Quick Decluttering Hacks

Do you wish decluttering was easier? If so, maybe what you need is a shortcut, a list of quick decluttering hacks that will help you see just how to declutter without freaking yourself out. 

Hacks can help you find more efficient ways to remove the extra stuff so you can create a space and home you enjoy being in.

Decluttering Can Be Easier

When I hear the word “decluttering,” my mind immediately jumps to long, hard, and stressful work. Let’s be real—letting go of things we spent money on isn’t exactly a walk in the park.

And tackling a room full of random stuff? That’s a recipe for sweat, sore muscles, and maybe even a little frustration.

It’s no wonder the word “decluttering” doesn’t exactly make you jump for joy.

But then there’s the word “hacks.” Now, that gets me excited because it means shortcuts, easier ways to get things done.

So, what happens when you put “hack” next to “decluttering”? Does it magically make the process easier?

I think it does—and that’s why I’ve pulled together not just one but a whole list of decluttering hacks.

Quick Decluttering Hacks

No matter who you are or how messy your home might be, I hope you’ll find at least one tip here that changes the game for you, helping you to get closer to a clutter-free home.

Clutter Hack #1. Trash

More often than not what we think is clutter is actually just trash and recyclables that didn’t quite make it to the bin. Take a look right now around the room you are sitting in. Do you see any empty soda cans? Water bottles? Crinkled paper or napkins?

The odds are pretty good that you do and if you spend just 5 minutes a day gathering up the trash you will be surprised at the instant transformation it makes to a room. 

Action Tip: Try this simple habit to cut down on clutter—start each day with a morning “trash walk” around your home.

Grab a bag and toss anything that’s garbage or a recyclable inside. It only takes a few minutes, but you’ll be amazed at how it can change how your space looks.

Clutter Hack #2. Put it Away

Here’s the thing—clutter can really make a room look like a hot mess, especially when it’s all over the kitchen table or counters. But here’s the good news—what looks like an overwhelming mess is probably just a bunch of items that didn’t get put away.

Make a daily habit to “reset” your top rooms—the kitchen and family room—before calling it a night. These are the first spaces you see every morning, and waking up to a mess?

Not exactly a mood booster. By taking a few minutes at the end of the day to put things where they belong makes all the difference.

Trust me, starting the day with a neater space feels so much better than walking into chaos.

Action Tip: Before bed, do a quick visual sweep of the main rooms in your home. Put away any items that are out of place and gather up anything that belongs in another room altogether. This simple decluttering hack will make a huge difference in how you start your day.

Clutter Hack #3. Gradual Decluttering

I am not a fan of decluttering sessions that overtake my entire weekend keeping me locked inside and sorting through boxes of stuff. I would much rather do things as I go so I can get my house simplified without sacrificing my fun time. 

I call this tip Gradual Decluttering and it is going to change how you organize your entire home! 

How it works. Gather up a few boxes or plastic shopping bags and spread them out in your home.

A few ideas for where to put them are: 

• A box on the floor in the kitchen.
• A bag hanging on the closet doorknob.
• A box in your bedroom. 
• A bag hanging on a bathroom doorknob. 

Each time you are in the room that box or bag is your reminder to put something inside of it before you leave. Let’s see each example in action so you can better understand how it works. 

• A box on the floor in the kitchen – When you are setting the table for dinner you see a collection of mismatched glasses you haven’t touched in almost a year. This is a great item to put into your donation box. 
• A bag hanging on the closet doorknob – When you are getting dressed you find a bunch of socks that are shoved in the back of your drawer. Toss a few pairs in your donation bag. 
• A box in your bedroom – When you are making your bed and replacing the 12+ pillows asking yourself why you have so many, you can remove 3 of them and put them into your donation box. 
• A bag hanging on a bathroom doorknob – When you are in the bathroom showering you reach for a towel and find a few that are ratty and worn out, these would be a great donation for your local pet shelter. 

Gradual decluttering is so simple that most folks do not realize how incredibly effective it is at removing the excess in your home.

Action Tip: Put a box in the two main rooms of your home, the kitchen and family room. Each time you are in that room look for 1-3 items you can put inside. By the end of the month, you will have about 30-45 things you can get out of your home for good!

Can’t keep up with the clutter? These Home Decluttering Hacks are perfect for people who don’t love tidying up.

Clutter Hack #4 Always Use Black

One of the biggest issues with decluttering is changing our minds, so when you can use a tip that helps to curb that it is defiantly going to make it onto my quick decluttering hacks list.

When you can see what is inside of a bag it tugs on your second-guessing nerve and you may be tempted to remove what you had decided (with confidence) just a few days ago to put inside. 

This is why I prefer to use black trash bags when I declutter because I cannot see what is inside. 

