No one wants to dedicate a weekend to decluttering, but too often that’s what happens. We put off the task, then watch the mess grow until we’re left with no other choice but to sort it all at once. We gradually work our way through, watching the hours tick by.
But it doesn’t have to be this way! We’ve found seven things that take five minutes or less to declutter, so you can get that same sense of achievement without sacrificing hours at a time. You could get through all of them tonight and still have the weekend to relax. Here’s where to start…
Near-empty bottles
If you check your shower caddy, odds are you’ll find a bottle or two that’s near empty but not quite finished. When it gets to this stage, there’s not enough for what we need, plus it takes ages to get the dregs out, so it goes abandoned. Throwing it away seems wasteful, so it sits on the shelf gathering dust and soap scum until we give in.
Decant these bottles into your new ones to finish them off. Or, so long as they’re sealed, you can store them upside down so they’re ready to dispense with your next shower. If there are any products you've tried once and didn’t like, set these aside to be offered out to friends and family.
Forgotten Christmas food
OK, it may seem strange to be talking about Christmas food in August, but we’re willing to bet there’s food you were gifted last Christmas that’s still sitting in your cupboards. Maybe you’re not a fan of Christmas pudding, or maybe you’ve not been in the mood for shortbread, but whatever the reason, if you haven’t eaten it by now, odds are you never will.
Start by checking the best-before dates. For anything still in date, your neighbors might appreciate them, or a local food shelter will happily take them off your hands. For anything that’s past its best, it might be suitable for the compost heap, but take care with anything that’s high in sugar or butter as that can attract pests. Break it down and add it gradually to the center of a secure bin.
Shriveled plants
With the relentless heat in parts of the country, there may well be a dead potted plant or two sitting in your garden. This isn’t doing much for your garden aesthetic or your mood, so take a minute to get rid of any that are long gone.
Plants can generally act as brown material for the compost bin, but if any showed signs of disease or pests, they shouldn’t be composted; otherwise, you risk resurrecting the problem into your garden later. Disinfect any diseased plant pots by washing with soapy water, then soak in a solution of 1-part bleach to 9-parts water for 10 minutes, and rinse.
Broken toys
If you’ve got children at home, there are bound to be broken toys. Take a moment to collect those that are past repair and dispose of them, recycling if possible at a local household waste recycling center.
If toys aren’t broken, but just a little worn, there are plenty of places that you can donate them to, including Goodwill.
Books you’ve read
Once we finish a book, back on the shelf it goes. But as these multiply, you wedge them in and stack them up until you’re at risk of everything toppling over, bookcase included.
Run your eyes over the shelves and declutter any books you’ve already read. Go through the pile and ask yourself if you’re ever likely to read it again. If the answer is no, offer it out to friends and family. If there are no takers, donate them to your local Goodwill, public library, or school library.
Bulky packaging
Whenever we buy an expensive appliance or a new bit of tech, we tend to hang on to the packaging “just in case.” So it sits in a cupboard somewhere, waiting for something that probably never happens.
Take a minute to pull out any old boxes and packaging for items you’ve long since started using—it might be for the phone you purchased three years ago, or for the fancy coffee machine you run every morning.
Recycle what you can—and that includes the instruction manual (these are available online as well). Dispose of any tools and accessories you haven’t needed that are still in the box, but hang on to any receipts if the item’s still under warranty.
If you’re determined to keep the packaging, at least flatten it down so it takes up less space.
Pointless apps
This one takes moments and really does make all the difference. Spend five minutes deleting all the apps you never use on your phone. There might be games that never get played, fitness trackers that just make you feel guilty or random apps that pair with appliances but never get used. Clear the decks on your homepage and prioritize the apps you use daily.
If you have time left, dedicate it to unsubscribing from any emails and newsletters you don’t read, too. This stops your inbox from overwhelming you in the future.
As the Household Advice Editor, Katie looks after all things cleaning and decluttering. She started out as a Junior Tester in the Good Housekeeping Institute 10 years ago, so she’s tested plenty of appliances in her time too, including dishwashers and washing machines. Nowadays, she focuses on keeping our cleaning content up to date and accurate, testing relevant products and learning about the latest methods and trends along the way.
