Need to get a grip on your clutter problem fast? These simple but powerful 5-minute decluttering tips will help.
Every mom has been there: the house is a disaster. You feel like you can’t see the floor or the counters or maybe you’re tripping over shoes or kids’ toys everywhere you turn. Whether you realize it or not, all that clutter causes stress.
As a busy mom, a decluttered home where there’s less stress – and less mess – can feel like an impossible goal!
Who has the time to pick up every day?
Believe it or not, you do. In this article you’ll find 9 very simple and effective 5-minute decluttering tips to help you get it done.
If you find yourself dreaming of a home where you can walk without fear of breaking an ankle by stepping on a toy, you’re going to love these tips!
Related: Decluttering Motivation: How to Begin
9 Top 5-Minute Decluttering Tips for Busy Moms
The best decluttering tips are those that give you a clear plan of action to help you tackle your clutter problem.
Use these quick decluttering tips to help you get closer to your dream of a stress-free, organized home. The best part is that these tips just take 5 minutes (or less!), so they won’t eat up your precious time yet will still deliver powerful results.
1. Make Your Bed Every Day
If you don’t currently make your bed every morning, start doing that now. Have the kids make theirs too. It just takes a couple of minutes and makes a huge impact.
2. Clean Off A Counter
Pick one. A section of your kitchen counter, a bathroom counter, a craft workspace. It doesn’t take long and it feels freeing to see the countertop again once it’s clean.
3. Create a System for Incoming Paper
Mail, school papers and projects, flyers on your door, etc. We receive mountains of papers every day and where do they end up? In piles on the counter or the dining table.
Create a paper organization system (recycling, filing, adding to your command center, etc.) quickly and easily so you avoid piles and losing important papers.
4. Clean a Drawer
It sounds small, but cleaning out just one drawer a day hardly takes any time and covers good ground against clutter. Tomorrow (or next week), clean out another drawer.
5. Break the Shopping Habit
You can declutter your house all you want, but if you buy as much or more than you declutter, you will never get a grip on the problem. When you want to buy something non-essential, pause and wait at least a week while you evaluate if you really need it.
Most of the time, that simple pause will keep you from spending unnecessary money and adding to your clutter problem.
6. Ditch Expired Food
Do a quick sweep of your pantry and your refrigerator to throw out any expired, rancid, or moldy food.
7. Empty the Trash
When our eyes see trash, our brains see clutter, and stress increases. One simple decluttering tip is to take a few minutes to empty out the trash cans.
8. Tackle the Dishes
If you tend to have dishes in the sink for a full dishwasher, declutter by taking a few minutes to wash them, put them in the dishwasher, or clean out the dishwasher – whatever needs to be done.
9. Pick up for 5 Minutes
Do you have an area that always has stuff laying around? Blankets in the family room, toys on the floor, etc? Set a timer and dedicate 5 minutes to pick up the most bothersome items.
By using these quick 5-minute decluttering tips, you can quickly and effectively make a positive daily impact on your clutter problem!
More Decluttering Tips
- What Should I Do With Decluttered Items? Answers to your questions!
- Declutter 101: How to Start Decluttering
- How to Declutter Your House in One Week