Decluttering a room doesn’t have to take all day.
If you’re short on time or don’t know where to start, you can make a real difference in as little as 30 minutes. The goal isn’t to finish everything; it’s to get momentum and make the space feel better.
Here’s a simple way to approach it.
A Simple 30-Minute Decluttering Plan
Before you start, try to keep those 30 minutes focused on decluttering. If you’re also cooking dinner, helping your kids with homework, folding laundry, or trying to get other things done at the same time, it’s going to be much harder to stay focused.
You don’t need a completely distraction-free house, but give the project as much of your attention as you can. The more focused you are during those 30 minutes, the more you’ll be able to get done.
Get Yourself Set Up with Supplies
Getting a few things in place before you start makes everything easier.
Start by thinking about how you want the space to function. It doesn’t have to be perfect; have a general idea of how you want to use the room. That makes it easier to decide what to keep and what to remove.
It also helps to take a quick before photo. It gives you a clear starting point and lets you see the progress once you’re done.
Grab a few basic items before you begin:
- A trash bag
- A donation bag
- A basket for items that belong in other areas
Having these ready keeps you from stopping mid-process.
Focus on One Area & Start Small
Before you start your 30 minutes, decide what you actually want to work on. Having a plan before you start will help you use your time better and keep you from getting pulled in different directions.
You don’t need to plan out the entire room. Just choose one area you want to tackle, whether that’s a bedroom dresser, bathroom drawer, kitchen cabinet, closet shelf, or one corner of the room.
Once you start, stick with that area until you’re finished. If you still have time afterward, you can always move on to something else.
Get Everything in Front of You
A big part of decluttering is just seeing everything.
When items are spread out or hidden in different spots, it’s harder to know exactly what you have and how much of it you have. Pulling everything out and putting it in one place makes it easier to go through.
For example, if you’re decluttering a bathroom drawer, take everything out and lay it on the counter or floor. You’ll be able to see how many toiletries, hair products, or other items you have before deciding what stays.
The same goes for your closet. If you’re decluttering shoes, it can help to pull them all out first, especially if you have a smaller closet where it’s hard to see everything at once.
Once everything is in front of you, you can start deciding what you actually use, what you have too much of, and what you’re ready to part with.
Decide What Stays and What Goes
As you go through items, keep it simple.
Ask yourself:
- Do I use this?
- Do I actually want to keep this?
- Would I rather have the space or the item?
That last question is one I always like to ask our clients. Sometimes thinking about what you gain by letting something go makes the decision easier.
Put items into your three categories:
- Keep
- Donate
- Trash
And if you’re not sure about something, that’s okay. Create a maybe pile or maybe box and come back to those items at the end. You never want to rush yourself and accidentally donate something you actually wanted or needed.
Put Things Back in a Way That Makes Sense for You
Once you’ve decided what you’re keeping, think about how you actually use the space before putting everything back.
Just because an organizing system looks good online or on Pinterest doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you. If you’re an out-of-sight, out-of-mind person, for example, you may want to use clear bins, labels, or keep things where you can easily see them.
Also think about how often you use things. In a closet, the clothes and shoes you reach for regularly should be easy to access, while items you don’t use as often can go on higher shelves or toward the back.
The goal is to set things up in a way that makes sense for you and how you actually use the space.
Get Donations and Trash Out of the Room
Once you’re done decluttering, one of the best things you can do is get everything you decided to remove out of the room.
Load donations into your car, take trash to the bin, or put anything being picked up in its designated spot. If bags and boxes of unwanted items sit around your home for too long, they can quickly start to feel like clutter again or even make their way back into the room.
Getting those items out of the house helps you actually finish the decluttering process.
I will often schedule a donation pickup with the Salvation Army or Vietnam Veterans of America.
What to Do If the 30 Minutes Runs Out & You’re Not Done
If the timer goes off and you’re not finished, that’s completely fine. You can always come back another day or find another time to finish what you started.
You don’t want to rush through the decluttering process just to finish within 30 minutes. Making decisions too quickly could lead to getting rid of something you actually want or need and regretting it later.
The goal isn’t necessarily to finish the entire room in 30 minutes. It’s to make progress.
What If I Get Stuck Making Decisions?
If you’re having a hard time deciding what to keep or get rid of, go back to why you wanted to declutter the space in the first place.
I do this with our clients all the time. What’s the end goal? Are you trying to get some of your space back? Are you tired of how cluttered the room feels? Are you buying duplicates because you can’t see what you already have? Is the space making your morning or evening routine harder? Is it affecting your productivity or even causing arguments at home?
Reminding yourself why you’re decluttering can make some of those decisions easier. It brings you back to what you’re actually trying to accomplish instead of getting stuck on one individual item.
And if you still can’t decide, don’t force it. Put the item in your maybe pile or maybe box and come back to it later. You don’t have to make every decision during that 30-minute session.
How to Keep the Room From Getting Cluttered Again
Once you’ve decluttered and organized the room, regularly refreshing the space can help keep it that way. Take some time to straighten things up, put items back where they belong, and declutter anything you no longer need.
How often you need to do this will be different for everyone. For some people, a quick reset once a week works well, while others may only need to do it once a month.
The important thing is finding a schedule that works for you and your home.
We often recommend this to clients, and it’s also a common approach among other professional organizers, including our friend Charlotte Slankard, a St. Louis professional organizer and owner of CHAR & CO. Professional Organizing, who often encourages homeowners to focus on progress rather than perfection.
Decluttering is only one part of keeping your home organized. For more ideas you can use throughout your home, check out our top organizing tips for New Orleans homes.
Keep the Momentum Going
Even if you only declutter one small area in 30 minutes, you’ve made progress. You can come back another day, choose another area, and repeat the same process.
Using these same decluttering tips for short sessions can help you work through different areas of your home without trying to tackle everything at once.
Need Some Help Decluttering?
Don’t feel like doing it all by yourself? We can help! Contact a home organizer in New Orleans today to take back your home’s space.
If you need a professional organizer outside New Orleans, LA, contact us. We serve the following areas and beyond, and we travel from time to time.
Feel free to contact us anytime. We’re here to help!
