tools for the 4th of July & grilling season.
To prepare for the 4th of July and/or cookout season, declutter and organize your grilling tools. Toss/recycle ones that are broken. Organize your remaining grilling supplies and clean them. Get the Day 1 printable.
July 2nd: Do 30 minutes of tidying the backyard/balcony and/or grill area.
Set a timer for 30 minutes and organize & tidy your grill area, backyard, or balcony. If you don’t have any outdoor spaces, you could focus on the kitchen instead. Get the Day 2 printable here.
July 3rd: Do 30 minutes of tidying the living room and guest bathroom.
Particularly if you’re hosting for the 4th of July, declutter and tidy the living room and guest bathroom. Focus on things that make a big impact, such as clearing clutter from visible surfaces and cleaning surfaces. Get the July 3rd decluttering printable.
July 4th: Do 30 minutes of tidying after guests leave (if hosting).
If you didn’t have any guests, simply reset the house for 30 minutes, focusing on the things that bother you most. Get the Day 4 printable here.
Get the Week 1 decluttering printable here.
Week 2 (July 5-11)
July 5th: Sort through your picnic supplies and cooler bags.
Empty all your coolers, picnic baskets, and insulated bags. Clean them well and toss/recycle damaged items. Organize them ready to go for your next picnic. Get the Day 5 printable here.
July 6th: Put away 4th of July decorations.
Take down the indoor and outdoor decorations. Repair or toss anything that’s broken. Donate the ones you don’t think you’ll use again. Store everything else in labeled storage bins for next year. Get the Day 6 printable here.
July 7th: Sort through and organize the cleaning supplies.
Toss/recycle any empty bottles, worn-out sponges, and other old cleaning supplies. Combine duplicates of the same item. Group the cleaning supplies by type or purpose (e.g., bathroom, kitchen, floors). Get the July 7th decluttering printable here.
July 8th: Sort through and organize the laundry supplies.
Toss/recycle empty bottles, boxes, or containers. Consolidate duplicate items. Check expiration dates. Tidy the laundry shelf, cabinet, or area before organizing the laundry supplies by type/category. Get the July 8th decluttering.
July 9th: Declutter any wall calendars, magnets, bulletin boards, and post-it notes.
Toss/recycle any outdated calendars and old post-it notes. If you have fridge magnets or bulletin board magnets, sort through them and consider whether to donate or recycle any of them. Get the Day 9 decluttering printable.
July 10th: Declutter the messiest drawer you have in the house.
Empty the entire drawer and sort through it. Create five little piles: toss, recycle, donate, relocate, return. Before you return the items you decided to keep in the drawer, wipe it and try to come up with an organizational system. You could use small containers or drawer dividers to keep things neatly organized. Get the Day 10 decluttering printable here.
July 11th: Walk through the house and pick three items you want to donate.
This should be a quick decluttering challenge. Don’t overthink it. Start with the easy wins: clothes you haven’t worn in over a year, books you’ll never read again, duplicate kitchen items, home decor you don’t like anymore, extra blankets, and holiday decorations you no longer display. Get the Day 11 decluttering printable here.
Get the Week 2 printable here.
Week 3 (July 12-18)
July 12th: Go through all your cooking utensils and donate ones you don’t use.
You can pull all your utensils out from the drawers or utensil holder and ask yourself what you’ve used in the last year. If you haven’t used it, ask yourself if you really need it. It may be duplicate utensils like extra spatulas or novelty ones like avocado slicers. Get the Day 12 printable here.
July 13th: Go through your books and find 3 to donate.
Look through your bookshelves for books you’ve already read and won’t reread, duplicates, and books you’ll never read. You can take them to a library donation bin, a used bookstore, or a community library. Get the July 13th decluttering printable here.
July 14th: Choose any space in the home and declutter for 15 minutes.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and stop when you run out of time. You can pick a small area like one drawer, the top of a dresser, or one shelf. Sort everything into four piles: toss/recycle, donate, relocate, and keep. Get the Day 14 decluttering idea.
