Do you need to declutter fast? Clutter overwhelm is a real thing!

Do you feel like you are drowning in clutter?

Are you spending all your time cleaning up after your kids, struggling to keep up with your daily chores, and terrified someone will pop-over to visit unexpectedly?

If your home is causing you stress, it may be time to tackle the clutter! Here is an outline to help you prepare and then schedule out your weekend. 

I will walk you through your weekend, step-by-step.  You will know where to start, what areas to tackle, and you will end the weekend feeling lighter.

There are two parts to learning how to declutter your home fast in one weekend:

• Part 1 – The Planning 
• Part 2 – The Schedule

Feel free to jump around and discover the areas where you can use the most information!

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful. ~William Morris

Related Post: Declutter to Drastically Reduce Anxiety and Stress

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Part 1 ~ Planning: How to declutter your home fast in one weekend

Will one weekend turn your home into a minimalist home? Probably not, and that may not even be what you are going for. 

However, one weekend can transform how you feel, make your house look amazing and give you some peace from the chaos.

You may not get every single drawer and hidden closet space in your home tackled, but you will see and feel a noticeable difference when you learn how to declutter your home fast in one weekend. 

Let’s get started!!!

**Stick around and I’ll give you a detailed schedule on how to tackle your entire weekend! 

Clutter attracts more clutter

Clutter attracts more clutter, and until you tackle it head-on, it will continue to reproduce. 

All the clutter also causes stress and can be a real emotional drain.  Don’t even get me started on the physical drain of always trying to keep up with it all!

By decluttering your entire home, you will feel less stressed by all your stuff, your home will look cleaner and be easier to maintain, and you will feel a burden lifted!

Related Post: The Invisible Cost of Clutter

Prep for your declutter weekend

If you want to learn how to declutter your entire home fast in one weekend, you will need a little prep work and a plan.

First, communicate with your family

First, start talking to your family about how you are tired. 

<<<You are tired of cleaning up all the time, and you are tired of the chaos.>>>

Also, start talking to your kids about minimalism. 

Even if you don’t have any desires to live a minimalist lifestyle, you can still talk to them about how living with less can actually make you happier and have huge benefits. 

Your kids will not be sad with fewer toys.  In fact, fewer toys may actually benefit your children, and they may enjoy it!  Sounds crazy, but it is true.

Bring in an honest friend, if you need one

If you worry about your ability to get rid of things, bring in an honest friend that has an uncluttered home and you know will be honest with you. 

Set a goal together for the rooms you will tackle that day, and don’t stop until you reach your goal.  Remember to feed your friend and maybe get him/her a small gift (that isn’t clutter), like a bottle of wine.

Decide which rooms you want to tackle first on your declutter weekend

My biggest piece of advice in learning how to declutter your home fast: save the sentimental stuff for the end of the weekend. 

By then, you will have a little practice under your belt when it comes to decluttering stuff, and decisions are made much faster!

I highly recommend starting with your bedroom first. 

When you declutter your bedroom and your closet first, you set the tone for the rest of the members of your home.  You are setting an example and showing them how you are working through the emotions of getting rid of your own stuff. 

It is easy to give away what you consider junk in other people’s rooms.  However, you ultimately have to be responsible for yourself first.  (Sorry, some tough love.)

Set some ground rules for your declutter weekend

Give everyone a couple of veto votes. 

It is easy to declutter another person’s stuff.  If you are unsure about something, give everyone at least one, if not two or three, veto votes.

Now, don’t present an entire box of giveaway items to young kids and ask if it is ok to get rid of the stuff.  That probably won’t work. 

However, if you don’t know if they still play with something or not, just ask them.  Even if they elect to keep it but then throw it to the side again, you have at least started the conversation for the next decluttering round.

Related Post: Get Rid of Toys (With the Help of Your Kids!)

Arrange to get everyone out of the house so you can declutter your home fast

Decluttering quickly is so much easier when it is just you and your home.  Then, there are no distractions. 

Go ahead and call in a favor with a friend, or have your spouse take the kids out for the day. 

If you can’t get help, I’m always a fan of popping in a movie and at least giving myself two hours of uninterrupted time to get rid of stuff!

Sort your stuff

You need to sort everything you go through.  Give yourself only four options:

• Trash
• Give away / donate
• Sell
• Keep, possibly relocate

There are no “just in case” items or “maybe” piles.  Only keep the things that serve a real function and bring true joy. 

This is the time to be honest with yourself.  You don’t need this clutter! Remember how it makes you feel, and remind yourself of your goals.

For more help, check out what to do with your stuff after decluttering!

