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Does your home feel more chaotic than cozy after the holidays? With the hustle and bustle of the season, it’s no surprise that things can get a little out of hand.
But as we step into a new year, it’s the perfect time to create a fresh start. Decluttering not only reduces stress but also frees up your space and time for what matters most.
These 7 tips will help you tackle clutter effectively and create a home you love. Plus, these family-friendly decluttering ideas for a fresh start will ensure everyone can get involved!
Tip 1: Start With A Vision Your Whole Family Can Follow
Before diving in, take a moment to visualize what you want your space to look and feel like.
Do you dream of a calm, tidy home where everything has its place? Do you want your family to put things away on their own? Are you looking for a picture-perfect home?
By getting clear on what your vision is, you have created an end goal for the organizing project.
What we typically see when it comes to things like organizing and cleaning is that the idea is too broad. There isn’t an end vision. Just the thought of something that has to be done.
So create a vision or end goal so you know when you are done organizing. And then you can swap out the idea of organizing with maintaining/resetting.
Sometimes this vision needs to involve the entire family. So picture how your family can help you keep up with your idea of organizing so that everyone understands what you expect of the space you all share.
Pro Tip: Write down your vision and keep it visible as a daily reminder and motivation.
Tip 2: Commit to Small, Manageable Goals
Decluttering your entire home can feel overwhelming, so start small. Focus on one room, drawer, or category at a time.
This idea of small organizing is called Micro-Decluttering. You give yourself specific areas to declutter and organize based on a list you created ahead of time.
Breaking it down into smaller tasks makes the process manageable and more achievable.
To create your list, walk around your home and write down specific areas, drawers, cabinets, countertops, rods in closets that need to be decluttered. The more specific you get the better.
Once you have your giant list (yes, it will be giant), hang it somewhere you can see daily.
Then create a habit to spend 15 minutes a day organizing or decluttering. Select one place listed on your giant list and set a timer for 15 minutes. Focus on decluttering that one area. When the timer goes up, stop and clean up.
By tackling small areas daily, you will be so surprised with how quickly you can cross things off your giant list!
Read more micro-decluttering tips:
Micro-Decluttering: Why You Should Try An Easier Version Of Decluttering
Embracing the Minimalist Lifestyle With Micro-Decluttering
5 Simple Steps for Small-Scale Decluttering: Using Micro-Decluttering To Clear The Clutter
Tip 3: Sort and Categorize
The best way to ensure you are organizing in a realistic way is to categorize all your items into groups that make sense.
To do this, you will need to sort your item into categories. There are many thoughts on how to sort items. I have found that this method works the best for my readers.
I don’t have a fancy name. Just create 4 piles or bags: trash, donate/sell, maybe, and keep.
The trash bag is for all those items that are actual garbage. Broken items, personal items that you cannot donate, or expired items.
The donate/sell bag is for the items you find you no longer want to hold onto but are still in good condition. I have an entire post on how you can decide if something is worth selling: Should You Dump, Donate Or Sell Clutter?
The maybe pile should be for items you are unsure if you can get rid of. This includes toys you think the kids are done playing with but not totally sure you can donate. Clothing that you don’t remember the last time you wore but aren’t comfortable donating yet.
I made an entire video on determining what goes in the maybe bin and how to use it.
Finally, the keep pile is for all the items you want to save. This is the pile we will group based on how you use the items.
There is a wide variety of ways to group items. You can group based on what type of item it is, like a grocery store does. Or you can group based on how you use the item.
I have more ideas for grouping in the blog posts below:
Like With Like: Organizational Categories For Every Space In Your Home
The Most Effective Way To Get A Color Coordinated Closet
The Art of Decluttering: Must-Try Tips for a Neat and Tidy Home
Pro Tip: Have boxes or bags ready for donations and trash to make it easier to remove items immediately.
Tip 4: Ask the Tough Questions
When deciding what to keep, there are really wonderful questions to help guide you through the decluttering process.
I like keeping these declutter questions on hand to make it easier to remember if I am unsure of keeping or donating an item.
Some of my favorites include:
- “Do I use this regularly?”
- “Does this item serve a purpose?”
- “Do I want to handle this item again?’
- “Would I replace this item if it was broken?”
Be honest with yourself. Holding onto items “just in case” often leads to unnecessary clutter.
Use the maybe bin strategy for those item you want to donate but unsure if you will need it in the next few weeks.
And make sure to download the free declutter questions below.
Tip 5: Create Habits That Work
Once you’ve decluttered, set up organizing habits that fit your family’s needs.
An organizing habit is something you do daily, weekly, and seasonally to keep your home organized.
These habits can include emptying the dishwasher, putting clothing away after doing the laundry, clearing off the countertops, sorting mail.
When you notice a place in your home isn’t staying organized, try to find a habit to help you keep it organized. Maybe it is adding a bowl for keys and change. Or a tray to collect papers.
Once you find ways to adjust your habits, you can use other strategies to help keep those habits going. This can be labeling bins or cabinets. Maybe adding organizers to drawers. Or checklists to help everyone remember what has to be done before bed.
Remember, organization is about making your home functional and easy to maintain.
Pro Tip: Avoid buying organizing products until you’ve decluttered; you might find you don’t need as much as you thought.
Tip 6: Create Family-Friendly Decluttering
Decluttering isn’t a solo mission—get everyone involved!
Assign age-appropriate tasks to your kids. I have a breakdown of tasks: How to Teach Kids to Organize.
Give specific tasks to kids. Using words like “clean up” is super vague. Instead, give straightforward tasks like collect all toy cars.
For shared spaces, keep the expectations low for the family. If you are the one who wants to room set up a specific way, give the family reasonable tasks and you take on the rest.
Example: Turn everything into a game by setting a timer or creating fun challenges like “where does this go?” to help with clean up.
More blog posts on kids organizing:
The Best Responsibility Chart For Kids
How to Set Expectations for Your Kids
Tip 7: Maintain Your Progress
The key to staying clutter-free is maintenance. This means that you do habits to keep your home organized daily.
Adopt habits that keep clutter at bay, like the “one in, one out” rule: for every new item that comes into your home, one must go.
Don’t buy the newest item as soon as it goes on the market. Put items in your cart but don’t buy anything.
Give yourself some time in between shopping and purchasing so you can truly decide if an item in your online cart is worth your time and money…yes time because once it comes into your home, you have to take time to organize and maintain that item.
Schedule regular decluttering sessions throughout the year to stay on track.
Read tips: After You Declutter, What Do You Do With The Leftover Stuff?
Pro Tip: Spend 15 minutes at the end of each day tidying up to prevent messes from piling up.
Bonus Tip Of Family-Friendly Decluttering Ideas
You don’t have to spend money in order to have an organized home.
Because when you remove the unwanted or unused items, you are creating more space for the things you truly love to shine!
I have tips for how to organize without spending any money:
How To Organize Your Closet Without Spending Anything
How To Organize Your Kitchen Without Spending Anything
Can You Really Organize A Closet Without Buying Anything?
Family-Friendly Decluttering Ideas For a Fresh Start
Decluttering is a journey, not a one-time event.
Celebrate your progress and the positive changes you’re making in your home and life.
Small wins add up to big transformations!
Ready to jumpstart your decluttering journey? Check out everything we have to offer at The Organized Mama Co. to stay motivated and on track all year long.
These family-friendly decluttering ideas for a fresh start will help you create a home you love while keeping the process stress-free for everyone.
