How to Declutter Your Home in Just 4 Weeks w/ Our FREE Printable Checklists!

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More Free Printables

Wondering how to declutter your home on limited time? Use our helpful guides and tips to clean room by room and in 4 weeks you’ll achieve a more organized, decluttered home! 🤩

woman with hand on top of walmart pantry organization ideas on shelf

Kiss that clutter goodbye and get organized!

Are you struggling with knowing how to declutter your home? Let us help you get organized! And we’re providing you two FREE printables: the Declutter Your Home checklist and the 4-Week Cleaning Challenge. We’re also sharing our FREE Cleaning Schedule checklist and spilling all our top decluttering tips and tricks!

Let’s get you started on your way to a cleaner, calmer house!


Here’s how to declutter your home:


1. Start with a checklist of things to organize.

marie kondo inspired decluttering checklist print out

If you don’t know how to get yourself started, print out our checklist to help you begin your decluttering journey. It breaks down the process by category, like the KonMari method, rather than by room. This focus makes attacking your clutter much more approachable so you’re not overwhelmed by an entire room’s worth of work.

Hip2Save’s Lina likes to start with tossing out or organizing her kid’s clothing. If you choose to start there too, check out my post about how to fold your clothes using a technique inspired by Marie Kondo. This space-saving folding trick allows you to see ALL the clothes in your closet!


2. Or, take our 4-week challenge and organize by room.

Woman holding up a 4 week cleanout challenge checklist which is one way how to declutter your home

Before you get started…

When cleaning out a pantry, drawer, closet, or cabinet we recommend starting by taking everything out so you can really see what you have. Keep only items you are actively using or that truly bring you joy. Then, toss, recycle, or donate items you no longer use!

We recommend calling anywhere you plan to donate first, to make sure each item can be accepted. Consider donating old towels, blankets, and clothing to animal shelters. Unused toiletries, furniture, canned goods, and gently used clothing may be welcome at homeless shelters or women’s shelters.

woman organizing a pantry and demonstrating how to easily declutter your home

Helpful tips to use when cleaning room-by-room:

Kitchen – Week 1

  • Storage containers – Keep about 3 per family member and a few extras if you often have leftovers. Consider buying meal prep containers of the same size as they stack easier. Also, check your warranty on brands like Tupperware as you may be entitled to a replacement set if yours have broken.
  • Water bottles – You really only need one great water bottle per family member. If you’re struggling to fit them neatly in your cabinet, try using a water bottle organizer from Amazon.
  • Utensils & drinkware – Keep 2 – 3 place settings and glasses, and 1 – 2 mugs per person. Group like items together. Consider buying an adjustable utensil organizer so items stay in place and are sorted by their designated groups.
  • Sample condiments – If you’re holding onto sample condiments that you never use, it’s time to toss them.
  • Cookware & Bakeware – Match each pot and pan with its designated lid. Aim to keep one matching set of pots and pans, 1-2 muffin tins, small and large baking pan, a set of nesting casserole dishes, and two cutting boards. Place back into the cabinet stacking pots and pans from largest to smallest or use an organizer. Nest casserole dishes and stack cutting boards, baking sheets, and muffin tins on their sides or place them in an upright organizer.

hand holding organized clear container under bathroom sink

Bathroom – Week 2

  • Cleaning supplies – Keep one cleaner for each purpose in your home. Consolidate duplicate cleaners when possible. Place open containers towards the front and group like items together.
  • Cosmetics & personal care items – Throw out things that are empty, expired, or haven’t been used in the last 6 months. Consider keeping just 1 item for each purpose (e.g., 1 mascara, 1 face wash). Place makeup brushes in a cup, and other products neatly in a drawer, on a pull-out shelf, or in clear acrylic organizers or baskets.
  • Towels – Each person needs 1-2 bath towels and 1 beach towel. Keep 2 extra of each for guests. Fold towels and place in linen closet in even stacks.
  • Hair/grooming tools – Keep one grooming tool of each kind. Clean your hair brush and ditch any hair ties losing elasticity. Display with easy-to-hang Command hooks. You can also place scrunchies on a paper towel holder and hair ties on a metal ring.
  • Medications & first aid – Check expiration dates and toss anything expired. To organize, group according to purpose and place items on a Lazy Susan, in a basket, or on a cabinet organizer. If keeping, use the bottle with the least amount in it and never consolidate different medications into one bottle.

