80+ Micro Decluttering Ideas

January 5, 2024

January is here and you’re probably feeling the urge to declutter. All around you, people are excited to purge. You’re seeing the lines at Goodwill being longer than normal. You’re hearing people talk about the cool new bins they’re getting to store their stuff. But what if you are super busy and don’t have time to declutter? Or do you get overwhelmed when trying to declutter? Maybe you just don’t know where to start. Try “micro-decluttering”! Spend 10-15 minutes on decluttering and organizing a small task, and watch how great you feel as your life quickly becomes more organized! Here’s a list of 80+ micro decluttering tasks you can do to start feeling more organized now.

Kitchen

Throw away expired food in the fridge/pantry
Group like items in the pantry and use containers to help keep things organized
Organize your spice cabinet
Look for and give away appliances and kitchen items you don’t use
Organize your junk drawer

Bedroom

Organize the nightstand
Assess bedding and give away what you no longer need
Clean under the bed
Organize the top of your dresser
Organize your jewelry

Clothes Storage

Either put away or wash that pile of clothes you have to “rewear”
Either give away or fix all those clothes you’ve been meaning to mend
Declutter/organize your underwear drawer
Declutter/organize your sock drawer
Declutter/organize you clothes
Declutter/organize your shoes

Bathroom

Throw out old cosmetics/medication
Assess towels and give away what you no longer need
Use containers to help you group like items
Order/install necessary hooks or shelves to organize your stuff such as under the sink, above the toilet, or in the shower
Wipe down the shelves of the medicine cabinet or bathroom drawers

Laundry Room

Throw away empty bottles and used dryer sheets that didn’t make it to the trashcan
Put a trashcan in the laundry room if you don’t already have one
Organize cleaning supplies
Put away clean laundry
Decant your laundry soap into a container that is easier to use

Front Entryway

Take the trash/recycling out
Go through the mail (or even just some of it if you have a lot)
Refresh your décor
Sweep the porch
Mail back those returns that you’ve been meaning to send back

Living Room

Clean the couch cushions and under the couch
Put away blankets and fluff couch pillows
Pick up miscellaneous clutter
Donate old tech/media
Tend to your indoor plants

Dining Room

Clear off the table and put things where they belong
Give away dishes/serving ware that you don’t use

Office/Books/Paperwork

Clear off the top of your desk
Clean out a desk drawer
Declutter file cabinet/old notebooks
File loose papers
Shred paper to be shredded
Sort office supplies
Declutter books you don’t need/want
Organize your bookshelf

Pet Areas

Wash/organize bedding
Declutter old toys
Organize food/treats/supplements
Organize grooming supplies
Organize pet clothing, leashes, and collars

Outdoor Areas

Spend some time weeding the garden
Organize grilling area
Organize outdoor furniture
Repair anything broken
Throw out trash that has accumulated

Garage/Storage Shed/Hobby Areas

Clear off your workspace
Sort like with like
Clearly label containers or other storage systems
Let go of abandoned projects or finish them
Give away unnecessary supplies/tools/gear

Kid’s Areas (do this with your kids, if possible)

Wrangle toys/art supplies and group like items
Give away toys/books that are outgrown (or store toys for younger kids)
Sort/declutter clothes, and give away ones that are outgrown (or label and store for the next kid)
Declutter old kids art/schoolwork, and/or create a storage system so it can be archived
Create/organize a desk so that your kid can do schoolwork and knows where to store current paperwork
Declutter backpacks

Personal Items

Declutter your wallet
Declutter your purse
Declutter the contents of purses/bags/pockets not in circulation
Declutter/organize your mementos (if you feel inspired)
Declutter/organize your photos (if you feel inspired)

The Car

Declutter your glove box
Declutter your center console
Declutter your trunk
Declutter any other remaining clutter
Vacuum and wipe down the interior

Basement/ Storage Areas

These areas may take longer than 10-15 minutes. If you’ve got a major clutter/organization problem in these areas, and you’re having trouble getting started, set a timer for 10-15 minutes. Start with throwing out trash and recycling. Look for obvious things to donate. Break down the decluttering/organizing process into small chunks based on what you’re storing. By setting a timer for 10-15 minutes, this will help you get started, which is often more than half the battle!

Digital World (these can be super tedious and time consuming… make sure to pace yourself instead of trying to do it all at once)

E-Cycle old computers and phones
Unsubscribe and delete email
Delete unnecessary digital files
Delete unnecessary apps off your phone
Delete unnecessary photos

Although you may realize that some organizing projects require more time devoted to them, there is PLENTY of progress you can make just by devoting 10-15 minutes on each of these tasks. Take lots of before/after photos and focus on what you’ve accomplished. You got this!