30-Day Declutter Challenge: How To Declutter Your Life In 30 Days

Wondering how to declutter your life in 30 days? Do this 30-day declutter challenge!

If you’re tired of managing all the clutter in your home and want to make progress decluttering fast, doing a challenge might be an excellent idea.

It will make getting rid of things more exciting and fun and will give you a goal you can work on each day.

In this article, I share with you a 30-day declutter challenge that will guide you day by day and inspire you with ideas of things to let go of.

Thanks to it, you will be able to declutter your life in 30 days without being overwhelmed.

What is the 30-day declutter challenge?

This 30-day declutter challenge is a challenge you set for yourself to declutter your life in 30 days.

For each day, you will find a suggestion for an area to tackle or things to get rid of in your home.

As decluttering can be challenging, I share with you easy, doable tasks that can be done relatively quickly.

No matter where you are on your minimalism or decluttering journey, you’ll be able to tackle them without feeling overwhelmed.

Feel free to change them as you see fit if you feel you’d be better off tackling something else in your home.

The goal is to make this 30-day declutter challenge benefit you, your family, and your home.

This challenge will also help strengthen your decluttering muscles so that, afterward, deciding what adds value is as easy as possible.

Letting go will also become a habit that will serve you for the rest of your life.

How many items do you get rid of in the 30-day declutter challenge?

It all depends!

The great thing about this 30-day declutter challenge is that you can adapt it to your home and needs.

For instance, if I recommend you declutter X items on a given day, you can modify it as you want.

The key is to go through most areas of your life so that you are left at the end with a clutter-free home where you enjoy spending time.

So declutter as many items as I advise you to let go of, or go even further.

The more you declutter, the more peaceful your home will become.

Cleaning will get easier and quicker, and you’ll feel efficient when doing your chores.

It will even make moving so much easier.

There are many other benefits of minimalism and decluttering!

Wondering how to declutter your life in 30 days? Do this 30-day declutter challenge!

A few tips for this 30-day declutter challenge

When going through your things, ask yourself specific questions such as “How often do I use it?”, “Why do I want to keep this?”, or “Does it deserve a place in my future?”.

Be realistic and honest with yourself.

You may also want to ask a friend to do this 30-day declutter challenge with you.

This will motivate you and make the process even more fun!

More importantly, try to avoid buying too many things during that month (and in the future going forward).

Doing a no-spend month might be a great idea to help you stop impulse buying and shop intentionally.

For more tips, make sure to read the following articles:

How to declutter your life in 30 days? 30-day declutter challenge checklist

Day 1: Remove at least 10 pieces from your closet

If you don’t have too many clothes in your closet, try to go through your entire wardrobe.

But if doing so is too overwhelming and time-consuming, choose ten pieces to get rid of.

It could be anything you don’t love, that doesn’t fit, that is worn out, or that you just never reach for.

For more ideas, check out my closet declutter checklist!

You’ll find 17 ideas for things to get rid of in your closet that you won’t miss at all.

Day 2: Declutter your car

Most of us use our cars every day, meaning that clutter can pile up in them.

Throw away obvious trash like old food packaging or receipts, and remove anything that doesn’t belong there.

Try to only keep things that are related to your car or that you need on the go.

Day 3: Go through your pantry

Go through your entire pantry and declutter anything that’s expired (unless you can still use it).

You can also confidently get rid of food you didn’t end up liking.

Give it away while it’s still good so someone else can eat it.

During this 30-day declutter challenge, go through your pantry and get rid of expired food.

Day 4: Delete at least 100 photos

Most of us have hundreds if not thousands of photos stored on our phones or computers.

We may also keep them in a physical form in photo albums.

Sort through your pictures and aim to delete or declutter at least 100 of them.

Consider deleting blurry photos, duplicate ones, or those that don’t mean much to you.

Day 5: Remove the excess in the cupboard under the bathroom sink

Take advantage of this 30-day declutter challenge to remove the excess in the cupboard under the sink in your bathroom.

Does it have countless cleaning products you barely ever use?

Is it constantly a mess?

Get rid of all that clutter!

Day 6: Declutter your linen closet

Go through your linen closet and count how many bed sheets, comforters, pillowcases, and towels you own.

Does that number seem excessive given how many people live in your home?

If so, go ahead and donate those you never use to the animal shelter.

They need old bedding and towels all the time.

Day 7: Sort through your medicine cabinet

Medicines expire rather quickly, and for many products, we shouldn’t be using them after only a few months.

So declutter any expired medicines or eye drops and syrups you opened many months (or years) ago.

See if your local pharmacy takes them back to dispose of them properly.

