The Ultimate Declutter Your Home Checklist

Do you ever wish you had a list of things to declutter in your home? Or, that there was a checklist for decluttering that you could follow? Well, you are in the right place! Boot Camp Mom has the printable declutter checklist you've been searching for!

Decluttering your home is not an impossible task. While it may seem overwhelming, the process itself is very simple. The absolute, number one, top-of-the-list thing you need to do is START decluttering. That's it. Everything else is easy breezy once you set aside the time to start the process. We will break down ways to help you start your decluttering journey and provide the ultimate declutter-your-home checklist filled with items to declutter in your home!

The Decluttering Process

Declutter can be broken down into three stages – time, work, and clean up. Once your home is decluttered, you can focus on home organization. When I say “organization,” I am referring to the act of making everything look appealing to your eyes and getting the most function out of an area. Decluttering is where you go through everything and put the keepers back in an orderly fashion – but not in a way that it would be on the cover of a home magazine.

Time

You must set aside time for decluttering. And, while I do believe that you can do a little here and a little there, that's just not how the Boot Camp Mom works. Remember: boot camps are short and intense courses of training. When we look at the act of decluttering, we want to get the most done in the shortest amount of time.

However, don't set your sights so small that it takes you a year to declutter. Instead, set aside time that is solely dedicated to the project. Then once you are done with that area, set aside time for the next area. Rinse and repeat until you have touched everything in your home.

Work

During decluttering, you need to ask yourself specific questions to decide what to get rid of. Start with, “do I need this,” followed by, “do I want this,” and lastly, “can someone else use it.” We know that there are items you need to keep in the garage or attic for that one day that you might need them. However, your home should be a living place, not a storage place.

Once you've asked yourself those questions, it's time to sort. Make piles of items to save, unwanted items to trash, and items to sell or donate. Next, you want to ensure that you touch every item in the area that you started in. While on the topic of starting – it does not matter where you start! Decluttering must be done in every corner of your home, so just start the process and go from there.

Clean-Up

After you finish decluttering an area, it's time to clean up. Put the items you chose to keep back where they go neatly (remember, you can organize them all later). Take any items you deem as trash out to the trash can. We aren't going to go back through them. Lastly, you will want to take any items you plan to sell or donate and put them in a staging zone until you are ready to list them/drop them off. If you have lots of good things, you can make quite a bit of money selling items locally.

Quick Decluttering Tips to Remember

When decluttering your house, keep the following in mind:

• The initial decluttering of your home will take some time; however, once you're done it should be a one-time process. This doesn't mean that you won't ever go through your clothes again, but it will be considered more maintenance moving forward.
• Be ruthless! If you set aside the time to declutter, and then start keeping everything, then the process is not working. You have got to get rid of as many things as you can!
• Have fun! I actually really enjoy decluttering. Depending on the area of your home, it can often be a walk down memory lane. And, if you do the process correctly, you can get quick wins with this process (hello, dopamine)! If you need some motivation to declutter and clean, I am more than happy to help!

The Ultimate Declutter Checklist

Alright – let's get to the checklist. I've broken the list down to different areas of your home and listed common items that you can get rid of or areas to check to see if you need to clean them out. Here we go!

Decluttering the Bathroom

• Makeup (old/expired, those seasonal colors that you never use)
• Paper Products (toilet paper, cotton rounds, flushable wipes, tampons/pads, kleenex)
• Medicine (old/expired, check other areas of your home too!)
• Hair Accessories (hair ties, bobby pins, stretched headbands)
• Beauty Products (lotions, cleansers, products you didn't like)
• Hair Brushes (old combs, round brushes you don't use)
• Perfumes (ones you don't like, old/expired)
• Hair Products (gel, hairspray, mouse, old/expired)
• Samples (if you're a sample hoarder, get rid of them)
• Overflow (razor blades, face wipes, shampoo, conditioner)
• Towels/washcloths
• Rinse and Repeat for Extra Bathrooms

Decluttering the Living Room

• Magazines
• Books
• End Tables
• Coffee Tables
• Knick-knacks
• Decorative Pillows
• Wall Decor
• Bills/Mail
• Movies (DVDs, VHS, Bluray)
• Gaming Systems (old or unused)
• Remotes
• Blankets/throws
• Audio (CDs, Cassette Tapes, Headphones, Players)
• Pictures (Frames, to-be framed)
• Chargers

Decluttering the Coat Closet

• Old Coats
• Too-Small of Coats
• Hangers
• Items on the Shelf (the shelf in the closet, go through what's there)
• Cleaning Supplies (vacuum, rags, overflow, Swiffer)

Decluttering the Linen Closet

• Bedding
• Comforters
• Bags (backpacks, shoulder bags, etc.)
• Keepsakes
• Cleaning Supplies
• Overflow (wipes, paper goods, anything stored in there)
• Seasonal items (humidifiers and filters, space heaters, comforters)
• Extra Towels
• Excess Decor
• Rinse and Repeat for Additional Closets

Decluttering the Master Bedroom

• Night Stands (chapstick, books, medicine, misc.)
• Under the Bed
• Decor
• Pillows
• Linens
• Dog Beds/Toys/Crates
• Remotes
• Electronics
• Storage Boxes (places where you keep the change, gift cards, old devices, etc.)

