Welcome to the Year Long Thorough Declutter Series! Find organizing ideas, deep cleaning checklists, and how to deep clean and declutter your entire home. How do you declutter without being wasteful? We’ll answer that today.
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 find that 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.
How Do You Declutter Without Being Wasteful?
One of the biggest reasons people put off decluttering is guilt. We look at items we’ve spent money on and think, “If I get rid of this, I’m wasting it.” Or we hold onto things because we believe someone might need them someday.
The truth is, keeping unused items stored away for years doesn’t recover the money you spent, and it often creates more stress than value. Decluttering doesn’t have to mean filling up trash bags. In fact, there are many ways to reduce clutter while being mindful of the environment and helping others.
Here’s how to declutter your home without being wasteful.
Change the Way You Think About Waste
The money was spent when you purchased the item—not when you decide to let it go.
If something has been sitting untouched for years, keeping it isn’t making the purchase more worthwhile. Instead, ask yourself:
- Am I keeping this because I use it?
- Or am I keeping it because I feel guilty?
Letting someone else use an item is often far less wasteful than letting it collect dust in your home.
Buy Less Going Forward
The most environmentally friendly item is often the one you never buy.
As you declutter, pay attention to what you repeatedly find:
- Duplicate kitchen gadgets
- Clothes with the tags still attached
- Hobby supplies for hobbies you never started
- Holiday decorations you forgot you owned
Use this information to make smarter purchasing decisions in the future.
Donate Items That Are Still Useful
Many items can have a second life with someone who truly needs them.
Consider donating:
- Clothing
- Shoes
- Coats
- Kitchenware
- Furniture
- Books
- Toys
- Home décor
- Small appliances that work
Always donate clean, working items in good condition.
Give Items Directly to Others
Sometimes the easiest option is giving items directly to people you know.
Ask friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers if they’d like:
- Baby items
- Children’s clothing
- Gardening supplies
- Craft supplies
- Tools
- Furniture
You can also use local community groups where people give away items for free.
Sell Valuable Items
If an item still has significant value, consider selling it.
Popular items include:
- Furniture
- Electronics
- Collectibles
- Name-brand clothing
- Power tools
- Outdoor equipment
Selling won’t always be worth the time for every item, so decide on a minimum dollar amount before listing things.
Recycle Whenever Possible
Not everything belongs in the trash.
Many communities recycle:
- Cardboard
- Paper
- Glass
- Aluminum
- Plastic containers
Other items require special recycling programs, including:
- Electronics
- Batteries
- Ink cartridges
- Light bulbs
- Paint
- Appliances
Check your local recycling center for accepted materials.
Repurpose Items Thoughtfully
Some items can serve a new purpose.
For example:
- Glass jars become pantry storage.
- Old towels become cleaning rags.
- Wooden crates become storage bins.
- Mason jars organize craft supplies.
- Old t-shirts become reusable cleaning cloths.
However, be careful not to create future clutter by saving everything “just in case.”
Use Up Consumable Items
Before buying new products, look around your home.
Use up:
- Candles
- Lotions
- Cleaning products
- Shampoo
- Gift sets
- Notebooks
- Office supplies
- Wrapping paper
Shopping your own home first saves money and reduces waste.
Repair Before Replacing
Some items simply need a little attention.
Consider repairing:
- Clothing with missing buttons
- Lamps needing new bulbs
- Furniture needing minor repairs
- Jewelry needing clasps
- Shoes that can be resoled
If the repair costs more than replacing the item—or you realistically won’t fix it—it’s okay to let it go.
Borrow Instead of Buying
Many things are only used once or twice.
Instead of purchasing, consider borrowing:
- Specialty kitchen appliances
- Carpet cleaners
- Pressure washers
- Party supplies
- Camping gear
- Certain power tools
Owning less means having less to declutter later.
Recycle Textiles
Old clothing, sheets, towels, and blankets that are too worn to donate may still be recyclable.
Many communities have textile recycling programs that keep fabric out of landfills.
Avoid “Donation Clutter”
Don’t turn your garage into a permanent donation center.
As you fill a donation box:
- Label it.
- Schedule a donation date.
- Load it into your vehicle.
- Drop it off within a week if possible.
Decluttering isn’t finished until the items leave your home.
Accept That Some Things Truly Are Trash
Not everything can be donated or recycled.
Items that are broken, moldy, unsafe, heavily stained, or beyond repair should simply be discarded.
Throwing away unusable items isn’t being wasteful—it’s recognizing that they’ve already reached the end of their useful life.
Progress Is Better Than Perfection
Trying to declutter with zero waste is an admirable goal, but it can sometimes become another reason to procrastinate.
Do your best to donate, recycle, repurpose, or sell what you can. When that’s not possible, give yourself permission to throw away items that no longer serve a purpose.
A clutter-free home allows the things you truly value to be used, appreciated, and enjoyed every day. By making more intentional choices going forward, you’ll not only create a calmer home—you’ll also reduce waste in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it wasteful to throw away things I paid good money for?
No. The money was spent when you bought the item. Keeping something you don’t use doesn’t recover that cost. If it’s still usable, donating or selling it allows someone else to benefit from it.
