How to Declutter a Room Fast in One Day – Easy Decluttering Tips
Decluttering a room quickly in one day couldn’t get easier with these simple decluttering tips.
Do you feel like you’ve been decluttering forever? Do you want to see some significant progress in a short time? How about decluttering an entire room in just one go? In this post, we’ll share our best tips for quickly and easily decluttering any room in your house.
So, whether you’re looking to get rid of clutter before a big move or want to refresh your space, these tips will not only help you declutter quickly, but will also help prevent or at least reduce decluttering overwhelm.
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Easy Tips for Decluttering a Room Quickly – In One Day
Gather Your Supplies
As you begin the task of decluttering your home, there are a few supplies that will come in handy. Large garbage bags will be used for trash and recyclables, while boxes will hold items you plan to keep, sort, or donate.
A marker is helpful for labeling purposes, and a timer will help you stay on track. You will also find a few basic cleaning supplies helpful. Remember to clean the drawers, closets, and shelves while they are empty.
(Here are more decluttering tips and tricks to help make decluttering easier for you).
Label Your Boxes
As you’re going through your things, it’s helpful to plan what you want to do with the items that are not staying in the room. Grab a marker and label three boxes, Move, Sell, and Donate.
This will help you stay organized. You may also want to label separate boxes if you plan to donate to multiple places, but this isn’t always necessary.
Make a Plan
How Will You Tackle Each Room?
When decluttering a room, it is crucial to have a plan. Deciding which areas you will tackle first will help you stay focused and avoid distractions.
Starting at the back of the room and working your way forward is one option, or you could start at one side of the room and move steadily across to the other side.
Whichever approach you choose, make sure you have a clear plan in mind before you start.
Decide What to Do With Kids
If you have kids, you must also plan for decluttering around their schedules. Choose a time when they are occupied with other activities, such as school or extracurriculars, so you can declutter without interruption.
You could plan for them to spend the day at a friend’s house. If this isn’t possible, consider enlisting their help in the process. Just be sure to set clear expectations and rules beforehand, so everyone is on the same page.
Make Plans for Supper
Finally, decluttering can be a tiring process. It can be helpful to have a meal or snack planned for after you finish, as well as a list of activities you can do to relax. This will help you stay motivated and avoid feeling overwhelmed by the task.
Start With the Obvious Stuff that Doesn’t Belong
Before you start decluttering, identify, and remove the obvious stuff that doesn’t belong. This might include
- candy wrappers
- dirty cups
- old magazines/flyers
- socks (my boys left dirty socks everywhere!)
- toys
- anything broken
- those ornaments you’ve always hated
Removing these kinds of things is a quick way to get started and makes an immediate impact. Once you’ve gathered up all of the obvious stuff, you can move on to the more difficult task of decluttering your space.
Create a Workspace
Before you begin decluttering, you must clear a space where you can work. If the room has a bed or table, start there. Otherwise, look for a spot in the middle of the room where you can comfortably spread out.
This will give you a designated area to sort through your belongings and decide what to keep and what to remove. Once you have a designated working space, place your boxes nearby so you can easily access them.
With everything in one place, you can start the process of decluttering.
Work Your Way through the Room
Now it is time to roll up your sleeves and do some serious decluttering. Follow your game plan and work your way through the room. You will work on each drawer, closet, shelf, or flat surface.
Empty everything into your work area and quickly clean the space you are decluttering. Now pick up each item in turn and sort everything into three piles
- Those things that you love and use.
- Things you love and use but belong somewhere else
- Those that you’re going to toss/donate/sell.
After you’ve sorted through everything,
- Replace the items you love and use in a way that makes sense to you.
- Place the items that belong somewhere else into one of your boxes to be moved.
- The rest can go into another one of your boxes to be sold, donated, or given away.
Once you’ve decluttered one area, continue on to the next section and do it over again. Keep going until you’ve finished the complete room.
Some Tips for Sorting
- Pick up each item individually and think about the last time you used it. If you haven’t picked it up in the past year, it’s time to let it go. The only exception to this rule is seasonal items like winter clothes or holiday decorations.
- Be honest with yourself about your sentimental items. If you have something you’re holding on to because it belonged to a loved one but never use it, then it might be time to let it go.
- Consider taking pictures of sentimental items instead of holding on to the physical thing. This way, you can keep the memories without cluttering your home.
- The goal is to only keep those items that you use and love. Everything else should go.
- If something needs repairing, decide to fix it or get rid of it. Don’t let broken items take up space in your home.
- Don’t get caught by the “Just In Case Syndrome.” One of the biggest obstacles to decluttering is the fear that you might need something someday. But the truth is, we rarely ever use those things. Most of them are easily replaced if we do need them.
- If you need help deciding, place the item in a box and label it with the date. Place the container out of sight and set a reminder to take it to the thrift store after a specific time. I suggest six months to one year. If you haven’t returned to retrieve an item, you don’t need it.
Some Tips to Keep Going
- Play upbeat music while you’re working to help keep the energy up.
- Work in short bursts with regular breaks. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and stressed.
- Think about how good it will feel when you’re finished.
- Focus on one section at a time, and don’t move on until it’s done.
- As the boxes and garbage bags fill up, remove them from the room. As you do, you will start to see significant progress and that helps with the motivation.
- Try the Pomodoro technique. It is a helpful time management technique that works very well. Set a timer for 25 minutes and declutter like crazy until the timer goes off. Then take a 5-minute break before starting again. Every 4 cycles, take a more extended break.
- Take before and after pictures to track your progress.
- Find a decluttering buddy to help you stay accountable.
- Plan a reward for finishing. It will give you something to look forward to.
Going through the process of decluttering a room in one go can be therapeutic. Just remember to take it one step at a time and focus on the positive results. In no time, you’ll be done. It feels fantastic when you are finished.
How Long Will it Take?
If your room has a manageable amount of clutter, you should be able to go through this process in the afternoon. If a room has a lot of mess, it could take longer.
Some rooms, like kitchens, are more challenging as they have many cupboards. You may need to schedule a complete day for these rooms, so you should plan this kind of job for the weekend.
Final Thoughts on Decluttering a Room Quickly in One Day
Now that you know the game plan, there is no reason why decluttering a room can’t be done in one go or in a day. With these tips in hand, you’ll be able to declutter any room in your home. No matter how bad the clutter has gotten!
Before you know it, you will have conquered one more space in your home. So, what are you waiting for? Roll up your sleeves and get started this weekend! You’ve got this!
Victoria Alvis
Wednesday 27th of September 2023
Yes this will be very helpful I've been needing to declutter closet,bedroom for awhile,but get started and then get overwhelmed. Thanks for these tips.