woman making bed holding beige quilt

Bedroom – Week 3

  • Closet – Empty entire closet. Create a donate, keep, and trash pile. Keep only what you’ve worn in the last year and items you absolutely love. Assess what you want to hang, fold, or put in storage. Keep like items together and hang in closet by color and season. Wide-brim hats hang great on walls and can double as decor. Use a tie & scarf hanger along with a belt hanger to hang smaller items back into your closet. Place handbags on top shelves or hooks.
  • Dressers – Empty drawers. Create a donate, keep, and trash pile. A minimal approach is to keep 1 – 2 weeks’ worth of underwear, 2 – 3 bras (one strapless), 3 sets of pajamas, and no more than 5 t-shirts and 2 sweatshirts. Put similar items together back in their corresponding drawers. Consider using drawer organizers for smaller items like socks.
  • Shoes – Keep a staple pair of shoes for each season. Have one solid pair of rain boots, heels, sandals, etc. Toss, donate, or sell your old and unwanted shoes. If keeping, clean them and place on a shelving unit or shoe rack.
  • Winter apparel – Match up pairs of gloves or mittens. Sort winter items by type (e.g., scarves, hats) and place in baskets. Keep one each of winter coat, raincoat, and dress coat per person.
  • Blankets & sheets –  Match each sheet set with its coordinating fitted sheet, flat sheet, and pillowcases. Place neatly into linen closet. Fold blankets and place them in the closet in a basket or on a high shelf (if not used frequently). Each bed in your house needs 1 extra pair of sheets. Keep 2 extra blankets for guests.

Coastal Grandmother Style Living Room - Emily's After Photo

Living Room – Week 4

  • Kids toys – Keep a mix of educational & fun toys. Donate or recycle any that are broken or have not been used in 3-6 months. Group similar toys together like LEGO blocks, Barbies, and balls. Place grouped items you’re keeping into boxes or bins by category.
  • Broken items – Fix immediately or get rid of these, even if they are sentimental. They weigh you down & are better served as memories.
  • Electronics & cords – Each household only needs one charging cord per phone or device. Match each cord to its device and properly dispose or donate any extra cords and electronics. Neatly fold cords or put them in an organizer or clip them to their device.
  • Books – Take all books off the shelf and dust both them and your bookcase. Decide what to keep and donate. Place the keepers back on the shelf.
  • Games – Make a donate, keep, and trash pile. If keeping, organize the box and make sure you have all the pieces. Place in a closet or on a bookcase with large boxes towards the bottom and less-played-with toys towards the top.

3. Donate, recycle, sell, or toss anything that doesn’t make the cut to stay.

hand holding phone with diono car seat facebook marketplace as selling on there is one way how to declutter your home

I mentioned this tip early but it’s one I cannot stress enough! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Always try to sell, donate, or recycle what you can. If it’s stuff from your kiddos, this is a great opportunity to teach them the importance of giving back, recycling, and avoiding waste.

Some of our favorite options for selling and donating are:

  • [Donating] Amazon GiveBackBox — Fill your old Amazon boxes with all the items to be donated and ship it off. Charitable donations allow for small tax deductions* when you file your taxes.
  • [Donating] Freecycle – Freecycle is the perfect way to keep things out of the landfill. You just list your item and set up a time for the recipient to come and score their new find.
  • [Donating] – Contact your local animal shelter, women’s shelter, homeless shelter, veteran’s organization, or church. Many of these places may accept gently used items and may even take bedding with holes or games missing pieces.

Plus, check out our guide on how to recycle everything!


4. Find fun ways to keep the memory.

kids art hanging on wall project

Some items are easy to toss. Others, not so much… like your kid’s artwork or greeting cards. For the kiddos, try making a DIY organizer that can house their memories from each school year, like photos, drawings, or A+ work. It’s easy to store away so it doesn’t take up space around the house and you can revisit the memories when they’re older.

You could also make a rotating art gallery where your little Picasso decides which piece is worthy of the spotlight. Any old artwork can either be filed away or tossed when it’s replaced with something new. Too many masterpieces to choose just one? Try creating a galley with these artwork display wall ideas or create a photo memory book to keep all of the art forever!


5. Consume less and avoid buying poor-quality home goods.

dumpster full of trash

One way how to declutter your home is to get rid of poor-quality belongings. We love a good bargain, but sometimes cheap home goods aren’t meant to last forever.

