Let’s face it, life is busy – but especially midweek. Between work, school drop-offs and general life admin, it’s easy for things to get a little chaotic at home. And while it might seem like you have no time at all to yourself, let alone to clean or declutter, I promise it’s easier than you might think.
All you need is a couple of minutes here and there, and some cleverly selected tasks, to make a huge difference to the flow and organisation of your week. You don’t need to do a complete overhaul of your house, or spend an entire afternoon sweating away, for your home to feel that bit less cluttered.
I’ve highlighted the top decluttering tasks you can tackle during the week for maximum productivity with minimal effort – and to stop that clutter from building up and becoming a much bigger task to tackle.
Restock your everyday essentials
Few things derail a busy working week faster than realising you’ve run out of something important. Spend a few minutes checking the household staples you rely on every day, such as tea, coffee, milk, bread, toilet roll, washing-up liquid, dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent and pet food. Get rid of anything that’s empty, out of date or unused.
If anything is running low, add it straight to your shopping list or order a replacement before the week begins. It’s a simple decluttering task that clears away empty packaging and half-used bottles, while helping you avoid inconvenient midweek trips to the supermarket.
Empty your bag
For me, this is an essential start to any working week. It really takes no time at all to clear out your work bag, especially if you stay consistent with it from week to week. Get rid of old receipts, snack wrappers, loose change and random bits of paper. Repack only the essentials, so you’re not rummaging for your keys, headphones or work pass every morning.
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Clear your desktop
This task is twofold: remove anything you don’t need, whether that’s from your physical desk or computer desktop. Research suggests visual clutter competes for your attention, making it harder to focus on the task in front of you.
For your physical desk, take 10 minutes to remove all distractions – stacks of opened but yet to be assigned paperwork, piled-up mugs and water glasses, messy stationary and anything else non-essential to the work at hand needs to go. On your digital desktop, clear out screenshots, downloaded PDFs and random documents. For anything you do need, keep them in strategic folders, such as work, personal, receipts, travel, photos etc. A clear and organised jumping-off point – physical or digital – will make your work much easier.
Declutter your notebook
Whether you use a notebook or planner, it can quickly become filled with old to-do lists, meeting notes, Post-its and scribbled reminders that make it harder to find the information you actually need. Spend five minutes tearing out pages you no longer need, highlighting any important notes to keep and starting a fresh page for the week ahead.
If you have unfinished tasks scattered across multiple pages, rewrite them into one clear, up-to-date list. This not only makes your notebook easier to navigate but also helps you focus on current priorities, rather than being distracted by weeks of outdated notes and crossed-out to-dos.
Organise your charging station
A tangled drawer full of charging cables can waste more time than you realise. Take five minutes to throw away any broken cables or chargers for devices you no longer own, then group the ones you use by type, such as phone, laptop and smartwatch chargers. Sometimes you’ll be shocked to find how many chargers you don’t use are taking up precious sockets.
Secure each cable with a Velcro tie or cable clip to stop them knotting together and store everything in one dedicated box or drawer. Keeping your most-used chargers within easy reach means you’ll spend less time hunting for the right cable when you’re rushing out the door or your battery is running low. If you leave yours plugged in, take a look at what’s there.
Reset your ‘drop zone’
Most homes have a ‘drop zone’ – the kitchen counter, hallway table or sideboard, where keys, post, wallets, headphones and loose change seem to accumulate. While it’s convenient in the moment, it can quickly become cluttered, making it harder to find the items you actually need before heading out the door in a hurry.
Take five minutes to clear away anything that doesn’t belong there, such as unopened post, receipts or shopping bags, and leave only your daily essentials, such as your keys, wallet, work pass and sunglasses. Giving these items a permanent home will make busy weekday mornings feel far less frantic, as you’ll always know exactly where to find them.
Create an ‘outbox’
Instead of letting returns, parcels, library books and items to donate pile up around the house, designate a small basket or box near your front door as an ‘outbox’. Anything that needs to leave the house goes straight into it, so it’s ready to grab the next time you’re heading out.
This simple habit keeps clutter from building up on worktops and stops important errands slipping your mind. Rather than remembering a parcel you meant to post after you’ve already left for work, everything you need to take with you is waiting by the door.
