Declutter December: 21 Days of Suggestions

You can declutter at any time of year, of course, but why not finish the year off by clearing out the excess in your life. I like starting the new year with a more minimal, leaner home. I also like the alliteration of “Declutter December”!

There is no one way to declutter, but I tried to start with suggestions that are simpler and go from there.

DAY 1: Duplicates– Keep it easy the first day and look for duplicate items you can declutter. Do you really need 20+ pens/pencils? Eight wooden spoons? All those jeans? Take a walk around your home and evaluate which duplicate items you can declutter.

DAY 2: Duplicate Functions-Drinkware – How many of us have many more glasses, cups, and specialty drinkware (wine, tea, etc.) that we need or use? If you love wine or tea and collect drinkware that you love, keep it (though periodically re-evaluate). However, many of us have an assortment of cups and glassware that we rarely use and wouldn’t miss very much.

DAY 3: Duplicate Functions-Cleaning Products – Is the area under your sink the black hole of cleaning products? I like to keep it simple and have as few products as possible. Many products overlap and can clean surfaces, so look through your collection in the kitchen, bathroom, and wherever you store your cleaners. Do you really need all of them?

DAY 4: Duplicate Functions-Outerwear – Over the years many of us have collected jackets, sweaters/cardigans, coats, and other kinds of outerwear. Even if you live in a cold climate much of the year, you may have an assortment of outerwear that you rarely, if ever, wear. Perhaps they don’t fit so well anymore or they’re old and getting shabby. Go through your collection and donate what you don’t need or want anymore.

DAY 5: Duplicate Functions-Shoes & Purses/Bags/Briefcases– Not just for women! Some men have lots of shoes and bags or briefcases, too. How do you use each pair of shoes that you have? Do you need multiples of sport shoes? dressy shoes? casual shoes? boots? I fell into the trap of buying colorful sport shoes at a big box store. They didn’t cost much, I reasoned to myself, so what’s the harm? Well, not much harm to the budget, but they took up a lot of space and time to keep clean. Each season I take a critical look at my shoes and purses, declutter the ones in poor condition, and donate the rest. It only hurts a little, but now I like having just a couple, each for a different purpose.

DAY 6: Duplicate Functions-Kitchen Utensils – Do you have two or more drawers full of kitchen utensils? Do you have multiple spatulas, knives, whisks, and more that you rarely, if ever, use? We often buy these items in sets, which may have more than we need of that particular item. They take up a lot of space and the drawers are often disorganized, so it takes time to find what you want. When I had to replace my kitchen supplies after my house fire, I would forget and sometimes buy an item that I had already replaced. I wound up with three spaghetti forks, multiple spatulas, two hand mixers, and three whisks, most of which I never used! My kitchen storage isn’t huge, so I needed to declutter a lot. So far, I haven’t missed having anything.

DAY 7: Schedules – Too often when we think of decluttering, we focus purely on tangible items. As we get into the holiday season, take time to breathe and relax, especially on the weekends. Don’t turn the days before a holiday into one long errand and event list. Schedule time to do nothing. Seriously. If you don’t, you can easily get sucked into the black hole of holiday to-do lists. Take some time to appreciate and celebrate the holidays.

DAY 8: Last Season’s Clothing – By December, you are probably done with transitional weather. It’s either cold (northern hemisphere) or hot (southern hemisphere).Take a serious look at last season’s clothing: what doesn’t fit well? what is fraying or falling apart? what doesn’t flatter you? what don’t you like anymore? You won’t need that season’s clothing for months, so why store anything extra? Get rid of unwanted clothing now.

DAY 9: Holiday Prep–Old Cards & Decorations – Do you still mail out holiday cards? Go through your supply now while you have them out and get rid of cards with no envelopes, envelopes with no cards, cards you don’t like anymore, etc. Take a peek at all your other cards. You can recycle them guilt-free! If you decorate for the holidays, do the same as you unpack and put them up. Anything broken or worn out? Maybe you have some decorations you received from others that you never really liked. Don’t hang onto them. Clean out all the holiday stuff except for what you love.

DAY 10: Jewelry& Watches – Do you still wear a watch? Do you have more than one? Why? Are they all working? I had one that I kept for years in a box because it needed a new battery and I never got around to getting one. (I’m not talking about smart watches here.) If you wear earrings, do you have some that you rarely, if ever, wear? Same for necklaces. Tastes and needs change over the years. Takeout all your earrings: do they have a matching partner? Do you still like them or are they reminiscent of past times? (You can always photograph sentimental items before decluttering them.) Do the same with all your jewelry.