Decluttering the Master Closet

• Top Shelves
• Middle Shelves
• Hutches/Storage Boxes
• Clothing
• Shoes
• Boots
• Seasonal Wear (hats, gloves, scarves, swimwear, etc.)
• Jewelry
• Storage Items (if you store medicine, medical devices, etc.)
• Hats
• Ties
• Formal Wear

Decluttering the Kids' Rooms/Guest Rooms

• Clothing
• Keepsakes
• Books
• Toys
• Stuffed Animals
• Under the Bed
• Night Stands
• Dresser
• Closet/Shelves/Cubbies (take it all out!)
• Hutches
• Storage Containers

Decluttering the Office

• Desktop
• Drawers
• Office Supplies (stapler, stamps, hole-punch, rulers,)
• Pens/Pencils (test them all)
• Paper Clips/Rubber Bands
• Post-It Notes/Notepads/Paper Clutter
• Cables (phone chargers, HDMI, headphones, monitor)
• Photographs (albums, prints, frames)
• Files/Important Documents
• Safe/Vital Documents
• Printing Supplies (ink, toner, paper)
• Cabinets
• Bookshelves

Decluttering the Pantry

• Bulk Items (Sam's Club/Costco products, overflow, paper products)
• Canned Goods
• Boxed Goods
• Baking Goods
• Breakfast Goods
• Plastic Cutlery/Napkins/Paper Plates
• Cereal
• Chips
• Snacks
• Bakery Goods
• Seasoning Packets
• Cookbooks/Recipe Cards
• Overflow Cooking Products
• Storage Containers
• Baggies/Walmart Sacks
• Aprons
• Cleaning Supplies

Decluttering the Kitchen

• Refrigerator
• Freezer
• Under the Sink
• Cabinets Above the Refridgerator
• Junk Drawer
• Upper Cabinets (do one section at a time – but touch everything)
• Lower Cabinets
• Free-Standing Storage
• Oven Mits
• Cooking Utensils
• Cutting Boards
• Hand Towels
• Sponges
• Tupperware
• Tumblers/Water Bottles
• Baking Supplies
• Spices
• Small Appliances
• Servers in Dining Room
• Decor Items
• Silverware
• Pots and Pans
• Baking Sheets
• Casserole Dishes
• Kids Plates/Bowls/Utensils/Cups

Decluttering the Toys or Playroom

• Broken/Torn Toys
• Games with Missing Pieces
• Stuffed Animals
• Puzzles
• Coloring Books/Pages
• Arts and Crafts
• Science Kits
• Track Pieces
• Toy Cubbies
• Toy Bins
• Toy Shelves
• Toy Closets
• Books
• Card Games
• PlayDoh Kits
• Trucks/Vehicles/Cars/Etc.
• Dolls/Barbies/Accessories/Etc.
• Balls
• Legos/Sets
• Toy Boxes
• Costumes/Dress-Up
• Electronics
• Play Kitchens/Grocery Stores/Etc.
• Outside Toys
• Bikes/Scooters/Skateboards
• Pool/Water Toys

Decluttering the Laundry Room or Mud Room

• Laundry Supplies
• Under the Laundry Sink
• Light Bulbs
• Manuals
• Seasonal Items
• Shoes
• Bags
• Coats/Swim Accessories
• Upper Cabinets
• Lower Cabinets
• Mudroom Cubbies/Bins/Baskets

Decluttering the Garage and Attic

• Yard Supplies
• Yard Equipment
• Sports Equipment
• Outside Toys
• Automobile Supplies
• Keepsakes
• Holiday Decor
• Coolers
• Hoses
• Overflow Items

Decluttering Pet Supplies

• Medication
• Blankets
• Food
• Beds
• Leashes
• Collars/Harnesses
• Nail Trimmers
• Bath Products

And, that's all I have to say about that… (read that in a Forest Gump voice, please).

That's it! Now, if you have questions on how to declutter quickly, for those times when you have unexpected house guests coming over, Boot Camp Mom can help you there as well. And, if you need a little help to get started today with decluttering your home then the Declutter Boot Camp is for you! Once you have taken the steps to declutter your home, we can move on to how to start organizing!

I hope the Ultimate Declutter Your Home Checklist works for you! I have a free PDF copy ready for you when you need it! Woop Woop!