Okay my friends! Who is ready for the most organized year yet? The Household Organization Diet is back for 2016 and we are kicking it all off with a 31 Day Household Detox!
The 31 day detox challenge is designed to jumpstart your decluttering and organization habits and will help you clear out all of that obvious unwanted and unused “stuff” that is clogging up your home. For the next month we will be doing a quick rundown of our homes and getting rid of at least 10 items per day {feel free to do as many as you would like!} The idea is to keep it simple and easy to keep up with. We will be going more thoroughly through each room during the year, so this is not the time to be taking on any time consuming projects or major re-organizing. Just 15 minutes per day – anywhere you would like.
I do have a daily plan set up to cover pretty much every area of your house, but feel free to just use this as a guideline – you can pick and choose whatever areas of your home need the most work. For extra cluttered spots, you may want to spend 2 or 3 days going through things and skip some of the other tasks. It’s all up to you!
Just a few tips before you get started…
- Remember that this is just a quick decluttering. We have a whole year of organization ahead of us so don’t get burned out now! Remember that it has likely taken you years to accumulate all of your stuff so don’t feel bad if it takes you some time to get rid of it!
- Stay focused. If you have a lot of decluttering to do, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Just remember – it is only 15 minutes and it is only one small space. Pull out only what you have time for. You don’t want a bigger mess in the end than what you started with!
- Have a donate bin {or two!} handy. Trust me. You will probably be making multiple trips down to Goodwill this month. Have a bin or tote {and garbage bag!} nearby when you are decluttering to sort out all of your items that you will be getting rid of as you come to them.
- Don’t let perfection get in the way. Again, this is a quick decluttering. Spend all of your time getting rid of things and we will be coming back to make things look pretty later. Don’t think about it too much – just get started!!
- If you come across items that belong elsewhere when you are decluttering, put them away where they belong!
- If you need a little extra motivation to get your going, read this post on tackling procrastination and this post on conquering your decluttering paralysis to help get your started on your way.
Here is the plan for the month…
Day 1: Paperwork.
Do you have a pile of paperwork {or two?} collecting on your kitchen counter or in your home office? Go through bills, receipts, and any other paperwork, tossing {or shredding} what you don’t need and sorting whatever is left over into its proper location.
Day 2: Front entry way and coat closet/mudroom.
Donate any coats, shoes, or accessories that you no longer use. If you are short on space, put items that are out of season into storage somewhere else in your home.
Day 3: Purse.
Empty out all garbage and items that you do not use regularly. Use a small pouch to hold make-up and other essentials that can easily be transferred from purse to purse.
Day 4: Cleaning supplies.
Go through your cleaning supplies {wherever they may be!} and get rid of all of those products that you don’t use. Try to use multipurpose cleaners or green cleaning products whenever possible. If you have multiple partially filled bottles of the same product, combine them into one bottle. Toss any old rags or cloths that are at the end of their use.
Day 5: Fridge and Freezer.
Remove all items from that are expired or you know you will not use. Minimize packaging when possible to save space. Find other organization ideas HERE.
Day 6: Pantry and other dry food storage.
Toss all items that are expired and get rid of anything that you know you will not use. Don’t forget to go through all of those spices too! Place items that will be expiring soon towards the front of the cupboard.
Day 7: Free for All.
This is your catch up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.
Day 8: Kitchen Cabinets.
Look for any kitchen items that you do not use or have room for. Ensure that all Tupperware has matching lids and eliminate as many unnecessary kitchen gadgets, cookbooks, and utensils as you can. You can see how ours are organized HERE.
Day 9: Medicine Cabinet/First Aid Supplies.
Medicine is actually best stored outside of the bathroom in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children. Go through all medications and look for items that are expired or that you no longer need. Return expired medications to your local pharmacy for proper disposal. Find more ideas HERE.
Day 10: Dining Area.
Commit to keeping your table clutter free. Find storage solutions for all items that frequently find their way to the table. Donate any dishes, serving ware, or other items that you do not use.
Day 11: Entertainment Area.
Make sure all CDs, DVDs etc are in their proper cases and evaluate what you really will use. Music and videos are so easily accessible through our computers and mobile devices, that your CDs and DVDs may be a thing of the past.
Day 12: Magazines and Books.
Let go of your magazine hoarding and get rid of any outdated editions. Cut out pages that you would like to keep and sort into a filing system. Recycle or donate old books that you will no longer read and sort the rest in a logical order.
Day 13: Junk drawer.
Get rid of everything that is not needed. If you have time, use inexpensive plastic containers to store similar items together. Put items that belong elsewhere away.
Day 14: Free for All.
This is your catch up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.
Day 15: Desk.
File away any needed paperwork and shred remaining papers. Sort smaller office supplies and only keep products that you use. Get rid of those 2014 calendars!
Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.
Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?
Day 16: Bathroom cabinets.
Go through all beauty products and keep only what you really use. Do you really need all of those hotel shampoo bottles?
Day 17: Linen closet.
