My New Lunch Break Decluttering Method is the Easiest Way to Blast Through Your Closet This Fall – Start on Monday to be Done by the Weekend

I’m a busy mom with a full-time job, a household to stay on top of, and chronic pain to contend with. That’s why I have become the queen of micro-tasking and squeezing in jobs in ways that won’t overwhelm me, even when I don’t have the time.

Last week, I inadvertently created a new decluttering method due to my lack of free hours and an urgent need to streamline my closet while swapping unsuitable summer clothes for cozy sweaters.

If you start my new Lunch Break method on Monday, you’ll be finished by the weekend. Your closet will thank you for it!

What is My New Lunch Break Method?

Simply put, use 30 minutes of your lunch break to declutter one section of your closet, some dresser drawers, or a category of clothing. It works well if you are a remote worker like me, but if you’re not, don’t worry. Simply allocate a daily 30-minute slot you can commit to for five days, and you’ll be set by the weekend, too.

If you’re a morning person, smash an early morning streamlining sprint. The sunrise alarm is a big help for a gentle but effective awakening that will help you escape those cozy covers and set to work with ease.

Otherwise, do this fall decluttering task immediately after getting home from work, whilst your body is still moving and the fatigue of the day hasn’t hit you like a wall.

I’ve completed this decluttering challenge over the last working week, and I can’t believe my extensive clothing collection, which I had no time to cull otherwise, is now all sorted.

Chipping away at this seasonal task in 30-minute increments will reduce the risk of decluttering overwhelm, and much like the founding tenets of Parkinson’s Law, if that 30-minute slot is all the time you allocate to it, the job will somehow get done. Don’t ask me to explain how it works, it just does!

I told professional organizer Rebecca Jo-Rushdy, founder of Spark Joy & Flow, about my method. She said, 'I love this. I’m big on nervous system–friendly decluttering, so your approach of micro-categories is exactly what I teach clients, too. It fits beautifully into busy schedules and helps people avoid that all-or-nothing mindset of: I need a full day to do this.'

Here’s what to do, day by day, starting this Monday:

Day 1: Coats

I had too many, including three of the same style of padded long khaki coats, two of which I didn't wear since buying them last winter. What an epic waste of money! It goes to show if you're at all disorganized, it can lead to costly duplicates.

I put the extras up for sale on Vinted and sold one within 20 minutes. I also spent that first session looking through my collection of high-top Converse sneakers.

I kept a somewhat comical question my exasperated father would ask me as a teenager, when lots of my footwear was cluttering up the entryway, as my benchmark for decluttering shoes in mind: 'Are you a caterpillar? No? Then you don't need this many shoes.'

I cleaned the stubborn summer stains on the rubber edges of my Converse with my DIY cleaning spray: Two cups of water, 10-20 drops of essential oil (I love geranium, available at Walmart), and a drop of Dawn dish soap. It clears marks off rubber like magic.

On Day 1, you can also consider editing down your scarf, hat, and glove collection.

Day 2: Underwear and Sleep Wear

I organized all my underwear and decluttered my pajama drawers. Yes, plural. I am always in lounge wear and have accumulated a lot, but I always reach for the same ones. I got rid of the ones I had cut the tight waistbands off and pared back my collection to my most favorite pair of enduring Topshop buttery soft leggings, and the most comfortable sleep set I've ever owned from H&M.

Consider how many of each item you like and use, and get rid of anything you keep avoiding, even if it's new. Someone else will no doubt make great use of it if you donate it in new, or very clean and good condition.

Day 2 proved to be one of my favorites as I was badly craving a break from my computer during a particularly hectic day at work.

Pro organizer Rebecca agrees, adding, 'Your Lunch Break decluttering method is such a great way to get a screen break. I often use my own breaks for quick resets like tidying, folding laundry, or meal prep. I focus on simply making progress, rather than always committing to finishing.'

These bursts are prime for sticking on a playlist to boost your dopamine as you clean and declutter. Enjoying yourself for 30 minutes will supercharge your motivation and energy for the rest of the day.

Rebecca adds, 'It’s amazing how much calmer you feel after, and your future self will always thank you. Those small bursts of satisfaction actually give little dopamine boosts that train your brain to look forward to decluttering instead of dreading it.'