Should I donate everything instead of throwing it away?
Donate items that are clean, safe, and in good working condition. Broken, moldy, or heavily damaged items are often not suitable for donation and should be disposed of properly.
How can I declutter more sustainably?
Focus on donating usable items, recycling when possible, repairing things worth fixing, using up what you already own, and buying less in the future.
What if I feel guilty getting rid of sentimental items?
Keep the items that truly hold meaning, but remember that memories aren’t stored only in possessions. Taking photos of meaningful objects or keeping one representative item from a collection can help preserve memories while reducing clutter.
Struggling with the daily housekeeping chores and wondering: What Housework Should Be Done Daily? Grab my free ebook to walk you through the process. What Does a Deep Clean Include? One of my best Deep Cleaning Home Tips is to use a House Cleaning Planner. Check out my ebook on this topic, entitled Make Over Your Homemaking. Use this link to get it at a discounted price. Better yet… get it FREE when you subscribe to my site.
Maybe your house is clean but cluttered. If so, you need to know a few Declutter Tips and Ideas before you start using the Step By Step Decluttering plan I use. Does a Cluttered House Cause Stress? Let’s look at a reputable, mental health site to answer that question. They have given us 8 ways mess leads to stress. According to Psychology Today:
Clutter can play a significant role in how we feel about our homes, our workplaces, and ourselves. Can a Messy House Affect Your Mood? You bet! How Does Clutter Affect Your Life? Messy homes and work spaces leave us feeling anxious, helpless, and overwhelmed. Yet, rarely is clutter recognized as a significant source of stress in our lives. (source)
Why does mess lead to so much stress? (source)Getting rid of all of that stress can be one of the best declutter motivation tips you need for some instant Decluttering Inspiration.
- Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli (visual, olfactory, tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren’t necessary or important. (source)
- Clutter distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on. (source)
- Clutter makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally.(source)
- Clutter constantly signals to our brains that our work is never done.(source)
- Clutter makes us anxious because we’re never sure what it’s going to take to get through to the bottom of the pile. (source)
- Clutter creates feelings of guilt (“I should be more organized”) and embarrassment, especially when others unexpectedly drop by our homes or work spaces. (source)
- Clutter inhibits creativity and productivity by invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brainstorm, and problem solve.(source)
- Clutter frustrates us by preventing us from locating what we need quickly (e.g. files and paperwork lost in the “pile” or keys swallowed up by the clutter). (source)
Overwhelmed by a Messy House? It can really affect you negatively. How Do You Deal With a Cluttered Mess? One way is to have a plan, set aside a specific time, and learn the Step By Step Decluttering plan I use for Clearing Out Clutter using my Declutter Tips and Ideas. What Cleaning Should Be Done Daily? I have a room by room specific Printable House Cleaning Checklist linked above.
How I Get Help With Decluttering My House: For a clean, simplistic look, one of the best Deep Cleaning Home Tips is to declutter a room before cleaning and then use an Easy House Cleaning Schedule to maintain it. Declutter Checklists can help you learn How to Declutter a House.
How Does Clutter Affect Your Life? As you can already see, there are at least 8 ways we become negatively affected by clutter. Also, I though it might be thought provoking to look at some statistics on clutter.
- US consumers buy 40% of the world’s toys, but bear only 3% of the world’s children.
- Most people wear 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. (source )
- 9.4% of U.S. households rent a storage unit. (source)
- People do not look at 80% of the papers and information they keep.(source)
- The average American house is double the size it was in the 1950s–and getting bigger. (source.)
- The U.S. Department of Energy reports that one-quarter of people with two-car garages have so much stuff in there that they can’t park a car. (https://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-statistics-of-clutter/)
- According to the National Soap and Detergent Association, getting rid of clutter would eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home.(https://www.becomingminimalist.com/the-statistics-of-clutter/) Wouldn’t eliminating a lot of housework provide some declutter motivation?
Today, we’ll lay out the solutions to get you some Help for Cluttered Homes using my tips on How to Declutter a House. Plus, we’ll look at a few ways to answer the question:What Cleaning Should Be Done Daily? A Printable House Cleaning Checklist will help you keep your home clean and maintained. I’ll even give you my Deep Clean Checklist and Declutter Tips and Ideas to help you get started.
Maybe you are thinking: My House Is So Cluttered, I Don’t Know Where to Start. How can I recognize clutter? Let’s address those questions. I have a visual below using some questions to help. Also, check out these 5 Important Guidelines I use to to keep me focused and motivated as I begin the process of getting my home decluttered.
Check out these 5 Important Guidelines to keep you focused as you Declutter:
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. Read on for deep cleaning checklists, though, as you will begin cleaning after your declutter.
Struggling to decide if an item is clutter? Use these questions below to help you determine whether to keep or toss any item.
How Do You Declutter Without Being Wasteful? : HOW TO DECLUTTER:
Supplies Needed:
1. boxes -preferably ones you can donate (Avoid plastic storage bins because you may be tempted to just store the items and not part with them.)