While you save a ton of money upfront on inexpensive items for your home, you’ll likely be replacing them after a few years, which costs you time and money. Instead, figure out which pieces you can buy that will last you a lifetime, such as a well-made cooking vessel, as opposed to a single-use kitchen gadget. Plus, you can pass quality pieces down for generations and I LOVE that!

Hip2Save’s Amber believes in consuming less…

“I religiously follow that book “A Simplified Life” and it’s all about keeping life simple with less clutter so there is more room for the intentional things in life. STUFF creates mental clutter. I personally used to buy stuff to just have it but I have learned over the years that I end up throwing it away or getting rid of it — then I’m mad about how much money was wasted. For me, it’s better to focus on higher quality (for most things) and only buy things that you truly like and enjoy.” — Amber, Hip Sidekick


6. The best way how to declutter your home is to create habits to stop clutter from ever forming.

person using a free cleaning schedule printout which acts as a declutter your home checklist

Now that you’ve decluttered your home, it’s time to keep it tidy! One of the easiest ways to fight clutter is to prevent it from ever happening, so we’ve whipped up a handy cleaning schedule printable for you!

This free printable breaks down chores by daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. And by consistently doing these small tasks, the dirt and clutter can’t accumulate!


Don’t forget to visit our Tips page for more ideas on how to organize, clean, and more!


About the writer:

Sara is a self-taught blogger and photographer with 8+ years of experience having work featured in various building, travel, and fashion publications, most notably Bassett Furniture and Fossil.


Join The Discussion

Comments 108

  1. Bunny

    I’m married to a pack rat. What can I say?

    Whenever I try to declutter it’s one step forward and two steps back LOL! 😉

    • Sara

      Oh gosh! Maybe you could casually send this post to your husband’s inbox?! haha!

      • Vane

        Lol

    • christinemay

      Seriously, though. I couldn’t even read that Marie Kondo book because it just made me upset at my husband. I did get him to clean out the garage last summer and put everything he wanted to keep in a storage unit. Not cheap, but worth it! I feel for you. I wouldn’t say my husband is a pack rat, but he and I have completely different opinions on decluttering and it’s hard.

      • terrigilliamalbright

        You should see my husband’s nightstand. He doesn’t throw drink cans away. Currently there’s 5. Eventually, I’ll get mad and clean it up.

    • Feeling the squeeze

      Same here. I always have to hide the giveaway box and when I “declutter he “refills” places because it “fills empty”.

  2. Emily

    I am all in on this. My house needs a good declutter. 🙂

    • Sue

      Yep, me too…………gotta really lean in on this………..I really need to purge clothing and old housewares………I need to make an organized plan and stick to it. Thanks for the inspiration Hip2save……….: )

      • Sara

        You’re very welcome, Sue! Make sure to print out our free printable to help guide you along the way! Best of luck!

        • Jan

          The printable is not showing up now 🙁

          • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

            Hi Jan! I still find the printable available when clicking through the link above. Maybe wait a moment and try again or switch to a different browser. Hoping you can grab it soon!

    • Sara

      Yay, Emily! Let me know how it goes!

  3. mimi519

    OMG thank you for this!! I’m super excited to declutter. It’s kind of funny that it’s posted on a site where we always take advantage of freebies though! Those little samples I’m always thrilled to get are what contributes to my clutter!! 🤣🤣🤣

    • 5pink1blue

      That’s why I’ve become more selective in what I order. I try to use right away or give away shortly after receiving.

    • Jennine

      I’m passionate about recycling! And am ALL in for this post! I’m troubled when /DONATE /recycle are not used throughout. Games with missing pieces can still be donated, yep! People sell replacement parts for people who need them. Water bottle parts can defiantly be Recycled! Fast food packets can be donated! Or send them in your kids lunches!

      There is a time to keep, donate, and toss. just know your junk IS another persons treasure. Yes, your wool sweaters with moth holes are turned into gloves. Check eBay people actually buy lots of sweaters for this purpose. Those “tossing” consider Any non molding “toss/garbage” item for free porch pick up. people Can use it! Let the market decide if your stuff is worth landfill space first.

      • Staci

        Love this. Thanks for the ideas!

      • Corey

        I agree with recycling!! Our schools and other public buildings in town have textile recycling bins and our town now has pink trash bags for recycling. Both are great areas to get rid of stained, holed clothes, bedding, pillows, stuffed animals even! Our bins even take old shoes.
        PS- don’t forget the BUY NOTHING facebook group if your area has one. People often give away food, toys, half used things they don’t want, everything! Easy to just leave it on your front step to give away!