July 15th: Declutter suitcases and travel accessories.
Open every suitcase and travel bag and make sure they’re empty. Look through your travel accessories and consider if you need all of them. Check for expired travel-size toiletries. Get the July 15th printable here.
July 16th: Go through your closet and pick 3+ clothing items to donate.
Start with the easy wins here and find clothes that don’t fit anymore, clothes you don’t like anymore, or worn-out clothing. Get the Day 16 printable here.
July 17th: Go through your accessories and pick 3+ accessories to donate.
Look through accessories like belts, scarves, bags, hats, and sunglasses. The easy wins here are the duplicates. Get the Day 17 printable.
July 18th: Set a timer for 30 minutes and declutter the space that bothers you the most.
Before picking the place, ask yourself why it bothers you so much (e.g., too much stuff, no logical system for organizing items). This way you’ll have a starting point for the next 30 minutes. Sort everything into four piles: toss/recycle, donate, relocate, and keep. Try to fix what you disliked about the space (e.g., make sure there’s not too much stuff there, implement a logical system for organizing the items). Get the Day 18 printable here.
Get the Week 3 Decluttering printable here.
Week 4 (July 19-25)
July 19th: Do a surface sweep, decluttering every flat surface in the living room.
Surfaces can include the coffee table, TV unit, windowsills, fireplace mantel (if any), shelves, and side tables. Remove common clutter like mail, loose cables, clothing lying around, packaging, glasses, and mugs. Clear the surfaces, wipe them down, and return only what’s essential. Get the Day 19 decluttering printable here.
Do a surface sweep in the bedroom.
Focus on surfaces like the bedside tables, the chest of drawers, and the chair that’s collecting clothes. Remove any items that don’t belong and leave only everyday essentials in plain sight.
Do a surface sweep in the kitchen.
Clearing the countertop will make the biggest difference. Remove anything that doesn’t belong on the countertop (e.g., water bottles, empty food packaging, shopping bags, mail, grocery receipts, random utensils, dishes, spices left out after cooking, small appliances you don’t use daily). Empty the sink area. If there’s a table in the kitchen, clear that as well.
Do a surface sweep in the bathroom.
Clear surfaces like the sink, vanity, toilet top, shelves, and bathtub edges. Put away things you don’t use daily and toss any empty bottles, old packaging, expired makeup, and other clutter.
Do a surface sweep in the entryway and hallways.
Organize the shoes and coats in the entryway. Clear any items that don’t belong in the entryway (e.g., mail, sports equipment, packaging, random boxes). Straighten the welcome mat.
Do a surface sweep in the second bedroom or guest room.
If you have a guest bedroom, it can often end up as a bit of a storage area. Do a quick sweep of the surfaces (e.g., bedside tables, chest of drawers). Clear any items that don’t belong there (e.g., delivery boxes, seasonal items, laundry, hobby supplies, things with no permanent home). If you don’t have a guest bedroom, you can continue tidying the main bedroom or another room of your choice.
Set a timer for 30 minutes and do a surface sweep in any additional space you want.
There are potentially many areas to pick from (e.g., laundry area, balcony, backyard, garage, home office/desk area). Set the timer and just do 30 minutes. First, look for things to donate, toss, or recycle. Then, relocate items that don’t belong in that area. And finally, organize the remaining items.
Get the July 19-25 Decluttering printable here.
For easy decluttering ideas, see our mini decluttering ideas and printables here.
Week 5 (July 26-August 1)
Go through all the gardening tools and donate items you don’t need (or toss broken ones).
Pick a color and declutter items of that color.
Pick a letter and only declutter items that start with that letter.
Set a timer for 30 minutes and pick items to add to the donation bags.
Sort through and organize any board games and other entertainment items.
Drop off donations and celebrate completing the challenge.