Questions to help you declutter

If you are unsure of what to get rid of, ask yourself these questions to help you declutter your home fast:

• Does it spark joy?
• Is this a duplicate?
• Is it broken?
• Am I holding onto it out of guilt?
• Am I only keeping it for sentimental reasons?
• Have I used it in the past year?
• Am I saving it for “just in case”?
• Would I buy this today?
• Does this fit me or my current lifestyle?
• Is this worth the time and money to keep?

Related post: 11 Questions to Help You Declutter

Go to the donation center

As soon as you have a donation pile ready, go ahead and load it into the car and make your way there at the end of every day, if at all possible. 

Yes, that’s a lot of trips to the donation center over a weekend.  However, you will feel incredibly accomplished, and the stuff is gone. 

No one can decide they want to keep something “just in case” because it is gone! 

At the very least, get the stuff to your car!  When it is out of the house, the home will instantly feel lighter!

List the items for sale now

If you are selling something, don’t wait.  This is your weekend to get stuff done! Go ahead and snap a photo with your phone and list it for sale. 

Facebook Marketplace is my favorite, just because it is easy.  However, there are multiple ways to sell stuff, and pick what is best for the items you are selling.

If you are selling clothes, Thredup is one of my favorite online consignment stores.  They even send you a bag and pay for the shipping! Anything that isn’t sold is donated or recycled responsibly. 

I highly recommend logging on now and requesting your bag! You don’t even have to leave your home.

Related Post: Sell Your Stuff On FB Marketplace

Maintain your clutter-free home

• Now that you have started your decluttering journey, set up a plan to keep your home clutter-free. Adopt a cleaning schedule that involves daily pick-up.  With less stuff, daily pick-up only takes a couple of minutes.
• Keep your flat surfaces clear! Clutter attracts more clutter, and if you clear flat surfaces before leaving a room, the clutter build-up will slow down dramatically.
• Keep a decluttering box handy in a closet. If you come across something you don’t need anymore or the kids have outgrown, go ahead and put it straight in the decluttering bag.  Once the bag is full, take it to your local donation center!
• Schedule another purging weekend in a month or two. It gets easier with each round.  If you have another decluttering weekend scheduled, you can tackle some areas that may have been too hard this first round!

Related post: The Flat Surface Clutter Rule – How to Clear Clutter From Flat Surfaces in Your Home

Stop shopping!

Learn how to stop shopping.  Now that you have gotten rid of the clutter, don’t bring more of it into your home! 

You also may need to stop online impulse shopping.  Time to temper the Amazon purchases!

Related posts: How to Stop Shopping with a No Shopping Challenge and How to Stop Online Impulse Shopping: 9 Simple Steps to Stop Spending

Enjoy your decluttering weekend!  

You can declutter your home fast in a weekend. 

Go ahead, pick a weekend and get started.  Don’t forget to communicate with your family first, and ask for support anywhere you can get it.

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How to Declutter Your Home Fast – Free Decluttering Printable and Schedule Included

Part 2 

Here, I give you all the nitty-gritty details on how to declutter your home fast in just one weekend, down to a schedule of what to tackle first and what to save for last.  You won’t be left doing this alone!

If you want to learn how to declutter your home fast in one weekend, you are going to need a schedule to help you get it done and stay on task!   

First, do your prep work.  You can check out Part 1: Planning – How to Declutter Your Home Fast in One Weekend to help you get ready and come up with a plan.

Let’s get started!

Here is a recap of Part 1 of the series:

• Get your weekend decluttering schedule prepped first.
• Communicate with your family.
• Bring in an honest friend, if you need one.
• Decide which rooms to tackle first.
• Set some ground rules and give everyone a veto vote or two.
• Arrange to get everyone out of the house.
• Sort your stuff.
• Finish every day with a visit to the donation center or listing items for sale.

>>>Grab yourself a timer.  You can use the timer function on your phone.  We will work in 60 and 90-minute increments for most areas.

Know when to stop

This is a weekend decluttering purge!

While it would be nice to deep dive and do the entire house in its entirety, if you have a lot of stuff to go through and are bursting at the seams, you may not completely finish every room. That’s ok! 

We want to declutter your home fast and achieve a noticeable difference…quickly!

You will still be building momentum and making the entire house look so much better, not just one room!  Plus, it will give you the motivation to continue your deep dives in the future.

Quick Clean-up and Breaks

At the end of each time, set one more timer for 15 minutes.  Put the room back together if you destroyed it.  It happens, it’s called the messy middle. 

Then, give yourself another 15-minute break between each room.  You don’t want to give yourself declutter burnout!  You’ve got a whole weekend ahead of you!

Friday night decluttering schedule

Time to get started on your weekend decluttering schedule so you can declutter your home fast. 

Don’t wait around for Saturday.   Now is the time!  

If you brought in a friend, time to get busy.  If you couldn’t rid of the kids tonight, order some pizza and pop in their favorite movie.  It is time to get to work!

