The ultimate home decluttering calendar – sync your diary and home with this scheduled streamlining sweep

I cannot cope without my diary, so why didn’t I think about having a decluttering calendar before?

The good news is that I write and edit expert-led decluttering features daily as Head of Solved and am deeply familiar with all the tips and methods our professional organizers rely on, and have tested them myself. This is my ultimate decluttering calendar to help you plough through the mess in your home throughout the year in manageable and useful chunks.

It’s not complex and will slot into your digital diary perfectly. Just set a decluttering tip reminder on the first of every month and paste my corresponding list, below, into your digital calendar. For my old-school friends who have a paper diary, the bullet points below are for the taking!

12-month decluttering calendar for maintained streamlining

August

Decluttering ahead of fall sets your home up for cozy, hosting success by streamlining these vital areas. It’s a great way to get your home ready for cooler weather and make space for the upcoming shift to more indoor activities.

• Expired goods: It’s the perfect time for an expiration sweep. Get rid of out-of-date sunscreens and other summer lotions and potions, as they will not last till next summer and will take up space in the autumnal months for no reason. The same goes for half-open packets of chips and snacks in the pantry. Using a label maker or permanent pen, both available at Walmart, to note open dates on items, or storing them in air-tight containers, will help pest-proof your pantry as they start to come inside when colder weather hits.
• Summer toys: Keeping kids and grandkids busy over summer vacation means lots of puzzles, books, toys, and more scattered around. Do a big sweep through all the family areas to clear floor space and reduce visual clutter in the living room and beyond. Donating decluttered toys to charity before Christmas is more helpful than an influx of toys in the new year, as families looking for affordable gifts will be able to pick up something great in time.
• Shed chaos: Nobody wants to be digging through a spider-riddled shed in the wet weather of fall. Get on top of it now, and you’ll thank yourself later. A garden sweep will also help you more easily put the backyard to bed, so to speak, when the cool weather comes in.
• Clothes: I live by the ‘didn’t know’ decluttering rule. Simply, if I didn’t remember or know I had an item, it’s time to say goodbye, and clothing is no exception. I expand this rule to include any items I have not worn over the summer. If it didn’t appeal to me this year, it’s even less likely to appeal to me another 12 months down the road. It's a home organizing rule professionals swear by.
• Seasonal decor: Nobody likes a last-minute Halloween or Christmas panic when the item you thought you’d be able to dust off and use turns out to be broken or too tired for an encore. Make space for new or thrifted halloween decor ideas by organizing the basement or the attic where you usually stash them.

September

As cooler weather begins to appear over the horizon and you think more about decluttering for fall, it's natural to begin spending more time indoors. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll resist putting the heating on till at least the end of October.

Streamlining these elements of your home in September will set you up for a comfortable few months ahead.

• Blankets and throws: Any that are tired, smell musty, no matter what you do, or are scratchy and awful need to go. But don’t consign them to the trash. Wash, dry, and donate to animal shelters that will usually need and be grateful for blankets.
• Games: Dust off your family games and aim for less time spent on the phone this fall. Donate the ones you’re tired of, or swap with friends. Thrift stores will have a great selection to replenish your stock. I use the space under my sofas to store games in lidded boxes, such as these shallow bins from Amazon: Easy access but out of sight, and certainly not adding to the visual clutter in my living room.
• Coffee table and surfaces: These areas, especially in living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchens, where people hang out the most together, can become catch-alls for daily clutter. Find things a permanent home so tidying is easier. Otherwise, question how useful it really is and donate, sell, or recycle. Using trays to cluster things together and leaving the rest of the surface free can help. Professional organizers say to keep no more than four items on a tray to avoid it becoming a mess. A wooden tray pack from Walmart will add cohesion across your space.

October

October is a time when the hosting season is fast approaching, and clearing space for guests, dinner parties, weekend stays, and lots of foot traffic in the home is paramount.

