Fact: Clutter does not mean you’re lazy or a failure in any way. At all.

It’s alright if you’re feeling overwhelmed. A cluttered space is nothing to be ashamed of.

A cluttered home simply means you’ve got too many decisions to make. You don't know where to start, so you pause, and it just piles up.

Clutter doesn't just take up space in your home, but also in your head.

Whether you’re a minimalist or maximalist, the key to getting rid of clutter is giving each item a place in your home.

There’s no need to hire a professional organizer or research the KonMari method if you have company coming over. With the right organization ideas and storage solutions, you can complete a house purge today.

Here are a few decluttering tips for lightning-speed decluttering—and none of them involve deep cleaning with a toothbrush!

1. Who’s Your Guest Of Honor?

Why? Think of your house like a mall. There are high traffic areas and low traffic areas.

Everyone will use the bathroom and living room. But who will visit your bedroom? Your friends might, but your parents-in-law as less likely. Make a list of rooms your guests are likely to visit. Any room not on that declutter list you can ignore.

2. It’s All About The Timing

Now you know which rooms to tackle first, you can start working your way to a clutter-free home. It’s time to decide how long you’re going to spend in each space and set a timer. Kitchen messier than the living room? Give the kitchen 45 minutes and the living room 30 minutes. 

Pro Tip: Turn on your favorite podcast or playlist for extra motivation!

3. Get Ready To Say Goodbye

Whichever room you decide to declutter first, make sure you know what to get rid of. Just ask yourself: Do I want this? Do I need this? Is it useful (and when was the last time I used it)? 

At this point, all you need is a trash bag. (Or several.)

If you’re really tight on time, key tasks like laundry and dirty dishes can be set temporarily aside and dealt with after the main declutter. Forget low-priority places like the junk drawer—no one’s going to look there. We're looking at visible clutter and trash.

Trash bag and playlist ready? Here’s a quick clean and declutter checklist with key target areas. Think of it as a declutter challenge.

Ready, set, go!  

The Kitchen

• Takeout delivery food containers
• Old herbs, spices, and unused ingredients
• Old sponges and empty cleaning products
• Empty packets, disposable cutlery, expired products 

Everything And The Kitchen Sink…

No time to wash dishes? Stack them up in a logical order to make washing them later easy. Plates on plates, cutlery with cutlery. If anything needs soaking, create a space for that too. That way, you can tackle each pile accordingly. 

Pro Tip: Kitchen counters are a key area because a clean countertop automatically looks put together. Get this area clean and you’ve already won half the battle!

For items that don’t have a home, it’s time to get rid of them or arrange them so they’re easier to find. Resist the urge to keep things “just in case.” That spice you bought for one recipe ages ago? Toss it. 

The Living Room

• Old magazines, paperwork, stationery clutter
• Wrappers, packaging, takeout containers

Bookworm and Blanket Lover?

Books can be stacked and blankets folded, but organizers like this Antibes storage basket make staying organized low-maintenance and even artistic. Toss, throw, and stuff it to your heart's content.   

The Bathroom

• Expired cosmetics
• Expired medication
• Old, expired, unwanted makeup 
• Broken hair ties
• Empty bottles

Bottles, Bottles, Everywhere…

Stylish organizers like our Montrésor rope baskets are a lifesaver for small items like bottles, makeup, socks, and baby clothes. Even if you don't fold the clothes or socks, they'll still look organized!   

The Bedroom

• Overflowing trash cans
• Old papers, packets, wrappers
• Laundry (divide clean and dirty into two piles)
• Old chargers, wires, packaging boxes, plastic bags

Divide And Conquer

Who doesn’t have a laundry chair (or mountain)? If you don’t have time to fold clothes or do laundry, our super sturdy hand-woven Antibes baskets are perfect for separating clothes. You'll never have to dig through clothes and do the sniff test again!

 Need something bigger and heavy-duty? Something soft but strong like our Bories dotted rope baskets can handle large loads with ease without damaging surfaces. Remember, even putting the clothes in the washing machine (or wardrobe) is half the job done!

Tangle No More

Do you have an ever-growing pile of tangled wires attached to your desktop? Beautify them in something like our stackable Nonza baskets—small items go on top, and tangled wires can feed through the handles at the bottom.

 The Fridge

• Old and expired products
• Arrange items by type, like meat, vegetables, etc.

A quick sniff test can tell you what needs to be removed. If you have time to arrange your fridge, take a moment to wipe down the shelves to remove any smells or stains. The fridge is particularly important when you have guests, and you’ll feel so much better during meal prep and snack time.

The Entryway

• Delivery packaging
• Opened letters, bills, paperwork
• Excess coats, shoes, and bags

First Impressions Count

Shoes, coats, bags, and gear are always part of a lived-in home. But let’s keep guests safe by making sure they don’t clog up the entryway. You wouldn’t want your guests to trip over anything when they enter! 

Pro Tip: Wall hangers are a wonderfully functional solution, and these rustic Heric rope baskets look fantastic in any space. They’re perfect for keys, dog leashes, sunglasses, and even faux flowers.  

The Final Touch

Well done—the hardest part is over! If you have dishes or laundry to do, take a break before tackling them. You've worked hard.

Want to do a deep declutter in the future?

Pro Tip: Don't strive for a “perfect” house. They don't exist. Homes are meant to be lived in. Clutter is inevitable. You live in real life, not Instagram.

Most importantly, today you’ve mastered the art of saying goodbye and creating homes for things that matter. That's a huge achievement!

The easy way to a decluttered home is by building a system where tidying becomes simple. Part of that is investing in beautiful storage solutions and knowing your own habits.

Enjoy your time with your guests, you deserve it!