Donate any linens that you no longer use that are still in good condition. Toss any items that are really dingy or have holes.
Day 18: Make-up.
Toss anything that is expired, cracked or no longer your style. Pick your favorites and get rid of those other 10 lipstick tubes that you never wear! To find out more about the recommended shelf-life for various make-up, check out this post on how to organize your makeup.
Day 19: Jewellery.
Sort through all of your jewellery and decide what items you still wear. Donate or toss the rest! If anything you would like to keep needs cleaning or repairs, put them aside to take care of as soon as you can.
Day 20: Bedroom closet.
Sort through all clothing and ask yourself if you would still buy it today. If not, it is time for it to go!
Day 21: Free for All.
This is your catch up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.
Day 22: Sock and underwear drawer.
Go through all of those socks and underwear. Make sure you have matching socks with no holes and only keep what you still wear.
Day 23: Nightstand.
Clear off table top and sort through drawers keeping only what you would need before bed or during the night.
Day 24: Kids’ Toys.
This is always a fun one. Sort through toys to see what your kids still use {and have your kids help out on this one if they are old enough}. Check to see that toys have all parts and are in working order before donating or selling. Toss the rest!
Day 25: Kids’ Closets
Check to see what clothes still fit and donate the old ones or sort them into a labeled storage bin if you are saving them for younger children.
Day 26: Craft space.
Be ruthless and really evaluate what items you still need and use. Schools will often take extra supplies that you are looking to get rid of.
Day 27: Laundry Room.
Sort through cupboards for any laundry products that are old or not used. Toss any unpaired socks that are hanging around.
Day 28: Free for All.
This is your catch up day if you didn’t finish any of the above areas. If you are all caught up, pick the most cluttered area in your home to go through.
Day 29: Basement.
Chances are this is one of the biggest source of clutter. Set a timer and try to get rid of as many items as possible. Use large storage totes to store seasonal items together.
Day 30: Garage.
This one is also a big clutter offender. Again, set a timer and collect as many items as you can that you no longer use or need.
Day 31: Car.
Grab two bags – one for garbage and one for anything that needs to go back in the house. Put everything away in its proper place that you bring back into the house.
DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY PLAN HERE.
DOWNLOAD THE JANUARY CALENDAR HERE.
DOWNLOAD A BLANK JANUARY CALENDAR HERE.
It’s a pretty simple plan but you will be amazed at how much clutter you can get rid of! The biggest thing is to not get overwhelmed, so just stick with a small area each day and do what you can within the 15 minutes. Keep going if you feel particularly motivated, but don’t go pulling things out if you are not going to have time to deal with them right away. Repeat this month long plan whenever you feel that your home is starting to pile on a few extra pounds – it is much easier to deal with if you can nip it in the bud!
If you have any questions, just let me know. To stay connected, you can sign up to receive emails when new posts are published or follow along on Instagram or Facebook for some daily organization inspiration and support. And, if you add the hashtag #OrganizationDiet to your IG post, all we will need to do is search the hashtag for instant organization ideas! As much as I love Facebook, the changes that they have made have made it very difficult for me to stay connected with you guys there, so please interact with the posts {like it, comment, or share} if you would like to actually see them in your feed. Otherwise, Facebook will just keep it to themselves. 🙁
To read more about The 2016 Household Organization Diet, check out this post here…
Hi Jenn, I saw you post this on Instagram. I need this badly!! I never really got our home organized and settled after the last move. I was planning on trying to tackle it in the new year and was looking for something like this. I am so glad I found you!!! I’m looking forward to this. Thank you – Jenny
Thanks so much for the organizing tips and printouts. So helpful!
Glad you like them!
I’m so glad I found this. I am so going to do this. When I multiplied 10 x 31, I thought I can never get rid of 310 things (I find it difficult to let go) but when I read down your list there were loads of things and areas that I never even thought to pay attention to.
It really is amazing how much extra stuff we collect that we will never even miss when it is gone. Good for you for starting!
I’m in! I just found it so will use the Free For All days to catch up.
Awesome! Glad you are joining in!
Thanks so much for this! I’m excited to see the results. Would you be able to make the printables PDFs instead of jpegs? For some reason I can’t print it out. Thanks again!
It shouldn’t make any difference if they are jpegs or PDFs for printing. Were you able to download them?
Great way to split each task to a certain day.
This is awesome, I have moved 3 times in 4 years with my two kids due to the nature of my job and I can honestly say I have never figured out how to tackle the clutter…it just seems like there aren’t enough homes for everything, and my obsession with buying containers is now a family joke since they turn into their own kind of clutter!
I find that you really need to get rid of those things that you are not really using/loving before trying to organize it all. Buying new containers/bins/fancy storage is not the way to go and there is no point wasting your time organizing things that you never use. You’re right – it just turns into clutter itself!
Hi Jenn, Im loving this site & the printables!
So glad you like it!
Wow, you have made our work easier by splitting up the tasks for each day. Thank you for sharing your post at #HomeMattersParty. We would love to have you again next week.