Our ultimate holiday declutter checklist will smooth the journey, but these are the key items to put in your decluttering calendar and it is no surprise they are focused on guest-adjacent belongings.

• Crockery and serveware: Mismatched or broken collections may not get trotted out in your home, but may well serve another home perfectly. Get rid of those items you don’t like bringing out and are simply cluttering up your kitchen cabinets.
• Bedding and towels: Knowing how many towels you need will be the key to streamlining your collection with ease. Each person in the house needs two or three bath towels, face cloths, and hand towels. Depending on how long your guests are staying, they may need one or two sets to save you from having to do laundry during their stay. With bedding, it’s sensible to have a set on the bed, and a spare for when you wash the other one. Bedding should be washed weekly, or more often in summer or if people are hot sleepers. With these numbers in hand, you’ll be able to organize linens and streamline sensibly and not be left short or overrun with bedding. These handy bedding folders from Walmart will help you easily identify sets for different rooms and keep linens tidy when not in use.

November

Decluttering in November has a heavy festive focus so it doesn’t creep up on you when you're busy enjoying plans or hosting.

• Declutter your kitchen: Big hosting means big chaos in the kitchen, at least it does for me. Declutter kitchen cabinets of goods you bought in good faith but are never going to use, so when your big grocery shops come through the front door, you’ll have space to put it all away. Streamlining cabinets in November will make cooking for large numbers and hosting family and friends a bit less stressful, as you won’t have to battle with cabinet tsunamis when you open them or tackle tall nested piles of plates, bowls and other essentials you cannot access easily.
• Hot weather toys: Clear our scooters, skateboards, rollerblades, lawn games and other outdoor equipment you didn’t capture in your summer decluttering.
• Unused school supplies: Being prepared is an approach I always shout about, but sometimes we can over-prepare, and end up with some back-to-school essentials or items from our dorm room checklist going unused. Donate them, save them for next year by storing them in your attic in an air-tight, lidded bin.

December

December is busy, busy, triple busy, so I’ll keep this short, sweet, and useful as to what to declutter in December.

• Declutter your entryway: Wet weather, a bundle of coats and winter accessories will by now be cluttering up your hallway. Clear out extras, storing them in vacuum bags, available in multipacks from Amazon, so reduce their volume without damaging them, and keep just a couple of pairs of shoes per person. This will free up space for guests coming in out of the biting weather without grappling with household items. A freestanding coat rack from Wayfair will never go to waste, but you can also add temporary hooks with over-the-door additions. I like this simple over-the-door hook rack from Amazon for extra storage.
• Declutter your bedroom: You'll need a peaceful sanctuary to escape the season’s frenetic pace and socialising, so even if you simply clear the visual clutter from your bedroom, that will be an improvement worth making in December.

January

A new year brings new promises made to ourselves and loved one for improved wellbeing happiness. You know where I am going with this with my items to declutter in january.

• Declutter items belonging to your fantasy self: This means items that align with a version of you from the past, or the version of yourself that you hope to become one day. Being honest about where we are right now, who we are never going to be again, and the version of ourselves we’ve attempted to be but not managed is a helpful and cathartic exercise. It will help you sharpen your resolve to achieve your goals as the new year stretches out ahead, without holding onto clutter that does not serve you. That guitar in your garage, the dumbbells under your desk, or the best stand mixer you spent lots of money on but has been gathering dust? Say goodbye now, and ruthlessly declutter without guilt, shame, or a sense that you are wasting money. Hanging on to something just because you purchased doesn’t bring the dollars you spent on it. Donate or sell these items, and know someone will make better use of them than you, leaving your home free for new goals and dreams in your January resolutions.
• Festive decor: Did you use that extra set of white decor you’ve been hanging on to? No? Get rid of it now instead of 'paying rent' to store it for the next 12 months. Declutter your Christmas decorations before storing them all away.
• Get rid of unwanted gifts: The people you love spent energy, time and effort giving you with presents. But if they’re not right for you, move them on discreetly and let someone else enjoy them. The same goes for festive cards and letters. Digitize what you’d like to revisit, keep a handle of special correspondence, but recycle the rest. An Epson scanner from Amazon that has a lid that lifts off can help you scan even bulkier items for forever-digital keeping.

