Do the Mini Mall Storage 30-Day Declutter Challenge with us!
Mini Mall Storage loves a good 30-day challenge almost as much as we love helping you get organized. And while our favourite challenge of all time will always be the 30-days of bacon challenge, our 30-day declutter challenge comes in a very close second. So, if you’re tired of getting that “get your life in order” look from Mom every time she comes to visit, take the Mini Mall Storage 30-day declutter challenge with us to conquer your chaos.
Which Room to Declutter First?
There’s no right or wrong answer because it really depends on your living space, lifestyle, and where the most clutter has accumulated. That being said, we like to start with the room or area that will have the biggest impact—going with the big impact spaces first sets the tone for the rest of your decluttering project and starts you off with a big win.
What Are the Rules of Decluttering?
Our favourite rules of decluttering are the room-by-room approach and the touch-it-once rule. Allow us to explain…
The room-by-room rule is simply that you tackle one room at a time to control the mess and avoid getting totally overwhelmed. When you try to declutter the entire house all in one shot, you’re setting yourself up for a fail. But when you take it room-by-room? Boom. Everything is so much more manageable and achievable and will be giving—you totally got this vibes.
The touch-it-once rule is all about not allowing yourself too much time to get sentimental about every object you own. Here’s how you use it:
Pick up each item and answer the following questions as quickly as you can.
- Have I used this in the past year?
- Does it bring me happiness?
- Is it in good condition?
If the answer to these questions is no, let that item go. The trick to this method is to think fast and answer honestly.
The 4 C’s of Decluttering?
How do you approach this monumental task without it looking like a tornado ripped through your house? The 4 C’s approach, or Core 4 as it is also known, allows you to stay organized as you sort and sift by breaking the task down into four steps: clear, categorize, cut, and contain.
Step 1: Clear
In this step, you’re going to completely clear out the space. You can leave furniture where it is if you know you’ll be keeping it but move everything else out of the way.
Step 2: Categorize
Here’s where you’ll get organized. Group similar items together, sort by seasons, sort by frequency of usage—anything that creates a helpful category you can use to stay organized.
Step 3: Cut
In this step, you’ll cut out all the things you aren’t going to keep and sort these items into four separate piles: trash, recycle, donate, and sell. Don’t overthink it. Your goal is to get rid of anything that isn’t being used, isn’t bringing you happiness, or isn’t in good condition.
Step 4: Contain
Now you’ll reorganize everything in your keep pile, preferably in a cute and stylish way—using lots of boxes, bins, jars and baskets to keep all the items in each category together.
The 30-day challenge starts now!
With all that out of the way, let’s get to it! You’ve got your plan of attack, you know the basic rules, and we’ve broken it down for you with a week-by-week game plan that’ll help you kick that clutter to the curb. Like, literally.
Ready? Set? Get that clutter!
You’re armed with the knowledge and the motivation—now it’s time to put it into action! Here’s your week-by-week roadmap to decluttering success:
Week 1: Tackle the Entryway & Kitchen
Entryway: This is your welcome home zone, so make it clutter-free and functional. Sort through shoes you don’t wear anymore, box up and store seasonal gear, create a space to hang up frequently used coats and bags and designate a spot for keys, mail, and anything else that tends to pile up.
Kitchen: Start by going through all your drawers and cabinets. Get rid of the random single-purpose kitchen gadgets you’ve acquired but forgotten about over the years. Toss expired food, chipped mugs, and single-use utensils you never use. Organize dishes, cookware, storage containers, and pantry staples by category.
Week 2: Tame the Living Room & Bathroom
Living Room: We hate to say it, but the biggest culprit of living room clutter is often knick-knacks. Whether you love them or love to hate them, taking a hard look at your collection of mismatched tchotchkes, trinkets, and trifles is an easy way to free up some space. Donate or sell the pieces you can live without. Fold throws and blankets neatly and consider storage ottomans for hidden toy havens.
Bathroom: Did you know that beauty products expire? It’s true! Save yourself a potentially bad reaction by tossing expired toiletries, makeup you never use, and, of course, mystery medications. Invest in cute storage containers for cotton swabs, makeup brushes, and other essentials.
Week 3: Master the Bedroom & Closets
Bedroom: Time to climb clothes mountain! Sort through clothes by season and ruthlessly declutter anything that’s unworn, ill-fitting, worn out, or brings back bad memories. Fold or hang clothes neatly and use space-saving storage solutions like under-the-bed clothing bags for out-of-season items. Alternatively, renting a storage unit to stash seasonal wear is a great way to keep your living quarters neat and well-organized.
Closets: Clothing closets, storage closets, and linen closets can all get overwhelmed with time. But emptying them can surface things you’d forgotten you’d stuffed in there, giving you a chance to take stock and start fresh. Get rid of anything you’re not using and offload seasonal items in a climate-controlled storage unit to stay organized and give yourself some breathing room.
Week 4: The Home Stretch – Office & Miscellaneous
Office: Conquer paper clutter by shredding old documents, organizing files, and designating a spot for ongoing bills and paperwork. Donate unused office or school supplies or sell them online. Don’t forget any miscellaneous junk drawers and corners where paperwork accumulates.
Garage: The garage can quickly become a dumping ground for stuff you don’t know where to store. Give it some attention by sorting through tools and hardware, discarding rusty or broken items and organizing the rest in a toolbox or cabinets. Seasonal items like sporting equipment, pool toys, gardening tools, lawnmowers, snow blowers, and holiday decorations can all be moved to a storage unit to free up valuable garage space for your car or hobbies.
Bonus Tip: Take photos of your progress! Seeing the before-and-after can be a huge motivator, and it’s nice to have photo evidence of how amazing you are when you’re bragging to all your friends about how good your place looks since you took our little challenge.
Throughout this 30-day declutter challenge, it’s important to be honest with yourself.
Embrace the “touch it once” rule, and don’t get bogged down in your feels. And if you find yourself with a mountain of stuff you need to hold on to but don’t have room for, Mini Mall Storage is here to help. We offer clean, secure storage units at affordable prices. Contact us today to find a storage unit near you!