Hefty Easy Flaps Multipurpose Large Trash Bags, Unscented, 30 Gallon, 40 CountReli. Contractor Garbage Bags 55 Gallon | 20 Trash Bags | Heavy Duty | Black ContractorAmazon Basics Flextra Multipurpose Drawstring Trash Bags, 30 Gallon, 50 Count

 

Trust yourself and the choice you made when you put each item inside of that bag. Remind yourself that you are not removing something of yours but instead giving help to someone that needs it with your generous donation. This mindset works better than you may think. 

Another plus of using a black trash bag is no one in your home can see what is inside either.

Family undoing your hard work is not going to help anyone create a home that is neat and organized. Deter other hands from ransacking your donations and keep making progress. 

Action Tip: Find a black trash bag and start filling it up with items to donate. Once you have filled the bag, immediately take it to your car or schedule a donation pick-up.

This will help you avoid second-guessing and keep your decluttering process moving forward.

Clutter Hack #5. Get it Gone

So many times folks work hard to declutter and when they are done, they leave the boxes and bags off to the side telling themselves they will take them to the donation center in a few days.

The problem with that is a few days turn into a few weeks and those boxes and bags become just another part of the room they are in.

When you finally “see” them, you are forced to sort through those things all over again. 

The best thing to do is to take a box or bag out to your car the minute you fill it up. Each time you are out check your trunk to see if you have a drop-off ready to make and if so swing by the donation center and get it done.

Remember, relocating is not decluttering. Make the effort to put your items in your car and get them all the way out of your house for good. 

Clutter Hack #6. The Hanger Trick 

One of the hardest areas to declutter is the closet. Why? Because not only are clothes a cost investment we can have a strong emotional attachment to certain pieces that it can be hard to see what we love.

It is a safe bet to say that you probably have more clothes than you need making it a bit tricky to pick out the pieces you want to keep. This is where a hack can be super beneficial. 

This is called the hanger trick and how it works is quite genius. 

Start by going into your closet and turning all the hangers backward on the rod. Each time you wear something correct the direction of the hanger.

At the end of 30 days go into your closet and look to see what hangers are still facing the wrong way.

Those are the items you have not worn in 30 days and the pieces you can sort through and declutter.

You may need to do this a few times to make a dent if your closet is really full but trust me on this, this hack really does work. 

Tuck this tip into your calendar and do it every season to ensure you are keeping only the clothes you love to wear inside. 

Action Tip: Go into your closet right now and turn all the hangers backwards. Let things sit for 30 days to see what you can keep and what you can let go of.

The secret to a clutter-free home? Starting in the right place! Here’s how to Make Decluttering Easier from the very first step.

Clutter Hack #7: Rely on Your Calendar

Some items in our homes come with an expiration date, and keeping track of them can feel overwhelming.

But here’s a simple solution—use your calendar to stay on track.

Whether it’s medication, spices, makeup, food, toothbrushes, or even bath loofahs, having a system to remind you when to check or replace these items can make life so much easier.

You can schedule reminders on your phone, ask Alexa or your Amazon Echo to help, or stick to a wall calendar or planner. The key is consistency.

To make things even simpler, here’s a schedule to follow:

Weekly Tasks

• Check the contents of your refrigerator—toss anything expired or questionable.
• Inspect fresh produce and get rid of anything past its prime.
• Gather junk mail, papers, and recycle the pile-up.

Monthly Tasks

• Swap out old loofahs and razors for fresh ones.
• Replace your toothbrush with a new one.
• Review app subscriptions and cancel any you no longer use.

Seasonal Tasks

• Sort through clothes as you prep for the next season—donate or toss items you no longer need.
• Organize seasonal gear, like winter hats, gloves, or beach towels, and declutter anything unnecessary.
• Inspect your pantry and toss expired or stale items.

Annual Tasks

• Go through your medicine cabinet—dispose of outdated meds and supplements responsibly.
• Check your spices and seasonings; replace anything stale or unused.
• Replenish old or dried-up makeup essentials.
• Review your cleaning supplies and stock up on replacements as needed.

Using this schedule, you’re not just managing clutter—you’re staying on top of it. Little by little, these small steps create a much more organized and functional home.

More Decluttering Resources:

• How to Use a Calendar to Organize and Declutter
• Things to Declutter in the Winter
• Things to Declutter in the Summer

Clutter Hack #8. Short and Sweet

When working on clutter I find it is best to keep your work sessions shorter. This will help you to make progress without getting overwhelmed. And the best part of shorter work sessions is you begin to change your outlook as you are changing the stuff you have inside of your home.

Clutter-free habits are crucial to keeping your home organized so take the time to develop those new habits so you never have to do a full decluttering marathon work session ever again. 