        • Leslie

          Buy nothing FB groups are AMAZING!!! I have done much cleaning out of my parents home with this group. Maybe 2 dumpsters of things have been given away.

          Buy nothing groups deserve a Hip2Save post of their own. I have given away lots and even gotten some great things too.

      • Sara

        Thank you for sharing such great ideas with us Jennine! I will be sure to update this post to reflect those tips since we are just as passionate about recycling!

      • joni

        great post like the sweaters into gloves Im all for repurposing

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      LOL! You’re very welcome! Glad these tips will be helpful!

  4. Alice

    I’m exhausted just reading this😂😂, but I do agree with thus process. Now, if you can come up with steps to de-clutter my mind, you’d be onto something 😂

    • Sara

      I love that idea, too, Alice! I’ll be raking my brain for a solution to that! LOL!

  5. Liz

    Tip: Don’t toss your chipped, cracked, or peeling Tupperware! They are guaranteed for life not to “chip, crack, or peel”. Nowadays, you have to pay for the shipping; but, in the past that was also free.

    • Sara

      Thanks for the tip Liz, I didn’t even think of that! I made sure to add this info to the post for readers. Have a wonderful day!

  6. Tammy S.

    I needed this, thank you! We have an RV and I love how uncluttered it is and I get anxious looking at all the crap in my house! Big time cleanup coming!!!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      Oh good! You’re so welcome!

    • Sara

      That’s so exciting, Tammy! Let us know how it goes!

  7. Sonya

    I recently found a receipt under my bed from October 2006!!! 🙁

    • Amanda

      Hahahaha! I love this!!

  8. Meg

    Eh, I do this on a regular basis. The only things we can’t seem to declutter are stuffies. My kids love them all.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      We have had that issue in my house too, Meg! They seem to let more go as they get older.

      • Lesly

        I have that problem too, with four kids they accumulated too many, I made two “bean bags” out of fabric and stored them there, the place looks a little more organized and they have easy access to them 🙂

        • SavingsMama

          A great idea for some organizations/ churches…implemente a clothing closet. Members bring their used items or even things bought 90% off 😉 that are new…and the community is able to come and get what they need, as well as members of the church etc. As not to overwhelm your volunteers, it can be a quarterly event…maybe before summertime and let some deserving children receive flip flops, beach trunks etc …and one for winter time, coats, hats, boots…Always ways to declutter+ keep the landfills low.

  9. Lase

    You’ll be surprised how many expired food items you’ll find in your pantry. I just emptied a cabinet for my supplements and found some that expired in 2017. Lol

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      LOL! Thanks for sharing that, Lase. I just recently went through my medicine cabinet and spice racks and found many items in the back that had expired! Always good to go through them!

    • Sara

      That has literally happened to me as well, Lase and I consider myself pretty tidy. LOL! Thanks for sharing your honesty with us, have a great day!

    • Vee

      Our recycling center has a few days a year where you can drop off old medicine. Also, some pharmacies will take your expired meds for you so they don’t end up in the landfill.

  10. Jlinsey

    Awesome post! I’ve been doing this the past month myself! I’ve been struggling with ways to organize my tiny closet. I purged but still so messy and unorganized! Ugh! I have slidding doors so that doesn’t help to use door space either. My bed is to low to put shoes under my bed! Hmmm ideas?

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Hi there! My son’s room has a small closet and we have used these hanging shelves. Many items can be folded and stacked within each section. They have also been useful in our small coat closet. Hoping that might be helpful in your closet too!

      • Jlinsey

        Awesome, thanks! I knew about these but not the ones with hangers that might be strong enough to hold my sweaters which is a big problem.

        • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

          You’re very welcome!

        • Melie

          I found some heavy duty ones at Bed Bath and Beyond that are wrapped in plastic and zip shut. I’m using them in our spare closet to store extra sheets and bedding, so they’d likely work for heavier sweaters 🙂

    • Elizabeth

      When I was growing up my room didn’t have a closet so I had one of those closests that have shelves in them with the 2 doors that open up and I folded all my clothes and made stacks that way… Could be used for shoes too

    • Kb3

      Get bed risers! They are usually pretty cheap and I see them at thrift stores all the time. Best thing Ever. If you have a king you will definitely need to support the middle as well.