Day 8: Fill a box with unwanted stuff from your garage

Take a cardboard box or plastic tub you already have and declutter your garage.

Aim to fill the entire box with stuff you never use or things that are broken or damaged.

If you can declutter more than that, that’s even better.

But if you’re too overwhelmed and don’t know how to start decluttering, removing a box’s worth of stuff from your garage is still a great accomplishment!

Tools and unused stuff from your garage are some of the best things to get rid of during this 30-day declutter challenge.

Day 9: Get rid of excess kids’ toys

As kids grow and receive all kinds of gifts at Christmas and birthdays, they can accumulate quite a lot of clutter in their toy collection.

Your kids may have broken some of them and outgrown many others.

If your children are at an age where they can make decisions themselves, let them go through everything and guide them in the process.

But if they’re too little, do it yourself.

Declutter unused or broken toys, or toys that they’ve outgrown and that they don’t enjoy playing with anymore.

Day 10: Declutter your kitchen cabinets

Some of the best things to sort out during this 30-day declutter challenge are your kitchen cabinets.

Get rid of anything you have in excess and that you don’t use, damaged items, or things you don’t like using.

It could be anything from pots and pans to dinnerware and kitchen gadgets.

Don’t forget about your appliances!

Read more:

Day 11: Let go of paperwork

As we live our lives, we all accumulate all kinds of papers, don’t we?

And if we don’t regularly go through them, their quantity might become overwhelming.

So let go of paperwork that you don’t need anymore: shred documents with important information on them and recycle the rest.

Day 12: Aim for inbox 0

Decluttering doesn’t have to be getting rid of physical items only.

For instance, you can eliminate the clutter in your digital life as well.

Delete all unnecessary emails from your inbox and organize those you want to keep in specific folders.

Try to aim for “inbox 0” if possible.

Achieving it is so rewarding!

But if you have way too many emails, delete at least 120 on day 12.

It will still be progress and you can continue the process later on.

Don't forget to sort through your email inbox during this 30-day declutter challenge.

Day 13: Get rid of unused skincare and makeup products

Similarly to medicines, skincare and makeup products expire and we shouldn’t use them on our skin after several months or years of use.

Check all the expiration dates and throw away anything too old.

Recycle the empty containers and bottles if you can.

See whether some products have changed texture, smell, or color.

If some have, get rid of them immediately!

Finally, if you have unopened products you don’t intend on using, give them away or donate them to a local women’s shelter.

Day 14: Declutter your underwear & sock drawer

If some of your socks and undies have seen better days, have holes, or have lost their elastics, get rid of them.

Don’t forget about undies you hate wearing.

You won’t miss them at all!

What’s more annoying than an uncomfortable pair of undies that ride up, a bra with the wire popping out, or socks with big holes in the toe area?

See if you can put them in a textile recycling bin nearby.

Day 15: Donate 10 books

If you have lots of books in your home, go through your collection and choose 10 to declutter.

It could be books you didn’t like, books you’ve read but don’t intend to read again, or books you don’t see yourself reading.

Give them away, sell them, or donate them to a local little free library.

Day 16: Dedicate an hour to decluttering your basement/attic

Now that you’ve done this 30-day declutter challenge for two weeks, you should have strengthened your decluttering muscles enough to tackle your basement or attic!

Dedicate an hour to removing as many things from there as possible.

Set a timer, collect all the things you don’t need or use in boxes and bags, and when the timer is up, stop.

By that time, you should have collected a large amount of stuff.

Day 17: Let go of excess shoes

Gather all your shoes in one place and sort through them.

Get rid of those that are worn out, that you’ve not worn for over a year, and that hurt your feet.

Donate or sell those that are still in good condition, and recycle the damaged ones.

See if you have a recycling program nearby.

Don't know what to let go of during this 30-day declutter challenge? Go through your shoes!

Day 18: Delete unused apps on your phone

Do you have too many apps on your phone?

Now is the time to delete those you never use, that have annoying notifications, or apps you simply don’t need.

Having a clutter-free phone prevents you from getting frustrated when using your device.

It also allows you to find what you’re looking for effortlessly.

Day 19: Go through your entryway closet

Entryway closets can get super cluttered as we use them to hide all kinds of things, from shoes and coats to knick-knacks and gadgets.

Yet, we want them to be tidy and neatly organized so that we can easily find our essentials before heading out the door.

Declutter anything that you don’t need in there.

Day 20: Declutter your fridge and freezer

Go through everything you have in your fridge and remove anything that has gone bad or that you know you won’t eat.

If you have rotten food or condiments that you opened 5 years ago, they need to go!

Don’t forget about your freezer and get rid of freezer-burnt food today.