February

Mark your decluttering calendar with these key things to declutter in February. The hustle and bustle of the festive season is well and truly in the rearview mirror, and life is back to normal. Work, play, and rest are the usual suspects at the forefront of our minds this chilly month.

• Declutter your workspace: Be it a hobby corner of WFH office, clear out the extra items that have snuck into this space and streamline it for improved functionality. Go vertical with desk organizers, available from Target, add drawers under your table for organizing your paperwork, and securely get rid of paperwork from the year before. Our expert guide on how long you need to keep paperwork will give you the confidence to say goodbye to those old bills and correspondence.
• Unused items: Is there a small appliance or hobby item you’ve not used since February of the year before? Get rid of it now.
• Declutter your closet: Spring is approaching so have a streamlining session in February of your winter closet before your store clothes away for the longer term. You can easily cut down by getting rid of things that do not fit, are no longer your style, duplicates and gifted items you do not use.
• Cleaning supplies: Spring cleaning is a-coming, so give those under-sink and under-stairs cabinets where cleaning supplies hang around a thorough decluttering. We’ve all been there and put a very nearly finished cleaning spray back on the shelf and forgotten about it. Cleaning rags are reusable and a great way to be sustainable at home, but there comes a time when you should replace microfiber cloths, too. The same goes for your gardening supplies. As spring blooms, if you’re green-thumbed or planning to be so, make sure your (green)house is in order.

March

In my Iranian household, this is the month for a lot of ‘khooneh-takooni’, which translates to a ‘house shaking’ and is very common cleaning tradition across the world. A time of new growth and renewal in nature is reflected in our homes with spring cleaning checklists and plenty of things to declutter in March.

• Say goodbye to winter: Daffodils are popping, birds are flitting and you’re daring to open the windows again now March has arrived. Declutter winter items, including clothing, coats, shoes and boots, and winter equipment. You might also fancy saying goodbye to your cozy winter decor ideas, and pull your bright and breezy Easter decor ideas or fun spring decor for a lighter feel at home.
• Fridge and pantry: Like penguins packing on the protective blubber over winter, humans tend to spend a lot more time baking, cooking comfort food and hunkering down at home in winter. Now spring is here, clear out your fridge of condiments left over from Christmas, your freezer of anything with freezer burn or that you keep avoiding instead of making use of, and your pantry of comforting leftover items gone unused over winter or that has hit its expiration date. I use a magnetic whiteboard from Amazon on my freezer to keep track of my stock so I don’t end up seeing it go to waste with freezer burn. It also makes meal planning easier for the week and avoids costly duplications.

April

The weather is starting to feel balmy and sunny days may send you scrambling for sunscreen.

• Declutter bathrooms and vanities: When decluttering in April, do an expiration sweep and clear out anything in your cabinets that has expired so you don’t end up with moisturizer, makeup, medicines or sunscreen that is sub-par and ineffectual.
• Streamline outdoor items: We’ll be heading out more, so take stock of your outdoor items including hiking books, sports equipment and fun things for the children. Broken, unused items need to go. This is a good time to tidy up your porch, decking, outdoor kitchen area and get ahead on summer home maintenance.
• Bedding: As temperatures rise, you’ll be swapping out your winter bedding for lighter summer favourites. If any are surplus, not needed, or liked, move them on to pet shelters or charities that can make use of them. If your children have outgrown clothes and bedding, this is also a good time to do a sweep and sell these things on Vinted and Ebay where there will be plenty of bargain hunters looking for seasonal items, or donate them to charity.
• Declutter your garage: How much stuff have you consigned to your garage just to get it out of the house over winter? Now’s the time to tackle it, especially as cardboard boxes and clutter on the garage floor are a rodent magnet. Keep mice out of your garage, and don’t let other opportunistic pets set up a harborage in your home in spring.

