Life in a bustling household can be both rewarding and chaotic. Balancing work, school, extracurricular activities, and family time often leaves little room for maintaining a tidy home. However, a clutter-free living space can contribute significantly to a sense of calm and organization. In this guide, we’ll explore practical strategies for decluttering that are tailored to the unique challenges faced by busy families.
Welcome to the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series! We will be starting decluttering specific tasks. Each day is dedicated to spending only 30 minutes decluttering your specific daily task. We will be working 5 days a week, so you can take 2 days to enjoy time with your loved ones.
Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can sign up here.
Struggling with the daily housekeeping chores? Check out my ebook on this topic, entitled Make Over Your Homemaking. Use this link to get it at a discounted price.
Decluttering for Busy Families: Practical Strategies for a Tidy Home
1. The Power of 5-Minute Decluttering Sessions
Time is a precious commodity for busy families, but you’d be surprised at what you can accomplish in just five minutes. Set a timer and challenge each family member to tackle a specific area or task. Whether it’s clearing the kitchen counter or organizing the entryway, these short bursts of effort can make a big difference over time.
2. Daily Toy Triage
Toys have a magical way of multiplying overnight, creating instant chaos in family living spaces. Implement a daily toy triage where everyone pitches in to gather scattered toys and return them to their designated storage areas. Consider rotating toys to keep things fresh and reduce clutter.
3. Streamlined Morning and Evening Routines
Mornings and evenings can be hectic, with everyone rushing to get ready for the day or wind down for the night. Simplify these routines by decluttering bathroom counters, creating designated spaces for shoes and backpacks, and laying out clothes the night before. A streamlined routine not only reduces stress but also keeps clutter at bay.
4. Digital Decluttering for Family Devices
In today’s digital age, clutter isn’t limited to physical spaces. Take some time to declutter family devices by organizing apps, deleting unused files, and managing digital subscriptions. This not only frees up digital space but also helps ensure that family members can find what they need quickly.
5. Create Designated “Drop Zones”
Designate specific areas in your home as “drop zones” for items like keys, mail, and backpacks. Having designated spaces for these everyday items prevents them from ending up scattered throughout the house. Hooks, baskets, and shelves can be valuable tools for creating organized drop zones.
6. Weekend Family Decluttering Sessions
Carve out some time during the weekends for family decluttering sessions. Tackle larger projects together, such as cleaning out the garage or organizing the family room. Make it a fun activity by playing music or turning it into a game for the kids. The shared effort can turn decluttering into a family bonding experience.
7. Declutter in Layers
Trying to declutter the entire house in one go can be overwhelming for busy families. Instead, focus on decluttering in layers. Start with one room or area, decluttering and organizing it before moving on to the next. This approach allows you to make steady progress without feeling overwhelmed.
While it may seem challenging for busy families to maintain a tidy home, incorporating these practical decluttering strategies into your routine can make a significant impact. Remember that decluttering is an ongoing process, and small, consistent efforts can lead to a more organized and stress-free living environment for everyone in the family. Embrace the journey towards a clutter-free home, one step at a time.
Decluttering for Busy Families: A few guidelines to keep you on task:
1.Only spend time on your specific daily task.
2.Do not get side-tracked or distracted.
3.Work within a time of day that you have the most energy and stamina.
4.Avoid thinking too long about whether to keep or discard an item. Recruit help if you are stuck in the decision process.
5.Avoid cleaning during your declutter. Getting rid of the clutter is your priority. Cleaning can be accomplished later.
Decluttering for Busy Families: We are working in the home office this week. Your task today for today, January 31st is to: Declutter any office supply clutter.
Bonus tip: Scan all important papers with your smart phone into my favorite “paperless” phone app – Evernote. Even if you plan to keep some important documents, this a great way to keep those items stored digitally in case of a fire or natural disaster.
Need to deep clean? I have lists for you to guide you along.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.
My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.
Also, to keep up the general housework, you may need to create a daily housekeeping schedule that suits your specific needs. To do so, I have created a helpful series you can read here.
Need to Declutter Every room? I have declutter checklists for every room and every space in your home to guide you along below.
Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can sign up here.
Struggling to decide if an item is clutter? Use these questions below to help you determine whether to keep or toss any item.
How to Declutter the Guest Room or Your Kid’s Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Laundry Room and Patio checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Coat Closet/Hall Closet/Linen Closet checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Home Office checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Attic checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Garage checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Living Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Kitchen Checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Entry/Foyer/Mudroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Clothing checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bedroom checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Bathroom checklist can be found here.
Happy Decluttering!
To Subscribe to this Declutter Series, drop me a comment below. Your email will be sent to me but will not be posted publicly. You’ll receive a daily declutter task via email for the daily task we are working on. You can unsubscribe at any time.
New to deemiddleton.com and don’t know where to start? I recommend going in this order:
Step 1: Check out this post on the 1st step you should take to get organized. If you don’t have a calendar, you can grab my free weekly printable calendar page here. It is in my shopify store, but it is totally free, so you won’t be prompted to put in any payment information. It is a free download and will be delivered straight to your email.
Also, you can get the complete digital printable copy of the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series Calendar and Checklists here. The printable digital download is delivered to your email. It includes 25 pages of printable calendar pages and checklists to help you declutter every room in your home. You can sign up here.
Step 2: Create a daily Housekeeping Schedule. You can use this series to start to set up your own schedule. You can also use this simplified weekly schedule.If you often ask: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Or, if you struggle to get organized and have tried and failed time and again, you can likely find out which of these 11 reasons cause you to fail to get organized.
Step 3: How do you remove clutter?.…Sign up for the Declutter Series and get your entire home decluttered in just 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.”Declutter Your Home” checklists are provided in each email.
Step 4: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? Use a timer and use the Deep Cleaning Checklists above. They will help you get your home sparkling after you’ve decluttered.
Interested in becoming a full-time blogger like me? Check out my blogging series. At the top of every page on my blog, you’ll find a drop down menu. Just select the BLOGGING category.
Check out the most popular posts on deemiddleton.com:
14 Things That Make Your Home Look Cluttered
How to Create a Daily Housekeeping Schedule
How to Clean House When You Are Completely Overwhelmed By Clutter
What is Preventing You From Getting Organized?
Also, check out a great post on decluttering over here from becomingminimalist.com. Joshua Becker has some great tips on decluttering and minimalism.
For further reading, check out the fly lady here. She has some great cleaning and kitchen decluttering ideas plus excellent organization tips to get you started.
I hope you have benefitted from my post on Decluttering for Busy Families. Leave a comment below to subscribe to my daily declutter task email series.
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