And while you’re at it, you can also declutter the items on your fridge.

Day 21: Sort through your kids’ clothes

Kids outgrow clothing and shoes very quickly, so it’s great to go through them regularly.

Take advantage of this 30-day declutter challenge to declutter everything they’ve outgrown or that is ripped, stained, or holey.

Managing them will become a lot easier and you’ll know what you need to purchase to fill the gaps in their wardrobes.

Day 22: Get rid of home decor you don’t love

Home decor’s only purpose is to beautify and elevate our spaces.

We should love it, otherwise it doesn’t serve its purpose.

So get rid of decorations you don’t like or those you have too many of.

Having too much decor can make your room look messy and create a lot of visual clutter.

Read more:

Get rid of any home decor pieces you don't like.

Day 23: Let go of excess office & craft supplies

Office and craft supplies are so easy to accumulate, aren’t they?

This is especially true for people with kids or who like crafting.

The problem is also that when we buy something, it often comes with countless other items.

For instance, if we need a new pen, it will often come with several others (if not many more).

So be realistic with yourself and reassess what you truly see yourself using.

Eliminate the excess and donate it to a local school.

Day 24: Sell or donate board games you don’t enjoy

Keeping board games we don’t like is a waste of space because we won’t want to play with them anymore.

So declutter them guilt-free and free up that space!

You can also sell or donate those you never reach for.

Day 25: Declutter your junk drawer

Let’s be honest, we all have a junk drawer (or two!).

Some of us may be able to keep it somewhat tidy and organized, while others may struggle to close it.

Whether your junk drawer is out of control or not, make sure to declutter it during this 30-day declutter challenge.

Empty it completely and only put back what you need.

Remove the rest and enjoy the free space!

Day 26: Delete unnecessary files on your phone & computer

Here’s another digital declutter!

Go through your computer, tablet, and phone, and delete any unnecessary files.

Remove anything that’s not relevant or useful anymore.

Don’t forget to empty your trash at the end.

Doing this will free up space on your hard drive and might speed up your device!

Day 27: Go through your accessories

Sort through all the accessories you have whether these are purses, jewelry, hats, scarves, gloves, belts, or wallets.

Get rid of any you never reach for, that are damaged, or that you don’t like.

See if any of them don’t match your current wardrobe or lifestyle.

If they don’t, let them go.

You should let go of unused or broken accessories. Those take up space in your closet!

Day 28: Get rid of old electronics, cords, & cables

As we upgrade our electronic devices, we often end up hiding in a drawer our older models and the accessories they came with.

Let’s be honest, we’ll never want to go back to an older version, so we don’t need to keep them.

So declutter old phones: donate them or see if you can still sell them and get some money back.

You can also get rid of all those cords and cables you have in excess or that you don’t even know where they go to.

You can recycle them at Best Buy!

Day 29: Remove excess furniture around your home

Now that you’re at the end of this 30-day declutter challenge, you should have decluttered tons of stuff from your space.

As a result, some of your furniture pieces might have gotten empty, or at least, emptier.

So see if you can get rid of some furniture pieces.

Are they all necessary to have?

Go to each room in your house and reassess whether you still need all of them.

Decluttering excess furniture will make your home feel a lot lighter and less cluttered!

Day 30: Tackle sentimental clutter

Sentimental items are some of the most difficult items to declutter for most of us.

That’s why I’ve left them for the last day.

If you feel ready to and if you want to get rid of the excess in that category, go through your sentimental items.

Let go of the things that aren’t that meaningful to you anymore or that bring up negative memories.

However, be careful while doing it.

Only get rid of what you’re 100% sure you want to let go of because you can’t get it back once it’s gone.

For more guidance, check out my ultimate guide to decluttering sentimental items!

Final thoughts on the 30-day declutter challenge

I hope you’ve found this 30-day declutter challenge helpful and that you could eliminate excess clutter from your home thanks to it!

At the end of the challenge, remember to actually get rid of the things you’ve decided to let go of.

Drop off your donations and take things to the recycling center.

If you intend to sell some of them, list them for sale in the next few days and set a deadline for them to sell.

When you reach it, make sure to donate all the remaining items.

What have you thought about this 30-day declutter challenge?

What were your struggles and wins?

Please, leave a comment below!

Don’t forget to share this blog post with your friends so they can have a clutter-free, minimalist home as well.

30-DAY DECLUTTER CHALLENGE: HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR LIFE IN 30 DAYS?

What is the 30-day declutter challenge?

How many items do you get rid of in the 30-day declutter challenge?

A few tips for this 30-day declutter challenge

How to declutter your life in 30 days? 30-day declutter challenge checklist