Ten Easy De-cluttering Projects - Each Done in 15 Minutes or Less

Life happens. Stacks accumulate throughout my house. I feel overwhelmed by the clutter! It is easier to keep moving the stacks from one table to another. Tackling the clutter is daunting! Then I found this list of Ten Easy De-Cluttering Projects – Each Done in 15 Minutes or Less!

Finding the time (and the motivation) to make clutter disappear . That’s where quickie clutter clearing comes in. If there ever is a time when I have lots of time, energy and motivation, I certainly am NOT going to use it to declutter my house. Instead, I am going to complete these 10 easy project to declutter.

Farmhouse Kitchen by Main Street Kitchens at Botellos

1. Food storage containers.

Open up that messy Tupperware drawer and pull everything out. Match up the containers with their lids (check the dishwasher too) and toss or recycle mate-less pieces. Stack everything up neatly and return it to the drawer or cabinet. Use the dimensions of this space as a physical limit and give away containers that won’t fit comfortably in the space available.

Beach Style Kitchen by Lopiccolo Construction

2. Fridge door condiments.

Unload the whole sticky mess onto the kitchen counter. Check expiration dates and toss out anything past its prime — as well as any condiments you bought but did not like. Wipe the bottoms of the containers with a damp sponge before returning them to the fridge. If you want to be extra-organized about it, put sweet condiments on one shelf and savory condiments on another.

Kitchen by deulonder arquitectura doméstica

3. Utensil jar.

Check out that jar of utensils near the stove. Are all the pieces in it tools that get daily (or near-daily) use? Do you really need all those spatulas? Take everything out of the jar and put back only the items you reach for often. If there are tools you want to keep but don’t need to access daily, move them to a different spot. The prime real estate nearest your stove should be reserved for true essentials.

4. Pen cup.

First, collect all the pens and pencils throughout your house that are not actually in the pen cup. Once you’ve gathered them all in one place, grab a blank sheet of scratch paper and start testing. Toss out pens that are out of ink and put your favorites back in the pen cup.

If you have a million pens and pencils (joking … sort of), set them aside to donate. Many school districts and some nonprofit organizations are happy to receive donations of office supplies in good condition.

Traditional by Organize It: Data, Time and Space

5. Sock drawer.

Open up that drawer and pull out all the socks and tights. Match up pairs, and inspect each set for holes and worn areas. Fold the sets that have mates and are in good condition, and return them to the drawer. Bring the mate-less socks to the laundry area and check for mates before giving up on them.

When you’re done, toss all mate-less socks, as well as any socks or tights with holes, into a bag to bring to your local clothing recycling donation bin (search “textile recycling drop-off” and your city to find a bin near you).

Transitional Bathroom by Kerra Michele Interiors

6. Shower products.

Pull all the products out of your shower and place them on the sink. Recycle the empty bottles and move infrequently used items to a drawer or cabinet. Have some products that you tried but didn’t like? Give them away or take them back to the store where you bought them. Depending on the store, you may still be able to get a refund — otherwise, pour out the product and recycle the container. I agree that it’s a waste, but letting a product you’re never going to use take up valuable space in your shower isn’t helping anyone. When you’re done, wipe off the bottoms of the products you are keeping and place them back in the shower.

Scandinavian Laundry Room by LeAnne Bunnell Interiors Inc.

7. Laundry supplies.

Check your laundry room for empty bottles of detergent and stain remover, and put these in the recycling bin. Put random items pulled from pockets where they belong. Straighten up the remaining supplies and wipe the counter clean.

Transitional Kitchen by Sara Ray Interior Design

8. Dish towels.

Dish towels seem to get ratty when we’re not looking. Pull out all your dish towels and inspect them. Fold and put away the ones in good condition, and set aside the others to bring to a textile recycling bin or to cut up for use as rags. But don’t go overboard on the use-them-as-rags thing — there are only so many rag towels we really need, and then it’s just creating more clutter.

Farmhouse Entry by Mackenzie Collier Interiors

9. Magazines and catalogs.

Gather up all your magazines and catalogs in a pile. Go through the stack, one by one, setting aside current issues that you still want to read, and recycle the rest. If there is an article you want to save, cut it out — or (if you really want to reduce paper clutter) check if the same content is available online and bookmark it instead of saving a paper copy.

In some ways this project is hard for me! I remember the National Geographics stacked in my grandmother’s basement, and old Life Magazines dating back to World War II in the attic of my middle school library in Boston. Then, a few years ago I got rid of all my Gourmet magazines, but I still miss them! So – good luck with this project!

10. Entry Way Drop Spot

Put pocket change in a cup, recycle junk mail, hang up coats and put away any items that have migrated here from other areas of the house. If there are library books or other items waiting to be returned, take a moment to carry them out to the car so that they’re ready and waiting (and not cluttering up your entryway).

None of these projects takes a long time to finish. They are even pretty easy to start. I may even work on the junk drawer(s) in my kitchen this fall!