Thanks for sharing on Monday Madness last week! This is an awesome idea, I love the idea of just spending 15 minutes each day and only finding 10 items! This is such a doable challenge! I loved this post that much it is one of the featured posts in next week’s party! Hope to see you there!
Thanks so much! Have a great week!
This is a great idea! I’m going to start working through the monthly plan (although I have a tiny house so might substitute some double ups where I don’t have that particular room. Thanks for the inspiration, can’t wait to get started!
That’s perfect! It’s just a guide so customize it however works best for you!
Love this! Will you be providing calendars and tasks for each month? I did not find a link for the entire year. Thanks!
Yes, I post each month around the first of the month. If you would like a better idea of what it looks like, you can check out last year’s posts here…
https://www.cleanandscentsible.com/2015/12/the-2016-household-organization-diet.html
Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you so much for this! I just found this and will start immediately. You rock!
I hope it is helpful for you! Good luck!
Great ideas! When we got ready to move out of our 2149 sf suburban home to a much smaller rural place, I couldn’t believe the amount of junk we had collected! The bigger the house, the easier it is to get overwhelmed with stuff.
Definitely! That is totally what happened to us! We had so much storage when we first moved in that I never bothered with decluttering. WAY easier to deal with it as you go!
Thank you so much for this post. You can see I am starting behind but late is better than never!
It’s designed to start at ANY time so you are never late! 😉
I’m looking for each month’s checklist and calendar but I’m only finding January & February.
Help! =)
Hi Cindy!
You can find them all here…
https://www.cleanandscentsible.com/2015/12/the-2016-household-organization-diet.html
Happy Organizing!
What are your plans for the coming year. I just found your site today and plan to start on the January tasks tomorrow.
Glad you found it! I will be doing it again next year with a whole new set of full printables. I usually post about it just before the new year. I also have a book coming out in January that goes along with the whole program. 🙂
Oops! I left a message on your 2015 page. Basically, my message is: Moving is a great time to purge. Then when you unpack or organizing a room – purge again. There are a great many ways to organize your items and it doesn’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. The Dollar stores have some terrific items to help you re-organize the little things in your life. Spent the afternoon sorting and re-organizing my craft room. Jenn’s right, ladies, find a safety pin put it with the rest of them right away…don’t put it down and say to yourself…later. You’ll find you will get familiar with…Hmmm….is there another way to store that. Put on some good tunes and have fun!
Moving is the perfect time to declutter and organize! It just requires a little planning as I find a lot of people just run out of time and end up quickly piling everything into boxes in the end. 🙂
I’m excited to start the 2017 detox. When will they be available!
The details should be out the last week of December. I have a whole new set of printables designed for this year. Can’t wait to share!
Just saw this! Haha. Cant wait to get my hands on it!
Awesome! I hope you’ll join us for the 2017 Household Diet!
Jenn, You forgot to mention about de-cluttering the computers, phones, etc. In this technological age, we need to remember to purge emails, update contact info, and re-organize bookmarked pages.
Good point! I do talk about this in the home office section though but it’s great to get in a maintenance routine for this. It’s amazing how quickly it all piles up!
This is EXACTLY what I need to get my home organized! Do you have a 2017 version??
Yep!! It will be out December 28th with all new printables!
I really need help doing this ASAP like as much as I can in a week! When I had to move I didn’t get to pack my belongings and I’m so ocd and much more that I have no clue where anything is etc. I can’t stay focused for long period…and I’m so lost….on top of my own belongings, I have my families stuff here as well since it’s our vacay house. I had a spending issue with clothes ha and so much brand new name brand items that are too big one me etc and just no clue where to start what to get and how to not throw away what others could utilize etc. idk how to sell my brand new clothes etc. I would love any advice and help thank you!
lol! So first of all, I would take the pressure off yourself to get things done in a week! I think the key to doing a large decluttering is pacing yourself and avoiding burn out. I have trouble with the focus too, so I set a timer for a set time and commit to not doing anything else {including answering a text/phone call} until the timer goes off. I also think that it’s important to stick with one specific space – otherwise you’ll be distracted and going all over the house without getting anything really accomplished. For the clothes, there are lots of options to sell them, but be aware that you’ll likely get much less for what you paid. Top, brand-named items sell best, but even those can take a lot of time for a smaller return. I used to sell items in Facebook groups and craiglist, but, honestly, I stopped doing this because I had to sell items at such a low cost to get a sale and the time {and frsutrations dealing with no-shows!} just wasn’t worth it for me. You can try bundling clothing of the same style/size into one item – you’ll likely have to take a bit of a hit on the price but it’s a lot easier on your part. Consignment stores are another route you can go. Most consignment stores are quite picky about what they accept, so ask what brands they are looking for and make sure everything is in excellent condition. Some will pay you when you drop the items off {although usually at a very low rate} and others will only pay once the item has sold, so be sure to check their terms. Long story short – if selling your items is what is holding you back from decluttering those items you no longer wear – just donate them.