June Decluttering: A Visible Win for Every Day
Summer is here, and no doubt the motivation for spending hours of your time cleaning, decluttering, and doing housework isn’t that high!
So, make life easier with our June decluttering month. All of the ideas focus on visible wins and simple things you can do that make a big difference.
June Decluttering
Week 1: Low Effort, Big Impact
The Donation Box
Start a donation box or bag to add to throughout the month. Add one item to it today to get it started. Continue adding to it throughout the month as you work through the decluttering tasks. Place it somewhere visible so you’re reminded of it every day. Donate it when full or at the end of the month. Get the Day 1 printable here.
The 15-Minute Challenge
Set a 15-min timer and find items that are out in the open to donate.
Grab a bag or a box, and make quick decisions. You could start in the room where you think there are the most items to declutter. Look only for items that are out in the open. Today is not about opening cabinets and drawers.
The timer is short enough to not feel overwhelming, and it prevents you from overthinking. Go for items you’re already sure you don’t want or need. Not every item will be an instant yes or no; just skip the ‘maybe’ items and keep moving. Even if you only have one or two things after 15 minutes, it’s still a win, and you should be proud of yourself.
You can add the things from today to the donation bag or box you set up in day 1. Or, if you manage to fill a whole one, you can take it to your car so you can donate it next time you’re running errands.
By focusing on items that are in plain sight, you’ll achieve an easy, visible win. Get the Day 2 printable here.
The ‘Guests Are Coming Over’ Challenge
Pretend guests are coming over and reset the entryway, putting away what you don’t need. Start by removing anything you don’t need there for the season. Put away out-of-season coats, shoes, bags, and other items. If there are any shoes that no longer fit or are uncomfortable, add them to your donation bag or box (from day 1).
The entryway should be for the items you use often (e.g., everyday shoes, keys, sunglasses, dog-walking supplies, an everyday bag, a shopping bag). Everything else should have a proper home elsewhere in the house.
Make space for guests’ items by clearing a section of the shoe rack and a couple hooks. You could also have a small basket for their accessories.
If this challenge feels overwhelming, set a 20-min timer and only do what you can in that time. Get the Day 3 printable here.
The ‘Floor Sweep’
Remove everything from the floors that’s not furniture or meant to be there. Put away things like:
- toys and games,
- gym bags,
- backpacks,
- sports gear,
- books and magazines,
- boxes and packaging,
- laundry,
- cables and chargers,
- shopping bags, and
- random items that don’t belong there.
A clutter-free floor will make the room feel more spacious. If this challenge feels overwhelming in any way, you can set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and just do what you can in that time. And if the challenge is too easy and you don’t have any clutter on the floors, you could vacuum and clean the floors instead. Get the Day 4 printable here.
The ‘Relaxing Area’
Declutter and tidy the living room area where you relax in the evenings, whether that’s your couch and TV area or a reading nook. Get the Day 5 decluttering printable here.
The ‘Annoying Area’
Pick the visible area that’s been bothering you the most. Set a 20-min timer, and declutter what you can in that time. Stop when the timer ends. Get the Day 6 printable here.
Get the Week 1 decluttering printable here.
Week 2: Countertops & Surfaces
Clear the kitchen countertop and only return what you use daily.
Quickly take a look to see if there are any items on the countertop you no longer need that you can donate or toss/recycle (if broken). Then, clear everything off the countertop and wipe it. Return the items you use daily or almost daily (e.g., coffee maker, blender). For the rest of the items, consider how frequently you use them. Then, place them in cabinets accordingly (e.g., items used more frequently get placed in spots easier to access). Get the Day 7 printable here.
Clear the bathroom countertop and only keep what you absolutely need.
First, see if there are any empty containers or bottles on your countertop to recycle. Combine any duplicates you see. Consider if you need all the items or if there’s anything to give away. Then, remove everything from the counter, wipe it, and only return the items you use daily. Store everything else in cabinets/drawers. Get the Day 8 decluttering here.
Remove everything off the fridge door and only return what you want to keep.
Take down magnets, papers, photos, lists, reminders, and anything else you have on the fridge door. Wipe it and then only return the items you want to see every day. Get the Day 9 printable here.