It's a great way to banish chore procrastination.

Day 3: Summer Clothing

I pulled out any summer clothing I had hanging in my small closet, before washing and putting them in a jumbo vacuum storage bag, available at Amazon.

There is no point storing things I won't wear next year, so I donated a bag and saved the others I will sell on Vinted come April, when the weather perks up in a compressed vacuum pack.

Rebecca says, 'Yes to Vinted! I’m a huge fan – it’s brilliant for both the environment and the wallet. Taking photos is half the battle, so I often advise just taking the pictures first and then pair it with a cup of coffee, post-decluttering, instead of mindless scrolling. You can also upload listings while waiting in a queue, turning it into a micro-ritual and positive habit building.'

I second Rebecca's advice to habit stack and raise her with taking in-app pictures. I used the Vinted app to take pictures in each new listing itself. It saves your phone's camera roll from getting digitally cluttered with hundreds of photos you won't keep, and also gets the listing done and dusted before you start dragging your feet.

As someone who uses adaptive pacing when decluttering to avoid injury and fatigue as a result of my many annoying chronic health conditions, I sat down every time I listed an item to allow me to complete the task without injury.

Day 4: Winter Sweaters and Dresses

Since storing under my bed the summer items I won't need for another 6-9 months, there was plenty of space in my closet for the winter sweaters and dresses I've been craving since the chill of fall set in. Especially because I am avoiding turning the heating on yet to slash my energy bills.

However, there were items I took out of my winter clothes storage bags that I didn't wear last winter. If I didn't wear them last year, the chance of reviving their use this winter is slim to none. I snapped at least 10 items for selling on Vinted, put two very tired items in the trash, and donated a handful more.

Keeping things you don't need and won't use is effectively paying 'rent' to store them, according to experts.

Day 5. Jeans and Pants

I have accumulated around 30 pairs and wear just a handful. Especially since going remote, at work, I’m all business on top, and party on the bottom, so to speak.

And by party, I mean that I live in buttery soft leggings nobody but my husband and daughter see, whilst my top half is video-call ready.

Take a long, hard look at your collection. If any of them are past their prime, you never reach for them, are a duplicate or are an item your fantasy self is hanging on to, it's time to say goodbye. Donate or sell to quickly reclaim your closet space for winter.

I found it helpful to have my collapsible Joseph Joseph laundry basket, available at Amazon, to hand, so when I had to go back to my desk after my lunch break, I wasn't left with a big pile of 'to sell' clothes to stare at come bedtime.

My Verdict

By Friday, my Lunch Break decluttering was totally done. And despite it being one of the busiest work weeks of my year, I still entered the weekend with a streamlined closet and plenty more weather-appropriate clothing options and no associated mess to deal with. It was very satisfying.

As a bonus, since I had been snapping and listing the items I wasn’t keeping, by Friday night, I had sold enough to pay off the new Apple Airpods I had treated myself to on payday. What a delightful bonus.

Verdict: 10/10: Despite decluttering with health challenges, I found this decluttering method manageable. It was ironically during a particularly bad fatigue flare and still, I didn’t feel wiped out by the streamlining, which usually sends me to bed for a few hours.

Completed in manageable chunks, well-utilized lunch breaks, and no decluttering at the weekend? A triple winner for me.

What to Shop

Here are a few essentials I keep handy for sorting out my closet during my Lunch Break method.

All prices were correct at the time of publication.

Meet the expert

Rebecca Jo-Rushdy

With a background from Parsons School of Design, NYC, Rebecca is a KonMari success coach and professional organizer who helps clients around the world to declutter their homes, hearts, minds, and workplaces so they can instead become sanctuaries that spark joy and flow. Rebecca loved my Lunch Break decluttering method.

You can sell or donate the items you identify as duplicates, or that you simply won’t wear again. The beauty of my Lunch Break method is that the majority of the items you’re getting rid of, such as coats and sweaters, are in high demand from those browsing for second-hand gems.

I favor selling on Vinted for its easy listing and great app functionality, but you can also use Facebook Marketplace and eBay. Just make sure that if you take anything to a thrift store, your donations are not a liability.