Declutter your closet – 90 minutes

First, declutter your closet.  We are starting with your stuff because it is easiest to set an example for the rest of your family when you have your own stuff under control.

Go through all your clothes.  Ask yourself these questions and look for any “no” answers:

• Have I worn it this past year?
• Do I even like the piece?
• Does it fit?
• Can I wear it today? (not broken or in need of adjustments)
• Does it fit my lifestyle anymore?
• Is it in good shape? Not faded?
• Can it coordinate with other pieces in my closet?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it may be time to let the piece of clothing go! 

You can donate it, sell it, give it to a friend, or recycle it/trash it if no longer usable by anyone else.  (I recently learned H&M stores at the mall have clothing recycling drop-offs. Super cool!)

>>>15 minutes of clean-up and putting the room back together

>>> 15-minute break

Declutter your bedroom – 60 minutes

After you declutter your closet, time to declutter your bedroom!  You are going to tackle the following areas in order to declutter your home fast:

• Nightstand
• Dresser
• Chest of drawers
• Under the bed
• Bedroom floor space
• Any other areas of the room

Get out bedroom clutter that doesn’t belong

Look to get rid of anything that doesn’t belong in a bedroom.  If you have the luxury, move your exercise equipment or office out of the bedroom.

This should be a place to relax.  If you don’t have space for it anywhere else yet, you might after you declutter other areas of the house!

At the very least, get all the toys out of your bedroom.  Make a new rule if needed, no kid stuff in mama’s room!

Clear any flat surface clutter.  Once you clear out some dresser drawers, you may have room for storing some surface clutter you want to keep away in drawers, like jewelry and other knick-knacks.

The donation center is probably closed already, so go ahead and put all the stuff in your car so you are ready for tomorrow.  Having the stuff out of your home will instantly lift a huge weight off your shoulders!

>>>Enjoy your bedroom retreat tonight.  I bet you are tired!!

Saturday morning decluttering schedule

Declutter your kitchen – 90 minutes

Have everyone eat an easy breakfast with little cooking and clean-up.  You’ve got a long day ahead of you and don’t need more stuff to clean before decluttering!

Set your timer and get to work!

Start the morning off by decluttering your kitchen.  It is easy (usually not as many sentimental items), but it can be a massive undertaking!  Areas you will want to hit up:

• Kitchen counter surface clutter. Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong.
• We chose one set of dishes for each person in our family, plus two. Determine what is right for your situation.
• Mugs and cups. I swear these multiply like bunnies. Keep enough for everyone in your family plus 4.  (I have more, my husband refuses to budge. So, pick what works.  Hey, I’m being honest! We all pick our battles.)
• Kitchen appliances. Get rid of any you haven’t used in the past year.  Find a place in the cabinets below for as much as you can.  If you use it every day, maybe it stays.  However, the juicer you only use once a week can probably go in a cabinet.
• Keep only what you use regularly. Do you really need a melon baller? Great idea, never used!
• Under the sink and cleaning supplies.
• The infamous junk drawer. Buy a $0.97 silverware organizer.  Works great!

If you don’t finish the kitchen, don’t worry. Focus on the surface clutter first and other quick hits.  The kitchen can take a week all by itself in some cases!  We are trying to get an overall “wow” factor and declutter your home fast!

Related post: Declutter Your Kitchen

>>>15 minutes of clean-up and putting the room back together

>>>15-minute break

Declutter your kids’ rooms – 90 minutes

You will be tired when you are ready to declutter your kids’ rooms, but it is easy to get rid of another person’s stuff! Enjoy the break from your own emotional turmoil!

Things to get rid of:

• Toys they have outgrown.
• Plastic “junk” toys they forgot they own.
• Clothes they have outgrown.
• Trash (I don’t know why!)

Again, start with the easy, quick-hitters to declutter your home fast. 

You don’t have to organize and go through every toy box.  It can be a habit you develop when you do mini-purges throughout the year. 

The trick is to recognize what you have, get rid of the excess, and prevent the stuff from entering your home future forward.

Create toy storage solutions for your kids.  You can use baskets you find when decluttering, Rubbermaid storage containers or even shoeboxes to divide up drawers.  Get creative!

Related posts: How to Manage Toy Clutter and How Fewer Toys Will Benefit Your Kids

>>>15 minutes of clean-up and putting the room back together

>>1-hour lunch break!

Saturday afternoon decluttering schedule

Declutter the playroom and basement – 60 minutes

Your playroom and basement may be separate or one in the same. 

Either way, you are probably on a roll after decluttering the kids’ rooms.  The playroom should go even faster now.

Like the other rooms, hit up the quick stuff to declutter your home fast. 

Start with surface clutter and other obvious clutter you don’t need any longer. 

