Inside: This is the ultimate declutter cleaning checklist for every room in your house! This is the perfect time of year to start fresh, detox your home of the loose odds and ends, and throw away or donate things you don’t need.
Who’s up for a challenge?
Before you run, don’t worry, I’m not talking about one of those New Year’s fad diets that is over before it started. I’m talking about a real, doable cleaning challenge. Pinterest-lovers unite, ‘cause this one’s for you.
My Organization & Cleaning board on Pinterest is loaded with cleaning and organizing tips, some of which I actually use and some that I just like to pretend I’ll use one day.
One thing I have found myself pinning a lot lately is anything related to decluttering and living with less. While I might have two toddlers and two dogs, I believe that overcoming the clutter is possible.
Friend, 2017 is the year that I just say no to holding on to meaningless things “just in case I’ll need it one day.” So join me. Join me in this detox of all things random just taking up space in your life. Arm yourself with this declutter cleaning checklist and Just Say No to clutter.
In order to complete this challenge successfully you will definitely need to enlist a partner-in-crime, be it your husband or your bestie, because trust me when I say, you’ll need someone there to tell you, “it’s time to get rid of the sheet that Charlie chewed a giant hole through 3 years ago.”
When it comes to decluttering and cleaning house, my personal motto is:
“when in doubt, throw it out“
Of course, not everything needs to be tossed in the garbage. There are plenty of amazing charities that will accept everyday household items you no longer need.
To make this challenge easier, I’ve broken things down into categories based on where most of us are likely to need a good detox o’ random things.
And since no checklist challenge is complete without an actual checklist, here is a printable that you can print, stick on the fridge, and cross off as you go!
Whether you take the whole month of January to complete the challenge or you do this all in one day is totally up to you. For me, the quicker I get it done, the better I feel and the faster I can move on to something else.
Be sure to let me know in the comments if I left anything off the list – and of course, your best tips for cleaning and decluttering!
The Ultimate Declutter Cleaning Checklist
Kitchen
Fridge/Freezer:
Toss It!
- Old/Rancid
- Expired
- Freezer-burned
- Unidentifiable (gravy – or is that caramel sauce??)
Pantry:
Toss It!
- Old
- Expired (some things like crackers you can toss in the lake for the ducks)
Donate It!
- Food that is still good (not old or expired) but you know you’ll never eat
Organize It!
- Consolidate dry foods that are the same (such as pasta or rice) into the same storage container
Junk Drawer/Mail Center:
Toss It!
- Broken or unusable pens or pencils
Recycle It!
- Duplicate/old takeout menus
- Post-its that don’t stick
- Old business cards
- Expired coupons
- Broken chargers
Shred It!
- Old mail (with your name/address
- Checks with old bank account numbers
- Old receipts
Drawers/Cupboards:
Recycle It!
- Tupperware with no matching lid/bottom
- Tupperware that is scratched or stained
- Broken kitchen appliances (blender, toaster, etc.)
- Broken or chipped plates, dishes, or cups
Donate It!
- Measuring cups or spoons that aren’t a full set
- Old casserole dishes
Purse/Backpack/Diaper Bag
Wallet:
Shred It!
- Old club or rewards cards
- Old receipts
- Old business cards
- Expired credit cards
Organize It!
- Empty loose change into a piggy bank to lighten up your wallet
Purse/Backpack:
Toss It!
- Dried out lipbalm or lipstick
- Old cough drops
- Random knick-knacks
Shred It!
- Any wallet items (such as old receipts, papers, as listed above)
Recycle It!
- Empty containers (hand sanitizer, water bottles, lip balm, etc.)
Diaper Bag:
Toss It!
- Broken toys
- Broken crayons
- Random knick-knacks
Recycle It!
- Empty wipes containers
- Empty toiletries bottles (hand sanitizer, diaper cream, lotion, etc.)
- Torn books/magazines/papers
Donate It!
- Diapers that are too small
- Extra change of clothes (too small, outgrown, no longer needed, etc.)
Bathroom
Drawers:
Toss It!
- Stretched out or broken hair ties
- Old makeup
- Expired contacts
- Dull razors (safely!)
- Dried out deodorant
Donate It!
- Unopened hotel samples, lotions, shampoos, etc. (many charities will take these – as long as they are unopened or sealed)
Cupboards/Linen Closet:
Donate It!
- Old towels, washcloths, sheets, blankets or pillowcases (animal rescues always need these things!)
Toss It!
- Expired medicine (safely!)
- Old cleaning products (ditto on the safety!)
Organize It!
- Consolidate half-empty bottles of cleaning liquids that are the same (For example: two open bottles of All-Purpose Cleaner)
Shower/Bath:
Toss It!
- Old bars of soap
- Old loofahs
- Dull razors (safely!)
Recycle It!
