Some jobs require less than an hour, others take a bit longer.

Clear a workspace and have a trash bag handy for obvious trash, including broken or expired items.

Grab a recycle bin and a paper shredder and go to work.

Laundry room shelving

The Spruce / Sophia Reay

Separate the pile into papers that require action like invitations, homework signatures, and bills.

Take care of what it’s crucial that you do and then discard them.

“Most people never use half of what they own,” he says.

Decluttering your home checklist

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Move on to dishes, glasses, and old mugs that you haven’t touched.

Toss broken items and fill a donation box with items that others can use.

Today is the day to empty your stash of storage containers.

Pile of mail on doormat

Seb Oliver / Getty Images

Most take-out containers are not designed for proper food storage so add them to the trash or recycle bin.

Take everything out of the pantry or food storage cabinet and give it a good cleaning.

Lund proposes you begin by tossing expired food and open bags and boxes that are stale.

blue kitchen cabinets

YinYang / Getty Images

Add labels so others can help restock after a trip to the grocery.

Day 7: Declutter Your Refrigerator Doors

Just looking at acluttered refrigerator doorsends your brain into chaos.

Day 8: Clean Out the Refrigerator

Cleaning out andorganizing the refrigeratorwill help make meal preparation easier.

items stored in upper cabinets such as glassware and dishes

The Spruce / Rachel Vanni

Anything that’s a mystery or covered in freezer burn should be discarded.

attempt to do a refrigerator decluttering at least once a month.

If you’ve transferred the spices to matching jars,be sure to label them.

Slightly raised view of food storage containers tupperware organized in a drawer

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

Lund recommends dumping the contents into a box or onto a table and then sorting through it all.

Return items like tools to their proper location, anddiscard unwanted or unrecognizable itemsas you go.

Schools, assisted-care facilities, and libraries are usually happy to have some donated books.

Front view of an open organized small pantry

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

After weeding, take a look at your bookshelves and determine the look you want.

The books can beorganized by color,height, or title.

You may wish to add some decorative items to the shelves to change the aesthetic.

Cluttered refrigerator door

Getty Images

Sort things by age, category, and function, especially if you have several children.

Place games that require parental help on a higher shelf, and larger items in easy-to-reach bins and baskets.

Label the containers to encourage kids to keep areas organized.

Fridge organization.

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Remove products from the shower andbathroom counters.

Consolidate half-used bottles and discard products that you tried and didn’t like.

Keeping old products makes it more difficult to find the items you want.

Overhead view of organized spice rack drawer with labels

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

Toss anything that is dried out or expired and don’t forget the makeup bag in your purse.

Get rid of old sponges and makeup brushes that have seen better days.

Then, organize the supplies so it’s possible for you to see what’s on hand.

Organized junk drawer

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

This advice is never more fitting than when applied to shoes.

It’s time to go through the shoes in your closets, under the bed, andin the entryway.

Donate pairs that are still wearable and discard worn-out shoes.

Home library designed with white shelves and books organized by colors next to houseplants

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

The bins work especially well for flat shoes, sneakers, or slippers.

Empty the drawers and remove everything you no longer use or wear to toss or donate.

Sort items into categories and designate a drawer space for each category.

Playroom cubes cubby filled with organized toys

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Use drawer dividers or organizational cubes for small items.

By keeping similar things together, you’ll be able to find your belongings easier and feel more organized.

Most of us have clothes and accessories we no longer wear that would benefit others.

Bathroom counter organization ideas

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Sort clothing into categories andorganize your closetin a way that works for you.

Some people like to hang items by color or group by jot down of garment.

Add organizing tools like bins, extra hanging rods, or over-the-door storage.

How to organize makeup

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Recycle extra clothes hangers, especially flimsy wire ones from the dry cleaners.

Just like your clothes, take a ruthless eye on what needs to be purged.

If you prefer to keep items in drawers, use dividers to keep everything tidy.

An over-the-door shoe organizer being used in a closet

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

Don’t forget your jewelry.

Lund advises us to declutter andorganize our jewelryand donate or sell pieces we no longer wear.

Use resealable plastic bags to corral basics so you’re able to find them quickly.

A well-organized closet with a categorized dresser drawer

Mika Perry

Empty the closet and organize the contents into categories before you return the keepers to the closet.

Create an area of sheets, another for towels, and add labels for different sizes.

Use baskets or plastic bins to hold toiletries and extra paper products.

neatly organized closet

The Spruce / Daria Groza

Donate worn items to animal rescue groups.

They welcome old bedding and towels.

Start by removing everything that is not necessary for doing laundry.

A closet drawer with a belt organizer

@neatbymeg/ Instagram

Don’t forget to keep a trashcan handy for dryer lint and recycle empty containers.

For the items you keep, use small dividers or clear boxes to sort and organize everything.

Take the time to sort each cord and determine if it is still usable.

cleaning out a handbag

The Spruce / Sydney Brown

Zip tie or use toilet paper tubes to separate each one and label them.

You’ll feel so accomplished.

As you decide what you should keep, think about your storage space.

How to organize a linen closet

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Be sure everything is in good working order, clean, and dry before you pack it away.

Start in one corner and make three pileskeep, donate, tossand touch each item only once.

Once you know what you are keeping, it is time to organize.

Modern Mudroom Ideas

The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Store in plastic binsthat are pest-proof.

Use clear bins or label the contents.

Stack the bins with similar items together.

Multiple hampers used for sorting laundry

The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

Look for ways to add wire or wooden shelving between the rafters for better organization.

As you clear a space, sweep or vacuum to remove dust and debris.

Work similarly to your efforts in the attic.

Organized gift wrapping supplies

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Group tools, gardening supplies, and seasonal items together.

Use labels and take advantage of the wall space.

Blom suggests offers ideas to make choices of what to keep and what to let go easier.

Organzied office desk drawer

@afreshspace/ Instagram

Attach each note to each heirloom.

tablet and cord organization

@joanna_organize/ Instagram

Holiday decor and ornaments being organized and stored

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Sorting through old items in the attic

The Spruce / Sarah Lee

Organized garage wall with black and white checkered rigid plastic floor tiles

The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Organized documents

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Clutter of sentimental items and photos

The Spruce / Margot Cavin