Sometimes basements can be full of sentimental items and other storage.  Go for the stuff you can see right now.  When the timer goes off, enjoy the progress you have made!

>>>15 minutes of clean-up and putting the room back together

>>>15-minute break

Laundry room – 30 minutes

Sometimes the laundry room can become the catch-all for stuff we don’t know where to store anywhere else.  It is like a “junk room” for some. 

Create an organizational system for the stuff that will remain in the laundry room or utility room.  

You can use baskets or small, clear plastic bins you find around the house.  I’ve found really large mason jars work well too!  I store my dishwasher or laundry pods in one of these 64-oz mason jars.

>>>Keep moving!

Bathrooms  – 60 minutes

I think the bathrooms are the easiest rooms to declutter, as there are no emotional ties to things in your bathroom usually.

When you declutter your bathroom, start under the bathroom cabinets and throw out/ recycle anything that is not being used.

• Recycle medications that are expired.
• Let go of the products you are keeping out of guilt but really don’t like.
• Get rid of the hair accessories you no longer use.
• Make room for anything that is usually stored on the counter that could be stored underneath.

Utilize creative storage solutions. 

One of my favorite bathroom under the cabinet storage solution is a clear, plastic shoe box (you can get them super cheap at Target or Wal-Mart).  I store extra toothpaste, razors, etc in these boxes. 

I also like having a small basket for all the items I use daily.  My kids refer to as “mommy’s get ready basket”.

Related Post: Simple Steps to Create a Minimalist Bathroom

>>>15 minutes of clean-up and putting the room back together

>>>15-minute break

Linen closet – 30 minutes

You are in the home stretch!

Go through your linen closet and get rid of any old towels you are saving for “just in case” or to turn into cleaning towels “one day”.  Do the same for washcloths.

Get rid of linens you don’t use and send them to the donation center if they are in good enough shape.

Make a trip to the donation center, or at the very least, put all the stuff you are giving away in your car. 

Don’t forget to track your donations on the It’s Deductible app.  You can use it while putting things in the donation box or bag.  It is super easy to use and will give you a big break at tax time!

>>>Have dinner and RELAX! You are doing an amazing job, and it only gets easier after today!  Your home is probably looking amazing right now, and you are seriously getting towards the end of your weekend.

Sunday morning decluttering schedule

Declutter the sentimental stuff in storage – 90 minutes

OK, so this can honestly take a month or two.  If you are my husband, possibly a year or two.  That’s ok. 

Just like with other areas in the home, go for the quick hits.  You have momentum going now, and it feels lighter already in your home.

You don’t have to get rid of it all today!  Even if you know you should get rid of it, you don’t have to do it today. 

My guess is you have some easy stuff to sort through, so start there.  Make a large size dent in the sentimental stuff, but when the timer goes off, move on!

We can dedicate an entire weekend to just sentimental stuff if you like.  Let me know! Right now, we want to declutter your home fast!

Related Post: The Single Question You Should Be Asking Yourself With Sentimental Clutter

>>>15 minutes of clean-up and putting the room back together

>>>15-minute break

Declutter your garage storage – 90 minutes

You don’t have to organize your entire garage this morning. 

Set your timer, and start going for the stuff you know is clutter and doesn’t belong. This is how you declutter your home fast! I bet it is easier than you think.

Things to consider:

• Crappy tools you never use anymore
• Kid stuff that has been outgrown or is in bad shape
• Holiday items and other seasonal items you no longer use or want
• Plastic plant containers you will never use

This is also a great time to sell the things in your garage you don’t use anymore. 

If you have an old kayak that isn’t being used, go ahead and list it for sale! You might as well make some cash this weekend!

>>>15 minutes of clean-up and putting the room back together

>>>1-hour lunch break

Declutter any other areas of the home not specified – 90 minutes

• Home office
• Crafts
• Extra storage
• Extra closets
• Bookshelves
• Living room

Grab the easy, quick hits.  You can do a deep dive later on with specific rooms and areas, now that you are well practiced!

You are almost done!

Make your last run to the donation center!  Remember to get your receipt. 

List any items for sale that you haven’t listed yet, and prepare yourself to enjoy a cleaner, lighter home!

Related post: What to do with stuff after decluttering!

Take a look around!

Whew, that was a crazy weekend!!

I bet your house looks so much better, and even though you are tired, I bet you feel like a million bucks with your accomplishment! 

A clean, simple home that is free from clutter can transform how you feel as a mom.  Enjoy the space. Enjoy the less time cleaning.  You deserve it.

When you are up for it again, keep up the mini-purges. 

Tackle one room, one area or even just one drawer.  Every single thing you do to declutter your home puts you one step closer to having more room and time to breathe the simplicity in your home. 

You can do this!

SAVE TO PINTEREST FOR LATER!