Things to Declutter in August
Summer is winding down, and you may be looking at your house wondering what happened! This checklist is here to help. Easy things to declutter in August, keeping you right on track with where you want to be.
How to declutter the easier way, all by using a checklist. Just follow along and make progress as you go!
As summer slows down, so do our supplies of summer items. That is why August is a good time to go through our stock and clean out or replenish what we are running low on.
Keep making progress even when the temps are soaring outside. Remember, any step you make toward your goat of a clutter-free home is still a step in the right direction! Keep making progress no matter how small, and celebrate every win.
Things to Declutter in August
This list is meant to be easy so you can just get the stuff gone without any of the stress that usually tags along with decluttering.
Don’t forget to grab your FREE Decluttering Checklist for August at the end of this article!
DM Pro Tip: Keep this list and all of our monthly checklists in a decluttering binder. This way you have a plan for each month of the year to refer to, keeping things from getting cluttered and messy going forward.
In the Kitchen
Each month, I like to work on a different area in the kitchen. Having a monthly focus area in this busy space helps to keep the entire area more organized.
• Baking Dishes – Go through your cookie sheets, baking pans, pie pans, etc. Toss any that are rusted or damaged and donate any that are longer used.
• Measuring Cups – Keep enough that you routinely use, and let go of the excess to free up space.
• Measuring Spoons – Again, keep enough that you routinely use and let go of the excess.
• Small Appliances – A good rule of thumb with small appliances is, if you use it 1-2 times a year, do not give it space in your kitchen. Instead, store it away in a pantry on the floor or on a lower shelf.
• Water Bottles – If it is damaged or you haven’t touched it in months, let it go. Keep your favorites and donate the rest.
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In the Bedroom
A bedroom should have just the items that help you to relax at the end of a busy day and to get the sleep you need. The more you can remove, the more space you will open up, giving a relaxing atmosphere to where you sleep.
• Furniture – If you have pieces in your bedroom that are not being used as intended, this is a clue that you may not need them. Consider removing excess items.
If you are unsure that you are ready to downsize the number of dressers you have, try this: Keep more of your clothes in your closet, and test drive only have one dresser or no dressers in your room.
• Books – I love books, but if you have a large collection in your home, you may want to consider setting up a library in an office or family room. Then, you can keep a few favorites near your bed that you can read to help you wind down after a long, stressful day.
• Electronics – The less stimulation we have in our bedrooms, the better rest we will enjoy. Consider removing the television and read instead.
• Lighting – Soft lights are good for a bedroom with a good reading lamp near your bedside. Replace bright, overbearing bulbs with more appropriate options.
August Decluttering List for the Office
The office is one of those forgotten rooms unless you work from home. Either way, giving this room a bit of attention this month will help.
• Surface Clutter – Take a few minutes to clean off any papers from your desk and other work areas. Put them all into a basket and set aside time to sort through them.
• Printer Ink – Check to see if your printer ink needs to be replaced, if so add it to your shopping list. Gather up any empty cartridges and take them to be recycled.
• Calendar – If you have not done so yet, set up your new calendar for the month of August. Toss the previous month and start fresh. Keep your calendar in your family command center or other centralized space to ensure that you and everyone can see it.
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• Events – Be sure to make a note of any birthdays or anniversaries for August. Make a list of cards and gifts you need to purchase so you have time to get them to their recipients on time.
• Commitments – You might not think of a schedule as something that you want to declutter, but this month, it is. The busy fall season is fast approaching, so now is a great time to pare down the things on your schedule to free up time for relaxing and spending time with friends or family.
August Declutter List for the yard
Toys seem to multiply outdoors during the summer, taking over most of the yard area. If you do not have any yet, you may want to invest in a storage tote to keep things contained.
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• Lawn Furniture – Go through the chairs, tables, and benches that are outside. Keep out what you routinely use, store away the extra items, and toss any that are damaged.
• Pillows and Cushions – Sort through any pillows or cushions only, keeping what is free of damage such as mildew, stains, and tears.
• Sand Toys – If you have a sandbox in your yard, this is a good time to sort the toys inside. If you have items not for sand play, remove them and put them where they belong.
Toss any broken toys and remove any rocks, sticks, or other misc items.
the Front and/or Back Porch
Give your home a great first look with less mess and clutter at the front door. Declutter the back porch, so you have an oasis to enjoy outside.
• Dust and Dirt – Take a few minutes to clean the area. Remove cobwebs, leaves, grass, dust, and dirt. If needed, change the bulbs in any lights.
• Welcome Mat – If you have a welcome mat, shake it and clean under it. If the mat is in bad shape, replace it.
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• Decor – Minimize what you have on your front porch. A chair, small table, welcome sign, and rug are all nice and inviting things to have.
for the Refrigerator
Many times our fridge can get messy both inside and out. Let’s tackle that next.
• Photos and Papers – Remove everything from the front of your fridge. Keep only what you need on the front.
Consider setting up a home hub to hold family schedules, to-do lists, chore charts, take-out menus, and school info.
Home Hub Resources:
- How to Organize Your Family’s Schedules
- 10 Things to Have in Your Home Hub
- Organize Your Family With a Home Hub
• Outdated Produce—Remove any old produce from your refrigerator. Plan to incorporate fresh produce into your weekly menu to ensure you use things up before they go bad.
• Old Leftovers – Toss any old leftovers. Going forward, put sticky notes with dates on the front of leftovers. This will help to ensure your family eats leftovers more routinely.
Here is a fun tip: Have a “Leftover Friday” dinner to use up food from the week. Get fun plates and napkins to get your family excited for this day.
Now that you have another amazing list of things to declutter in August, you can work a little every day, making huge progress for the month ahead.
Get all of our decluttering checklists and set up a plan you can stick with for the entire year!
This is a great list! I’d add a few more for the yard–remove dead or dying shrubbery and plants in pots. The summer heat helps clarify which plants are stressed and should be removed. This is a good time to clarify which plants thrived in your planting zone and the growing conditions around the home. For example, this year, our flowering evergreen bushes had over a third of the plants dead; when those portions were removed, the plant’s appeal was gone. Our Holly bush is thriving. The area receives full sun on the easter side of the house until noon.
I’ve consolidated smaller plants into larger pots and made appealing groupings–recycling the pots to a local charity. Doing this reduces visual clutter and makes a greater wow factor.
I plan to plant flowers with bulbs in that area this fall, as some we already have are thriving in another area on this side of the house. I plan to add poppies and sunflowers to the mix when spring comes.