Action Tip: Make a goal to work 20 minutes a day sorting through clutter. Set a timer on your phone or listed to 5 songs on an upbeat playlist to help you stay energized and focused.

Clutter Hack #9: Set a Deadline

Deadlines can be powerful motivators, and this hack takes that to the next level. Here’s how it works:

1. Call your local donation center and schedule a pickup for one or two weeks from today.
2. Mark it in big, bold letters on your calendar so you won’t forget.
3. Having a specific date on the horizon—and knowing someone is counting on you to follow through—can really light a fire under you to get things done.

You’ll feel motivated to sort through items, declutter your space, and fill those donation bags. Plus, knowing it’s all going to a good cause makes it even more rewarding.

Clutter Hack #9. Use Distractions

Once you have adopted the 20 minutes work decluttering session habit, then using a distraction to keep your head focused is a great tip to use. Make the most of your time so you can get more done.

How can you do that? By setting up a few distractions.

Music is not only a great distraction it is also a great pacesetter. Create a playlist of your favorite upbeat music that you only listen to when you are decluttering. 5 songs come out to be 20 minutes and you can also use this as your time as well.

When you know you have just one 4 minute song left on your playlist you magically find another gear and start going through things in your work area much more quickly. It is really amazing how well it works. 

Another great distraction is audiobooks. I love books that I can listen to and once I find a book that is really really good, I only allow myself to listen to it while I am decluttering.

This not only gets me more excited to work on an area it somehow keeps me working longer than I had originally planned. The better the book the more work I seem to get done. 

Clutter Hack #10. Drop Baskets

One of the items that most people struggle to keep from taking over is mail. And finding a super simple way to contain it is a huge clutter tip to remember. A mail basket is all you need to keep the paper under control.

Set up a basket in your kitchen, or wherever you tend to drop the mail. Once a week go through all the items in your mail basket until it is empty. Put the basket back when you are done and repeat the steps. 

• No more mail scattered in every room of your home. 
• No more lost papers.
• No more missed due dates. 

Great Baskets to Control Clutter Hot Spots

• Organizing basket for a dresser.
• Shallow basket to hold incoming mail.
• Floor basket to hold extra blankets and pillows in the family room.
• Hanging basket to hold fruit and vegetables.
• Stair baskets to hold items that need to be put away.

Clutter Hotspot Solutions:

Use these baskets to keep the mess off of your open counters, tables, and floor!

OIAHOMY Large Blanket Basket, Rectangle Woven Baskets for Storage, Nursery Blanket Basket Living Room, Toy Basket With Handle, Large Baskets for Organizing-22”x17”x12”-Gradient Yellow4A Paper Tray Organizer,4 Pack Paper Tray Durable Desk Storage Bins,Stackable School Supply Holder, Student Paper, Office Organizer & Teacher’s Document Sorter (13.58Honey-Can-Do STO-02882 Nesting Banana Leaf Baskets, Multisize, 3-Pack,Natural

 

Clutter Hack #11. Focus on Easy

If you struggle to get rid of things then put your attention on anything that is easy to get rid of. This way as you start to make progress you will become more confident in your ability to make decisions. And it’s that motivation that you can use to keep making progress in every area of your home. 

What are easy things to declutter? 

• Wire hangers
• Chipped dishes or glasses
• Broken toys
• Stained, snagged, or stretched out clothing
• Expired food
• Shoes with holes
• Expired medication (Be sure to dispose of in a safe way)
• Dried up nail polish
• Freezer burnt food
• Plastic containers that are missing lids or lids that are missing plastic containers
• Dried up pens or markers
• Pans with missing Teflon
• Old dried-up paint (Be sure to dispose of in a safe way)

Action tip: Keep an eye out for these items and toss them as you come across them.The more you. can get rid of the easy things the bigger difference you will make in the overall look of your rooms.

How much time is good to work on decluttering? 

If you are working on a large project, then 20 minutes is a good time block to shoot for. It’s enough time to really make progress yet not so much time that you are sacrificing your entire day. 

20 Minute Decluttering Projects

• Work on the floor of your bedroom closet.
• Organize your refrigerator.
• Declutter the top of your desk.

If you are working on small projects, then 5-10 is good. It’s enough time to make progress in a small area yet will not upset your entire schedule for the day ahead.

5-10 Minute Decluttering Projects

• Clean out a junk drawer in the kitchen.
• Organize a shelf in your pantry.
• Clean off the top of your nightstand.

When it comes to decluttering an entire home finding ways to make it easier might be too much to ask for. Well, not anymore.

Use these quick decluttering hacks to get one step closer to creating a home you love, all without freaking out. 

More Easy Decluttering Resources:

• The Life-Changing Way to Organize Your Dresser
• 85 Easy Things to Declutter Fast
• Out of the Box Decluttering Tips