Declutter these 10 hotspots in 10 minutes or less

You may know that decluttering your home makes life easier. But did you ever stop to think about how MUCH it’s affecting you? Believe it or not, you can learn how to declutter fast  – these spots only take a short 10 minutes to organize! 

Declutter these 10 hotspots and you won’t believe how much more organized and relaxed you feel!

How to Declutter Fast – 10 Areas to Try

1. The front of your fridge.
   This is an area that is a clutter magnet! All those party invitations, Christmas cards, and school pictures pile up over time and start to look very messy. Spend 10 minutes taking everything off and giving your fridge a quick wipe-down. Put back the things you want to keep and recycle the rest. It’s like an instant facelift for your kitchen!
2. The junk drawer.
   It’s called a “junk” drawer for a reason. I know some people who call theirs a “useful” drawer instead which is much nicer, don’t you think? Whatever you call that drawer, it’s probably packed with dried out pens, toys, hair clips, and the odd battery. Take 10 minutes to dump out that drawer and sort out the trash. Make a pile of treasures for the kids to take back to their rooms and put back anything that actually serves a purpose! You’ll smile every time you open that drawer! 
3. The sock drawer
   For some reason, sock drawers seem to gather all kinds of non-sock items. This is a super easy place to declutter because it’s contained and it’s something you use every day. Take 10 minutes to declutter your sock drawer. Bet you find all kinds of stuff in there that can go straight in the trash! Bonus points if you declutter the rest of the family’s sock drawers. 
4. Coffee mugs
   Did you know that coffee mugs reproduce when you’re not looking? It’s true! When I ask my students to declutter their coffee mugs, I invariably hear about people decluttering 20 or more mugs (in a household of 2 people!). You probably have your favorite mug anyway – why not let go of those other mugs that no one ever uses? Think of all the cabinet space you’ll free up! 
5. Hoodies and jackets
   Got a coatrack or closet packed with hoodies? If you do, I’ll bet only a very few are actually ever worn. The rest? Probably too small, too scratchy or maybe they belong to one of your kids’ friends. Sort them out, make the kids pick their favorites and declutter the rest. 
6. Your purse
   A mom’s purse is like a black hole. Things go in never to be seen again. But I promise you that they’re still in there! Dump out your purse and toss all those crumpled receipts, the 7 extra tubes of lipgloss, and all that stuff that doesn’t belong. Bet your purse weighs a couple pounds lighter when you’re done! 
7. Under the kitchen sink
   How many cleaners are under your sink? Any empty bottles? Stuff always gets pushed to the back underneath the sink. Take 10 minutes to empty it all out and toss the cleaners you hate and the icky sponges (why did you save those anyway?) 
8. Writing utensils
   Everyone’s got a pencil cup or jar in the kitchen. But how many of those pens and pencils actually work? Sort them out and test them all, letting go of the ones that have served their time. 
9. Toothbrushes and toothpaste
   I have to admit, I think we have a few toothbrushes in the bathroom that don’t belong to anyone! Where did they come from? Collect all the toothbrushes and make each family member identify their brush. Toss the orphan toothbrushes and used up tubes of toothpaste. Or just toss them all and start fresh! Toothbrushes should be replaced every 3 months or so anyway. 
10. Condiments
    Condiments have a long lifespan which means they may end up living in your fridge for years! Ew! But your fridge space is valuable, no? Empty them all out and toss anything that hasn’t been touched in the last 30 days. You may be grossed out but your fridge door will look a lot better when you’re done! 

A little decluttering goes a LONG way!

If you’re overwhelmed with clutter, sign up for my 10 minute decluttering challenges. I’ll send you even more areas to declutter along with tips to tackle the clutter in easy, manageable steps that’ll take you from stressed out to feeling great about your home again.

Sarah Mueller has helped tens of thousands of women declutter their homes. Single mom to 4 boys, she blogs at Early Bird Mom.