May

Oh summer, how we missed you! Decluttering in May is about practicality and prepping ahead for a simple and streamlined summer, which is especially important as temperatures and humidity continue to climb, and patience begins to run short.

• Declutter your closet: This one features multiple times in our decluttering calendar because our clothing needs change with the seasons. Give this a full run in every closet of the house and don’t forget the items hanging about in your entryway. Allocating a set of matching baskets with labels from Target in the entryway for each member of your household will help them keep seasonal items at hand for spontaneous days out without cluttering up every surface.
• School items: As the school year begins to draw to a close, take a closer look at all the books, documents, projects and letters you have kept ‘just in case’ or because it’s a sentimental item that is hard to declutter. Digitize what you can, keep a selection, and recycle the rest to make way for all the new items that will be sent home with your loved ones as schools and colleges close for summer vacation.
• Big towels: I had a habit of buying lightweight but large towels for vacations, then bringing them home to take up space all year round. How many towels do you actually need? Donate surplus ones to pet shelters and breathe a sigh of relief now that you actually have reclaimed some of that vital storage space in your home.

June

Days out, celebrations, and BBQs have no doubt been heavily underway, leaving a little less time in the house for tidying and organizing.

Decluttering in June will help you regain control of your space and usher in some calm for needed downtime between big days out, vacations and social get-togethers.

• Dump zones: That corner by the stairs that always seems to have a stash of items? It’s time to deal with it. I will confess my kitchen bench is the one that gets hammered with items that don’t have a home and we rarely sit on it because of the pile up. Tackle dump zones, and give the desire path decluttering method a go: If a corner is always piled with things, put a storage solution there, even a cute jute basket from Wayfair will do the job, as clearly, something has to change to stop the buildup.
• Outdoor cooking spaces: How many times have you been grilling outside and felt a little flustered by the heat and chaos? Visual clutter in and around your outdoor kitchen will contribute to the stress you feel. Declutter, reorganize and invest in sensible waterproof outdoor storage to help you have somewhere to store and easily access what you need, without it all being in your face 24/7. I swear by the resin outdoor storage bins from Amazon that are waterproof and lockable. It can also double up as extra seating.
• Cooling equipment: If you’re anything like me, you will have a fan in every room, and a bunch of desk fans and even a portable air conditioner to keep the bedroom cool at night. But do you need all of them? Are they all in working order? What about that dehumidifier you bought to help you during a gnarly humid spell? If you can replace it in less than 20 minutes for less than $20, feel safe donating, selling or sensibly and safely recycling.

July

Our list of things to declutter in July is more focused on the peripheries of the home, as we spend more time outside doing things together as a family or with friends.

• Declutter your car: How many times have you hit the beach this summer, or headed out from an impromptu picnic? You may have spent a lot of time in the car, or going about in yours, so clear it out for a summer reset. A trunk organizer from Amazon can help keep essentials in order, whatever the season, whilst an in-car trash can gives everyone somewhere sensible to put waste while you’re on the move.
• Fireworks: Before 4th July, check your stash as old ones can be dangerous or lacklustre. Afterwards, when you want to get rid of any, put them in water, fully submerged for 48 hours before putting them in your household trash.
• Declutter your kitchen: It’s time for some TLC before we slide towards fall and hosting again, bringing us full circle on our decluttering calendar.

Now that you have a suitable schedule for decluttering in your digital or physical calendar, with a manageable list of categories to focus your streamlining energy on each month of the year, delve into our library of decluttering methods to help you complete the job, whatever your time or energy levels. We’ve tried and tested them all, so you’re sure to find a gem in that that suits your needs.