  11. Suzanne H

    Please try to donate and/or recycle items you wish to get rid of including toiletries, etc. Shelters will accept used items – even 1/2 bottles of shampoo, etc. Also, look for a textile recycling program in your area that accepts stained, ripped items. WAY too many textiles end up in landfills. Also, I have to disagree a little with the “rule of thumb” for the kitchen. You really need at least 2 good cutting boards – 1 for veggies and 1 for meats. And I don’t like matching pots and pans – I have an odd assortment specifically geared towards the purposes I need but, admittedly, I’m weird about that one! 🙂

    • Sara

      Thanks for all of your great feedback, Suzanne!

  12. ~Ann

    Towel can be donated. Animal shelters or even your nearest vets office will happily take them if there is any life left in them.

    • rebecca

      animal shelters will also take blankets with holes in them, or old sheets that have the hems coming unstitched, or have elastic that is done, etc. i heard they love old flannel baby blankets that may be too faded to donate to a thrift store!

    • Elizabeth

      I buy towels at my local thrift stores for my dogs! Definitely donate them

    • Sara

      You’re so right, Ann. Thank you for the reminder, we were sure to update the post so we can help readers recycle their old towels rather than trashing them.

  13. Amy

    Try to declutter a home with 6 kids all under 12. Most of the house will look great then the tornados come home from school. Almost there though, pantry, kitchen cabinets, garage, basement, bonus room. It takes longer than 4 weeks let me tell you.

    • Sara

      Oh, I can imagine that would certainly not happen very quickly, Amy! LOL! It sounds like you’re doing a great job organizing the chaos though! Keep up the great work!

  14. Lora

    I love the comments about donating stuff even if it is flawed. I just learned a few things. I would prefer for items not to end up in a landfill either if someone else could benefit from them.

    • Sara

      We are right there with you, Lora! Thanks for letting us know your thoughts. We updated the post to reflect better recycling habits in hopes that readers will follow through before contributing to landfills. Have a great day!

    • Hipgrandma

      Me too, Lora. Some great ideas I never thought of were posted. I’m all in!

  15. Rebecca

    Yay! Perfect for lent!

  16. Nancy

    Love all your tips. We did a major home down-size about 15 years ago so I learned to stay on top of things. Storage space is at a premium in my home so instead of folding blankets and putting them on a shelf I fold thim in 1/2 or 1/4 and keep them between the matress and the box springs.

    • Sara

      That’s a unique idea, thanks for sharing, Nancy!

  17. Nancy

    also wanted to say I also cut up old sheets and sew a border around them and use them as napkins.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      What a neat idea! Thanks for sharing with us, Nancy!

    • Hipgrandma

      Our church uses old sheets cut into squares for quilting. Quilts are shipped to third world countries or places where natural disasters have occurred. Very useful when you’ve lost everything

  18. Sarah

    I love the idea of decluttering, however there is a lot of casual talk in this article about just throwing things that aren’t up-to-par for the donation bin in the trash (like Tupperware, etc). It would be nice if there was a heavy emphasis in this guide on trying to recycle anything possible (ex: plastics, textiles, etc). Like other commenters have mentioned, animal shelters love getting towels, blankets, and old clothing for bedding. Many U.S. cities have textile recycling bins (I also saw a lot of these in the U.K.) I know our local homeless shelter is always happy to get unused condiment packages and hotel shampoos, etc. The items can be utilized at the shelter, but can also be taken along easily by a person. Just because it is gone from our living space, doesn’t necessarily make it less of our problem. Waste and pollution reduction is EVERYBODY’S problem.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Thanks so much for the feedback and suggestion, Sarah! I’ll be sure to pass this along to the team!

    • Sara

      Thanks for all your wonderful and crucial feedback, Sarah. We never want to condone contributing to all the waste our country experiences so we were sure to appropriately update this post to reflect that. We hope you appreciate the greater emphasis. I hope you have a wonderful day and thanks again for stopping by.

  19. Jill

    I was born to declutter. The only thing I would add to this post/comments is to learn to consume less. That can mean a lot of different things – use up what you have before purchasing more, buy quality over quantity, resist the urge to buy ‘just for the fun of it’. Cleaning naturally comes easier when you only own what you love and/or need.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      I love that tip too, Jill! Thanks for taking a moment to comment!

    • Sara

      I couldn’t agree with you more, Jill! Thanks for your feedback, have a wonderful day!

