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One of the biggest hang ups in decluttering is simply how to get started when it feels overwhelming to do so. Sometimes you just feel so surrounded by clutter is can be hard to know where to even begin! And maybe you don’t have a weekend, day, or even hour to dedicated to your decluttering, but you NEED to make some kinda progress right now or you’ll scream.
Been there.
That’s why I’m sharing these 10 things you can get rid of RIGHT NOW in 10 minutes or less. Set a timer, and go go go getting rid of these 10 things (or even just a few), and you’ll be able to breathe a sigh of relief that you got started and made a dent in the clutter that’s sitting in your home.
Trust me, ditching these items below might not seem like a lot, but it will make more of a difference than you realize!
And feel free to declutter other items along the way!
10 Things To Declutter in 10 Minutes
1. Mail + Miscellaneous Papers
Time to recycle that random pile of papers accumulating on your desk or counter, or the stack of mail you keep meaning to sort (we all know most of it’s junk!) Quickly browse through and see if there are any keepers, recycle the rest!
PS – swap all your bills + bank statements out for paperless while you’re at it to eliminate paper clutter accumulating AND be a little more eco friendly.
2. Smelly Bath Towels
Have a handful of bath towels that just sit in your linen closet going unused because they smell a little…off? Toss them!
Go ahead and treat yourself to some new bath towels, you deserve it! PS – those are affordable and highly rated!
If you want to try to wash the smell out first, this post shares how to do that. But if they are still smelly afterwards, or you don’t feel like trying that out and are ready to toss, go ahead and do it! Towels take up a lot of space, clear that space up and grab some fresh towels if you need a few more.
3. Expired Food in the Fridge
Take a quick glance at your fridge and identify what needs to be tossed. Then move things around, see what might be hidden in the back of the fridge that DEFINITELY needs to be tossed. Also, browse through what’s stored in the door of the fridge. There can be some stragglers in there that need to be thrown out.
Don’t be like the people who have a jar of jelly from 2004 that you claim “doesn’t go bad.” Honestly, even if that’s true, just get some new jelly!
4. Tupperware with Missing Lids + Go Unused Because Smells/Stains
That bottom Tupperware piece that sits in your cabinet forever because the lid somehow is just gone? Yeah, recycle that guy. If it’s been months, the lid ain’t coming back!
5. Any Piece of Clothing With Stains
Do you have pieces of clothing sitting in your dresser or closet collecting dust because they are going unworn for months and months because of a stain you can’t get out? Toss!
If you want to try and get the stain out, this has been the best stain remover I’ve tried that gets everything out. Give that a go, and if it’s still stained and unwearable, toss!
6. Shoes Left Out
Don’t throw these out, just put them away! Shoes are one of those things that end up cluttering our apartment all too quickly and there’s something about seeing shoes all over the place that bugs me. Anyone else? Take a minute and put away all the shoes!
7. Beauty Products on Your Bathroom Counter
Who else is guilty of leaving one too many beauty products out on the counter until they are completely all over the place? Take a minute or two to put your makeup away, and your skincare back where you store it.
If you need some bathroom counter organization ideas, check out that post!
8. Unabsorbant Dish Towels
These are the worst!! Why do they even exist. I mean, I guess I get it if it’s for decor purposes, but there are SO many dish towels out there that do nothing to absorb, dry, or soak up even a hint of water, and aren’t cute. Whhyyyy tho??
Ditch ’em! (or donate!)
These are the best dish towels I’ve ever used!! And yes, they actually absorb water.
9. Anything That Doesn’t Belong On Your Nightstand
I strongly believe in having a cleared off nightstand. It’s the last thing you see before going to sleep and the first thing you see when you wake up in the morning. Imagine the difference it would make if it was cleared off and tidy!
Anything that doesn’t belong?! Take a minute to put whatever it is back in it’s place.
10. Instruction Manuals
SO dang bulky, and referenced so infrequently! Plus, all of these manuals can be found online! Bonus points – when you look them up online, you can command/ctrl F to find what you’re looking for rather than flipping through a bunch of pages.
(double check that they’re online first before recycling, just in case!)
Alright! How long did that take?! Feeling a little better since you were able to make some progress? I hope so!
Next time you’re starting to feel that overwhelm about clutter but you feel like you have no time to go through everything, just set a timer for 10 minutes and get done what you can get done. It’s not a lot of time, but making a bit of progress will definitely help you to feel even a little better.