Clear the nightstands, wipe them, and only keep the essentials.
Remove any items cluttering the nightstands (e.g., old cups, random chargers, receipts, books you’re not reading). Wipe the nightstands and return only the items you need every night. Toss/shred receipts you don’t need, donate books you don’t plan to read, and see if there are any other items you can toss/recycle or donate. Get the Day 10 printable here.
Remove everything from the top of the dresser and only return 2-3 essential items.
The top of the dresser can sometimes end up as a catch-all surface. Sort all the items you have on top of it into: 1) relocate, 2) toss/recycle, 3) donate, and 4) keep. Wipe the surface and make sure you keep only the items you really need daily or frequently (e.g., jewelry tray, perfume). Get the Day 11 printable.
Set a 20-min timer and clear as many flat surfaces as you can (e.g., coffee table).
Focus on surfaces that often end up having clutter on them (e.g., the coffee table, entryway table, work desk at home). Set the timer and stop when the 20 minutes run out. Make quick decisions about what items to keep, which ones to store away, and what to toss/recycle/donate. Wipe the surfaces as well. Get the Day 12 printable here.
Pick the most cluttered corner of a room and take 15 min to declutter & tidy.
Think of what corner or area of the house bothers you the most because of it being the most cluttered. Set a 15-min timer and do what you can in that time. Get the Day 13 printable.
Get the Week 2 decluttering printable here.
Week 3: Fun Challenges
Pick a color and declutter items in the open in that color.
Choose a color and look through the house for anything visible in that color. For each item, decide whether you want to 1) keep it, 2) relocate it, 3) donate it, or 4) recycle/toss it. The goal is to focus only on items that are out in the open rather than going through drawers and cabinets. Get the Day 14 printable.
Pick a number between 1 and 6 and find that many items to donate.
Pick a number and challenge yourself to find that many items you can give away. If the number is too low and the challenge feels too easy, you can repeat it as many times as you like. Get the day 15 printable.
Pick a letter and declutter items in the open that start with that letter.
Choose a letter and look around for visible items that start with that letter. For each one, decide whether to 1) keep it, 2) relocate it, 3) donate it, or 4) toss/recycle it. For example, if you pick the letter “B,” look around for items like backpacks, books, boxes, blankets, bottles, baskets, and binders. For the letter “C,” you can look for items like cables, chargers, cups, coats, and candles. Get the day 16 printable.
Pick a room, set a 15-min timer, and declutter only during that time.
Pick just one room and declutter only for 15 minutes. Focus on the big visible wins. For any room, you could focus on finding a couple items to donate or toss/recycle. In the living room, you could focus on clearing the coffee table and putting things away. In the kitchen, you could focus on putting away dishes and clearing the countertops. Get the day 17 printable.
At whatever time you declutter, spend that many minutes to declutter (e.g., 5 min at 5 pm).
Let the clock determine for how long you declutter. If you start at 5 pm, you can declutter for 5 minutes. If you start at 7:20 pm, you could decide whether to declutter for 7 minutes or for 20 minutes. Get the day 18 printable.
Find 3 items to toss, 3 items to donate, and 3 items to relocate.
Find three items that are broken that you can toss, three items that you no longer need that you can donate, and three items that are in the wrong room/place that you can relocate.
Find a spot that would make for a great before-and-after photo and declutter it.
Look for an area where you can make a visible difference with a small amount of effort. It could be a cluttered kitchen countertop, a chair with a pile of clothes/laundry on it, or a cluttered shelf. Take a photo before you begin and one after you’re finished. Use the photo for motivation in the future.
Get the Week 3 decluttering printable here.
Week 4: A win for every room
- In the kitchen, clear the window sill and the top of the fridge.
- In the living room, remove excess knick-knacks and throw pillows.
- In the bedroom, make the bed, put away the laundry, and declutter excess decor items.
- In the bathroom, declutter the toiletries, combining duplicates.
- In the entryway, remove everything not in season or not used near-daily.
- In the home office, declutter cables, chargers, and electronics.
- In the dining room, clear the dining table.
June 28-30: Final touches
- Declutter wall shelves for 20 minutes.
- Declutter wall art and decorations for 20 minutes.
- Drop off any donations.