  20. Kay

    I agree with Jill. Best way to avoid clutter or waste: consume less in the first place. I do that best when it comes to food. My fridge does not look full like most people’s. That’s cause I hate wasting food. I buy what I know we (2 adults, 2 small kids) will eat, which usually lasts a week. Then back to grocery store (or even better, Walmart Grocery or Aldi Delivery if needed). We hardly throw away expired food cause we hardly have any around.

    • Sara

      That is exactly how I like to have our fridge, Kay. Thanks for sharing your feedback with us, have a wonderful day!

  21. Joy

    Just FYI. Tupperware is a brand name and shouldn’t be used as a catch-all term for plastic storage containers. Just like Kleenex shouldn’t be used as a catch-all term for tissues either.

    • Sara

      That’s a great point, Joy. Thanks for the reminder! We went ahead and updated the post to reflect your feedback. Have a great day!

  22. Tera

    H2S team, would you consider doing a weekly or daily email for this challenge? That would for sure help me keep on track.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Thanks for asking, Tera! I have shared your request with the team! 💖

  23. Beverly

    Thanks so much for this! We’re getting ready to sell our house and I know I need to declutter first. Thanks for breaking a big task into manageable bites!

  24. B.

    I’m married to a man in the military. We’ve tried to follow one specific rule for our household items: “For every one item that enters the home, one item must go.” It initially helped us keep a minimum load of stuff so we can move if necessary, but we’ve found incredible freedom in this too, by not being bogged down by clutter/stuff and by truly appreciating and loving what we own. It has also helped us prioritize what we use and enjoy and let go of what we just accumulate. We’re more intentional about what we buy, tending to buy smaller quantities with better quality, doing better research and striving to buy “made in America” products. We even having a running “Made in America” list! And we’ve saved SO MUCH MONEY because we aren’t impulsive buyers. It forces us to consider if the new desired item is worth removing a current, often loved item. It helps us to use and enjoy what we already have to the fullest.
    It’s obviously not a perfect system, but when I organize/clean/donate/purge, it’s simple and quick.

    • shop4mybabies

      a friend is “homefree” intentionally and lives in an electric car and travels the country…she makes a good living and enjoys not having the traditional tie downs of house bills. Her motto is for 1 item 3 things have to be donated, so she’s very intentional in her purchases, and asks that people be very intentional in their gift giving. It’s not a way for me to live, but I admire her small planet footprint and carefree spirit. But i love the get one get rid of one concept in a home, my children have so much accumulated it doesn’t make their spaces enjoyable.

  25. KR

    I love the article, but have to say that much of the very first entry isn’t something I would do. ‘Expired’ is a flawed concept when it comes to food, especially dried goods and canned foods. Would I throw away expired pasta, rice, beans, tea, cereals, seasonings? Granted, pasta and rice get eaten quickly at our house, and won’t expire, but otherwise not sure how necessary that is.
    And why would you donate duplicates (other than wanting to donate, on purpose)? I buy multiples of things I know will be eaten to a avoid extra trips to the store in the evening or when hungry.

  26. MUMonkeyMom09

    Thanks for this! My weekly declutter week is quickly approaching. This is the week my husband takes our kids to visit his parents in Florida while I stay behind and watch the animals while still working. This is the week I purge and organize the house to the way I want it and have the opportunity to get rid of all the things my kids think they still want and play with but never really do. I feel so accomplished after this week is over. Everyone tells me they feel sorry for me having to stay behind, but I really do enjoy my week of solitude cleaning the house and being with our dog and kitties.

  27. tracy

    Freeze instead of tossing foods that are getting ready to expire. Peppers or onions-cut them up and freeze for soup. Canned dough can be unpackaged and frozen. Flour, bread, muffins, soup, milk and cooked pasta or eggs can be frozen. Lots of websites show proper storage methods.
    We also make wraps out of almost ANY leftover and freeze them for later. Stale bread makes great croutons, quiche or french toast.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Love those ideas! Thanks for the helpful tips, Tracy!

  28. Sue

    Interesting read, but it didn’t address what were the three worst areas of my house: the basement, the shed, and the garage. We just finished a major clean out of those areas and it took us literally 6 months from start to finish. We used an auction service to pick up and sell our items. I was amazed that there were only about 3 items that he refused to take because he said that they would not sell! We didn’t make much money, but the spaced we gained is incredible!