DAY 11: Duplicate Functions-Underwear – Is this a delicate topic? How many pairs of socks, bras, boxers, or other kinds of underwear we want is different for all of us. It may be a case of how often you want to do laundry or not. Do you have socks that don’t match anything else? How about underwear that is wearing (dangerously) thin? At the very least, declutter anything that is not in good condition or doesn’t fit well.

DAY 12: Make Room for Gifts – Even minimalists receive gifts at times. Take a good look at the kinds of gifts you usually receive and be sure you have space for them. Re-evaluate which books, media, decorative items, etc. you are keeping and consider decluttering the ones you rarely listen to, look at, or read. The same goes for anything you collect (in my case, tea dishes). Keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity. Don’t keep everything forever just because it’s a gift!

DAY 13: Seasonal toys/equipment – Do you have special toys or equipment for the current season? If you’re in the northern hemisphere, take a serious look at the conditions of sleds, skates, shovels, and whatever else you use in cold weather. Southern hemisphere folks should evaluate warm weather sports equipment, pool toys, garden tools, etc. If something isn’t working, is it worth repairing? Are you holding onto seasonal toys or other items that you no longer use or enjoy or will ever repair(be honest with yourself)? If the unwanted item is in good condition, some other family may appreciate it more. Sell or donate and clear out some more space.

DAY 14: Obligations– At first glance, decluttering obligations might seem like an easy task. No drawers or closets or boxes to dig through! However, it can be one of the most challenging. Is your holiday calendar cluttered up with numerous appointments and events? Even fun events can be overwhelming if you take on too much. The holiday season should be joyous, not bogged down with excessive obligations. You don’t have to do or go to everything every single holiday season. Save some for the next holiday or next year!

DAY 15: Duplicate Functions-Kitchen Pots & Pans – Did you buy your pots and pans as a set? Did it come with some sizes that you never use? Mine did, so I finally got rid of 2 pans. Of course, what you need depends on what and how much you cook. Think about your meal preparation and be honest with yourself. If you don’t use them, donate them to someone who will.

DAY 16: Current Season’s Clothing – As you get into the colder (or warmer) season and begin wearing this season’s clothing again, pay attention to how an item fits, what kind of condition it’s in, and whether you still like it. Sometimes we hold onto clothes solely because an item was expensive or in good condition or given by a loved one. That’s an easy way to fill up a closet with a lot of unworn clothes! If you’re not sure, put the item away in a box and see how you feel at the end of season. No reason to hold onto clothing you don’t like.

DAY 17: Digital Declutter – Why bother to declutter your devices? As long as you have enough space, you may think it makes no difference how many folders, files, and apps you have. If you have a lot of apps, for example, are you really using them? How long does it take for you to find what you want? Consider archiving or getting rid of them (you can always download them again if needed). While you’re at it, get rid of notifications as much as possible. All those sounds and notifications distract and tempt us into spending more time than necessary on devices.

DAY 18: Food Storage – When was the last time you cleaned out the pantry? Do you have very old, even expired, herbs and spices? What about canned goods? Cake, rice, or soup mixes? You may discover items pushed towards the back that you forgot you had. Check your refrigerator, too. Leftovers have a sneaky way of becoming spoiled rotten and not in a nice, cuddly way. Dump anything that is old, expired, or looks/smells bad! Cleaning out food storage areas once a month is a good idea. It’ll make meal planning and grocery shopping easier too.

DAY 19: Grooming Items – How many containers of deodorant, hair products, skin products, body wash, etc. do you have? If you wear make-up, do you have items that should be tossed because they duplicate others or are old and contain way too much bacteria to be used safely? (Look up safety guidelines online.) How many brushes, combs, and razors clutter up your bathrooms and bedrooms? I’m not saying you have to give up lotions, make-up, or other grooming items you like and use, but you should be re-evaluating and decluttering a few times a year.

DAY 20: Storage Spaces – There’s a reason everyone has a junk drawer—the clutter is hidden away. Out of sight, out of mind! The same applies to closets. Today tackle at least one storage space and declutter it. Look at drawers, closets, containers under beds, and if you’re really ambitious and have a storage shed or garage, declutter those, too!

DAY 21: Review – Take a look at the last three weeks of suggestions about decluttering. Did you miss some? Were some more difficult than others? Wrap up the three weeks by tying up loose ends from previous declutter days. Whether your holidays are over or coming up, I hope all of you have a great holiday season. See you in the NEW YEAR!!