2. sturdy trash bags
3. marker/pen to label boxes
Decluttering Tip: Avoid using storage bins to declutter. Storage bins tend to tell your brain to “store” the items for later. That is just delaying decisions. If you aren’t getting rid of items when you declutter, you are not truly decluttering. This is why I recommend a trash bag, also. A trash bag tells your brain to “trash” the item.
How Do You Declutter Without Being Wasteful? Obviously, recycle if you have that option. The boxes you use should be ones you are willing to part with, so I recommend sturdy cardboard boxes. As to donations, there are many charities that will come pick up your items for you at your home.
I use one in particular where you can book an appointment for pick-up online. This is so convenient, as it saves you the hassle of hauling stuff away yourself. Scheduling that pick-up also motivates you to declutter by a certain date.
Bonus: Check out this great video I found that will motivate you to clean and declutter. She will inspire you!
How Do You Declutter Without Being Wasteful? : How to Declutter:
1. Start by eliminating trash first- use a sturdy trash bag
2. Sort items by category if needed so you can see what you have
3.Get rid of duplicate items, broken items, outgrown clothes and shoes, anything you’ll never use again
4. Box up the donations and trash/recycle the rest
5.Select a charity to donate your items and schedule the pick-up if that is an option
Year Long Through Daily Declutter Series Task:
We are working in the 2nd Bathroom this week. Your daily declutter series task for today, December 4th, is to: Declutter any unused or broken hair curlers and hair appliances .
How Do You Declutter Without Being Wasteful? +Decluttering Tips for Home -Complete Room by Room Deelean and Declutter Checklists below
Bonus Tip: What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? If you have a big task, such as how to help a hoarder get rid of clutter, try this strategy. Use a timer like the Fly lady recommends. You can check her out in the link at the bottom of this post. She suggests using a kitchen timer to speed you along as you clean and declutter.
You can use a kitchen timer or even your smart phone. This tip really does motivate you to move faster. It’s amazing how much you can do in just 10 minutes. Use my cleaning checklists as you clean, so you are sure to not waste time thinking about what to clean next.
Honestly, if you’re like me, you hold onto boxes of some of your more expensive purchases, such as a TV or computer, just in case you need to return them within the store’s return policy time. If so, make a note to discard or recycle these boxes routinely(once a month is fine), so they don’t pile up.
How Do You Remove Clutter from Your Home? How Do You Tidy Your Home? (tasks you can do in 30 minutes)
Tip: When dealing with sentimental items such as trophies and photos, consider how you might display them in your home if you plan to keep them. For photos, consider storing them in a box or an album in your home. If they are damaged beyond repair, take a photo of the item and keep the photo as your keepsake to preserve the memory. Browse Pinterest for some great ideas.
For Hoarders, I wouldn’t even touch anything sentimental when decluttering, as this is a very sensitive and difficult place to start decluttering. Instead, try utilizing the timer approach mentioned above and tackle those “easy to part with” items first.
Use the declutter checklists below to determine where to start. You can even use a camera to stay motivated. To do this, take a “before” photo each day before you start decluttering. Then, take an “after”photo when you finish that space. Even if it’s just a small dent in the huge project, it can still be very motivating and encouraging.
How Do You Declutter Without Being Wasteful? : How Do You Declutter Your Entire House (and get it deep clean?): Need to deep clean?
First, My How to Deep Clean Your Kitchen list can be found here.
Second, My How to Deep Clean Your Bathroom list can be found here.
Third, My How to Deep Clean Your Kids’ Rooms list can be found here.
Fourth, My How to Deep Clean Your Living Room list can be found here.
Fifth, My How to Deep Clean Your Bedroom list can be found here.
Looking for a “Declutter Your Home” checklist? Read more below.
If you are asking:How Do You Declutter Your House? What is the fastest way to clean a dirty house? You need a basic routine to maintain it once it’s clean. Specifically, to keep up the general housework, you 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.
Decluttering Tips + Decluttering Tips for Home – Complete Home Declutter (tasks you can do in 30 minutes): Follow each room-by-room “declutter your home” checklist below
I have declutter checklists for every room and every space in your home to guide you along below. What is the best way to declutter? Follow my “Declutter Your Home” checklists to get you started.
Need “Declutter Your Home” checklists for each room? Read more 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.
How to Declutter the Guest Room or Your Kid’s Room checklist can be found here.
Also, my How to Declutter Your Laundry Room and Patio checklist is found here.
My How to Declutter Your Coat Closet/Hall Closet/Linen Closet checklist can be found here.
Next, you can find my How to Declutter Your Home Office checklist here.
Find my How to Declutter Your Attic checklist by clicking here.
The How to Declutter Your Garage checklist can be found here.
My How to Declutter Your Living Room checklist can be found here.
How to Declutter Your Kitchen Checklist can be found here.
The How to Declutter Your Entry/Foyer/Mudroom checklist can be found here.
My How to Declutter Your Clothing checklist can be found here.
Also, a 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 Daily 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? How Do You Declutter Your Home?.…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 “How Do You Declutter Without Being Wasteful?”. Leave a comment below to subscribe to my daily declutter task email series.
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