  29. Alyssa

    WEEK 3: One thing we do on January 1 is flip all hangers in the closet the opposite way. As we wear something, it gets washed and re-hung with the hanger the “correct” way. That way, mid-year or year end, we can clearly see what we have worn through the seasons and what needs to be considered for selling or donation.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Ooh! I’m loving that idea, Alyssa! Thanks for the tip!

  30. Gina

    Love this! I’m getting super motivated to start my decluttering process. I’m just curious in the picture of the closet with the white closet organizer, do you know what brand it is? looking for something similar for our walk in closet. Thanks!

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Hi Gina! Those are by California Closets. 😊

  31. Darla

    I am definitely keeping all of these ideas and tips. I’ve had too many back surgeries to count so my house has become just a mess because that’s the last thing that’s on my list of things to do. I’m going to join but this will take me more like 8 weeks but I hope I can get through it. Cleaning the house requires so much lifting and bending of which I cannot do but I will try! It’s only me and when spring comes that’s a whole another problem with the outdoors when you are the only one living in the house. I have no kids or husband so that’s why it will take me awhile. Thanks Colin! All great tips!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      You’re so welcome, Darla! 💕 Glad these tips will be helpful!

  32. ShunShynes

    Good morning… thank you for sharing this, I am going to start my decluttering today after work, I have so much stuff I need to purge.

    Be safe and have a great week!

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      You’re most welcome! Hope you have a great week as well! 🥰

  33. flora

    Sadly, I’m a huge skincare fanatic and have tons of it, it will probably last me a lifetime but I still “stock up” on deals (yes, I do have a problem…and Ulta has their 21 days of Beauty event). I guess I’m lucky that I work for a construction company that builds schools, fire/police stations, etc. so we’re still deemed an essential business and I can work from home so it pays for my very full cabinet of beauty products. At least I do organize it 😉

  34. Audrey

    Free on Craigslist works like a charm

  35. shop4mybabies

    this weekend i’m helping my 22 and 16 year old marie kondo their rooms. the 22 year old has a full on libary…so we got some much needed new bookshelves for 4,000 plus books because we won’t let go of those…but the 16 year old is a clothes/shoes hound. we got rid of 7 bags. she still has a double closet, a sweater dresser, a full size chest of drawers and a fabric bin storage shelf. Tryin to Marie Kondo with her is a nightmare because every single item brings her a joy. She legit has a spoon with sentimental value, kill me now. we did our kitchen at the start of the pandemic…got rid of so many containers i’m regretting it lol

  36. Dee

    For those who find this list overwhelming, just break it down to working on one drawer or one shelf. Every time I see our overstuffed basement (full of clutter inherited from relatives), I feel the walls closing in. But if I focus on one small section, I can do a good job of cleaning and sorting that one section, then come back again in a week or a month to do the same with another section.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      That’s a great tip, Dee! Thanks for sharing!

  37. smoresto

    6000 sqft…. It will happen when my 6 kids move out. In about 18 years lol

  38. didi18

    It’s impossible to organize without decluttering first. What helped me immensely was watching The Minimal Mom on Youtube. Life changing!

    • Jen

      Me too! The Minimal Mom, A Slob Comes Clean and Clutterbug. They joined forces for “Take Your House Back”, and it’s phenomenal. They actually advise *AGAINST* removing everything, sorting, then putting back because it’s overwhelming and will leave a mess if you have to stop (run out of time, emergency, etc.). Can’t recommend them enough.

  39. Dott

    There are some amazing tips on organization here. Thanks for motivating me to get going and to declutter.

    • Collin (Mrs. Hip)

      You’re SO welcome! Glad you’re loving the tips! ❤️

  40. TMyers

    Printed out my 4 week challenge today and already started. Been wanting to clean out kitchen stuff. Hopefully hubby doesn’t come along and want to keep stuff.

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      YAY! Wishing you the best of luck, TMyers! 🤗

  41. Skyday

    Quick question: On the picture of the bedroom closet… where can I buy the white cubes and the baskets inside the cubes?

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      I’m loving those too! 😍 I’ll check with Sara to see if we have any information on those!

    • Jessica (Hip Sidekick)

      We sure appreciate your kind words, CaraCobble! Thanks for taking a moment to share your thoughts with us, I’ll be sure to pass this along to the rest of the team! 🤗💞 So glad to hear the site feedback and comments have been helpful for you! ❤️

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