- Empty shampoo or conditioner bottles
- Empty body wash or face wash
Related: 6 Things In Your House that Need to be Cleaned ASAP
Playroom
Toy Bins & Bookshelves:
Toss It or Recycle It!
(this really depends on the material the item is made out of)
- Toys or puzzles with broken or missing pieces
- Torn/ripped stuffed animals
- Random mismatched toys
- Broken crayons
- Ripped books or books with missing pages
Donate It!
- Toys, stuffed animals, puzzles, or books that have not been played with in a while or are no longer age-appropriate
- Duplicates – no one needs two of the same book, toy or stuffed animal – unless it’s very sentimental, it’s uneccesary clutter
Office
Filing Cabinet:
Shred It!
- Old, expired or unnecessary documents (hello apartment lease from 2008!)
Organize It!
- Label folders and have a “shred” and “file” organizer on your office desk
Desk Drawers:
Toss It!
- Pens that don’t work or pens without caps
- Broken paper clips
- Old software discs
Recycle It!
- Post-its that don’t stick
- Pencils without erasers
- Old computer manuals
- Broken cords or wires
Bedroom
Closet:
Donate It!
- Clothes you haven’t worn in awhile
- Clothes that don’t fit anymore
- Uncomfortable shoes or shoes that don’t fit
- Old purses/wallets you don’t use
- Worn-out belts
Drawers: Toss out any ripped underwear, socks, or tights, and loose buttons, donate bras that don’t fit, old t-shirts, mismatched socks, and bathing suits that don’t fit.
Some other areas in your house that could probably use a once-over:
- car
- garage
- attic
- basement
- foyer
- backyard storage
Simply apply the same principles from above when cleaning out those areas: Toss It, Shred It, Recycle It, Donate It.
I pinned this because it will be so helpful in getting all my life in order for the new year. Thank you for this post and all the work it took to put it together!!
Thanks so much, Kim! I’m glad you found it useful!
I love these ideas! If you can just get through a few a day, it would be huge in our house!
Thanks, Meredith! It definitely is manageable if you break it down over a few days!
We’ve started decluttering our house. These are helpful tips! Our biggest culprit is toys! ? I’m working on putting together a toy rotation and donating others.
I love doing toy rotation! I’ve found that it’s very useful in keeping her entertained with different toys – and you’re right, it’s also a good way to declutter!
Love this! I’m totally feeling the itch to simplify my life and my belongings right now. Count me in! (Oh, and your comment about gravy vs. caramel sauce made me laugh out loud, which is bad because the babies are sleeping).
Haha, I’m so glad you understand the freezer struggle! I started labeling things some time ago but you know things get missed every now and then. I keep saying 2017 is the year I get rid of half my stuff, so I agree, I’m all about simplifying and living with less!
This is great!! I’ve been in the process of trying to get rid of old stuff that I don’t love, need, or use but there’s stuff on your list that I didn’t even think of! Definitely coming back to this for reference 🙂
That’s awesome, Paige! I hope you find this useful. Making this list actually reminded me of all the areas I needed to clean!
Today the hubby and I tackled the pantry. I looked in another cupboard and thought, “We need to keep doing this!”
Right? This type of cleaning is kind of addictive. I told my husband the other day, my new mantra is just “throw it out or donate it!”
I love this post! The ideas are great and easy to follow. We’re going through a super-organizing phase because our little one is on the move these days. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Kathy! We did the same thing when Harper started crawling. It really made me clean up and make sure nothing was in reach!
Oh my goodness, this is EXACTLY what I needed! I’ve been itching to declutter but the whole process felt so overwhelming and I just didn’t know where to start. Thank you for this!
So glad to help, Andi! Sitting down and making this list actually helped me a lot.
I love this! I need to declutter and this will help me remember areas I may have missed!
Thank you, Vicki! I hope you find it helpful!
Great ideas! We just moved and I keep finding things that I just don’t even feel that we have a need for!
Thanks! It is incredible what you find when you’re decluttering!
I LOVE starting the new year by cleaning and purging so this list is right up my alley!! Happy New Year!
So do I, it makes the house feel so much more clean. Thanks! You as well!
This sounds manageable, I’m going to start this on Monday!
Do you have any ideas for ‘junk rooms’? I’m trying to make one room into a bedroom and right now it’s just full of crap.
Hey Krysten, I totally feel you there! Our office has turned into a junk room and we are in the process of cleaning it all out now. Generally, if it’s something I forgot I had, I throw it out or donate it. If it’s something I haven’t used in at least 3 months, something I don’t absolutely love, or something that is broken/missing pieces, same thing. My scrapbooking supplies are getting out of control, so I’m going to start there. Try bringing 3 big trash bags in the room: one for donations, one for trash and one for recycling. Hope this helps!!