How to Declutter Your Home in Just 30 Days
I just returned from a week in Dallas at the How To Summit, where I had the honor of sitting on a panel with my favorite Professional Organizers in the industry! It was inspiring, energizing, and full of incredible conversations about leveling up the client experience. But the moment I walked back through my front door, I felt that familiar mix of relief to be home, but also the overwhelm at everything waiting for my attention.
This season is busy for all of us. Between school drop-offs, after-school activities, a packed work schedule, and endless appointments, life doesn’t seem to leave much breathing room. And being busy means that clutter often has a way of creeping back in. My junk drawer starts to fill with papers needing my attention, closets quietly fill with things I don’t have the time (or energy) to deal with, and don’t get me started on the trail of kids' items that find their way onto every surface in my home! Sometimes it feels like our homes start absorbing the chaos right along with us! 😅
That’s exactly why I think fall is the best time to declutter! September gives us the push of new routines, and October is the sweet spot to keep that momentum going before holiday chaos officially hits. A little reset now means ending the year (and walking into the new year) with a home that feels more intentional and easier to live in.
So if I were going to declutter my entire house in one month, here’s exactly how I’d do it…
10 Tips to Declutter Your Entire House in One Month
Here’s the exact plan I’d follow to reset my entire home in just four weeks:
1. Make a Plan by Week
Instead of tackling everything at once, break your home into four zones:
Week 1: Entryway + Kitchen
Week 2: Bedrooms + Closets
Week 3: Bathrooms + Laundry
Week 4: Garage + Storage
This structure keeps you moving forward without the overwhelm!
2. Set a Daily Time Limit
You don’t need an entire free weekend to make progress - decluttering doesn’t have to take over your life! Once you have your four zones scheduled into your calendar for each of the next four weeks, block out 20-30 minutes a day minimum on your calendar and make a plan for what you will tackle during that time frame. Treat it like an appointment you won’t cancel!
During Week 1: Entryway + Kitchen, you might break it down further and declutter like so:
Sunday: Clean out the fridge and pantry, tossing expired items, and grocery shop for the week ahead
Monday: Lunch packing, to-go cups, and Tupperware drawers
Tuesday: Cookware, bakeware, and kitchen utensils
Wednesday: Small appliances + specialty gadgets
Thursday: Hosting + entertaining items
Friday: Plates, cups, mugs, and silverware
Saturday: Entryway + Junk Drawer
Small, consistent progress adds up faster than you think!
3. Use the “One-Touch” Rule
The more you handle something, the harder it gets to let it go.
Every time you pick up an item, decide immediately:
Keep (it goes back in its proper place)
Donate (straight into a donation bin)
Toss (into the trash or recycling)
No “maybe” piles allowed!
4. Keep a Donation Bin Handy
During the four-week reset, keep a donation box (or boxes) in the spaces being focused on. Outside of those dedicated decluttering time blocks, as you go about your regular daily routines, make a point to place unwanted items into the donation box as you discover them. Each weekend, schedule time into your schedule to take care of the weekly donation drop-offs so clutter doesn’t pile up!
5. Start with Easy Wins
Momentum comes from quick victories!
Begin each decluttering session with items that are obviously trash, expired, or duplicates. It builds confidence to tackle tougher decisions later.
6. Ask the Season Question
Holding on to “just in case” items is one of the biggest clutter traps.
As you declutter, ask yourself:
Did I use this item this summer?
Will I realistically use it next summer?
If the answer is no, it’s time to let it go. The same applies as you transition into fall and winter items.
7. Declutter Alongside Routine Resets
Back-to-school and the onset of fall is already a reset moment, lean into it!
As you move through each decluttering zone, also consider how the space is serving your current routine and give yourself time to accommodate light reorganizing to support your current lifestyle.
If swim towels and sunglasses are taking up prime real estate in your entryway, now is the time to swap those for hats and gloves.
Fresh routines deserve a fresh start!
8. Save Sentimental Items for Last
Keepsakes can stall momentum faster than anything else!
Put family photos, kids’ keepsakes, and other sentimental bins aside until the end of the month. Once the rest of your house is decluttered, you’ll have more clarity to go through those personal items.
9. Finish Each Zone Before Moving On
It’s tempting to bounce around, but crossing an area completely off your list will feel so much better!
Try not to start decluttering a new area until the previous one is fully reset. Snap a before-and-after photo to remind yourself of your progress!
10. Celebrate Weekly Progress
At the end of each week, pause to admire your hard work. Share before-and-after photos with a friend, take a moment to soak in your newly organized space, or reward yourself with a clutter-free night in!
The Big Picture
Decluttering isn’t about creating a picture-perfect, Instagram-worthy home. Decluttering is about making room for the things you truly use and love, and setting up simple systems that help your everyday life flow more easily. When you commit to small, consistent steps, the results are transformational. And if you’d like extra support beyond this 4-week plan, our team at The Orderly Space offers professional home organizing and decluttering services throughout Seattle, Bellingham, and the surrounding areas, and we would love to support you in creating a home you love!
So here’s my challenge: start today. Four weeks from now, you won’t just see the difference in your home, you’ll feel it in your life! ❤️
