12 Month Guide: 2019 Ultimate Decluttering Schedule
Are you wondering how to declutter your life? Can it even be done in a year? Don’t feel like you need to declutter every room of your life in one weekend. Stay stress-free by focusing on one area per month and over the course of one year you will be clutter-free.
Pro-tip: Follow these de-cluttering tips every year!
12 Months to a Clutter-free Lifestyle
Try out this new de-cluttering tactic for stress-free cleaning. Start by focusing on monthly objectives instead of trying to do it all at once. The below items are the typical de-cluttering problems that face many households today.
January:
Get rid of those Christmas decorations that are no longer your style, broken or you have just one too many of. You know the 17 R2D2 ornaments you’ve collected over the years? Maybe you only should keep the best of the best. The beginning of the year/ post-Christmas and shopping season is the perfect time to stand by the slogan: out with the old, in with the new. If you got 4 new pairs of shoes, try to get rid of 4 pairs of older shoes that you haven’t put with an outfit in years. For more New Year decluttering ideas, follow these tips.
February:
You know that stack of old love letters, greeting cards, photos, business cards and sentimental knick-knacks that take up an entire box in your office? Time for the purge. Don’t get rid of the sentimental items that you will want to look at down the road, or show any potential children or new loves. But don’t be hesitant to throw out that old school polaroid of the random girl in first grade, you can’t even remember her name. Maybe you don’t really need that old art school project that was half-finished of your arm.
March:
It’s that time of year! Starting to feel and smell fresh outside. Open up those windows, drag your slightly dying plants outside and get your gardening supplies in order. Throw out any expired seeds, broken pots, hole-y gardening gloves, broken spray nozzles and bottles. Properly dispose of toxic herbicides and pesticides you didn’t use last year. Throw away any old scraps or unused items you’ve been saving for that funky art project you never got around to.
April:
Now that it is really starting to get nice outside, it’s time to play. Start going through your sporting equipment, bicycles or toys that the kids have outgrown. Go through your car’s trunk and glove compartment.
This one’s not so fun, but tax season is over, so you need to shred and dispose of any papers you no longer need for tax purposes. Keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later, if you file a claim for credit or refund after you file your return. Keep records for 7 years if you file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction.
May:
Before the weather gets too warm, move boxes and large or heavy items out of your storage unit or the garage. This is the time to get rid of any old furniture that you have upgraded and relegated to the basement or attic. That old couch that you thought might one day come in handy, it won’t. Get a professional hauler to remove the couch for you and recycle it properly. Go through those boxes in your attic you haven’t opened in years and re-evaluate why you are still keeping the contents. Get rid of anything that’s been broken or damaged while it’s been stored. Label all boxes with contents before putting them back. Also, makes sure you are storing the items in plastic containers that won’t be damaged.
June:
Evaluate the condition of your travel accessories and camping gear. Some of these items take up a lot of space, so if you are planning to replace them with something more up-to-date, donate the old ones. If your luggage is past it’s travel-worthiness, repurpose it for storage, a pet bed, or toss it. When you go through your camping gear, it doesn’t makes sense to keep the poles from an old tent that you lost. It will NEVER work with another tent. You know you have to read those directions every time!
July:
Survey your closets for spring and summer clothes, scarves, accessories and handbags you haven’t worn or used (or fit in 😉 ) since last year. Donate or sell them so someone else can still enjoy your new to them clothes this season. Inventory supplies for your home office, personal desk space, and kids’ school and art supplies. Toss dried up pens. Melt stubby crayon bits in muffin tins to make big, multicolor crayons. If you take stock of what you have, you can avoid overbuying.
August:
Go through the kids’ artwork and school papers that they (and you) have been saving. Keep only the best of the best examples of their work unless you need a large portfolio to accompany applications. Set up a shallow bin to save this year’s exemplary papers and a frame to display new artwork that you rotate in and out all year.
September:
Get your craft room, man cave, or workshop back online by purging old supplies and taking stock of what you need for new projects. Once you have everything pared down, you can DIY a new organization system with modules from the big box stores, IKEA hacks, or by repurposing old cabinets.
October:
After all this planning, the holidays are creeping up again. Get your kitchen reorganized by starting with the pantry. Throw out expired foods or ones you realized you don’t like, random TJMaxx sauces (ew!). If the shelves are deep, line them with sturdy baskets to corral small stuff — no higher than eye level, however, or the contents may fall on your head when you pull the bins out. Go through cabinets and drawers. Purge chipped plates, one-task appliances and gadgets. Honestly no one needs more than 6-8 pint glasses, pick out a few that look the best or are your faves, get rid of the rest. Replace shelf liners if they are too dirty to clean or have any mold on them.
November:
As you begin buying new holiday decorations and home decor, weed through the old ones and gift either them to Goodwill or use them one last year as an outdoor decoration. If you don’t want to run into the same storage problems you had last year, now is the time to release those you’re not overly fond of to make room for some new ones. Donate them, not just for the tax write-off, but because you know someone on a tight budget is also hoping for some new-to-them decorations.
December:
Take the beginning of the month to declutter your closets of warm clothing you didn’t wear last year and drop it off at your favorite charity. If you already know you’re planning to buy newer versions of old electronics, donate them, too. If they no longer work, drop them off at an e-waste collection center.
Monthly Decluttering Schedule – It’s a Yearly Thing!
Now that it’s the end of the year, you can take a look around your home and see the fruits of your labors. Don’t forget to continue following this plan throughout the years to come, so that your home never gets back up to hoarder status again. If you routinely work on different areas of your home you will always know what you have, what you need and what will suit your storage needs better.
