5 Steps to Quickly Declutter Your Home Before Fall, According to Cleaning Pros

Preparation for fall is in full swing. For homeowners, that means decluttering your space ahead of the season—but between kids heading back to school, fickle changes in weather, and an increase in daily responsibilities, this is no easy task. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by your endless list of to-dos, consider our expert-guided ways to quickly declutter your home before fall (and keep it tidy all season long).

Why Is Decluttering So Overwhelming?

It’s not just our desire for a clean home that fuels our need to declutter. It also has to do with the era we're living in, according to home management expert Diana Rene. “So much has shifted post-pandemic in so many aspects of life, and there is a lot of self-reflection happening,” she explains. “People are stressed. People are busy. People are overwhelmed, and they are beginning to yearn for more simplicity.” 

One recent study showed that 80% of people find their stress and anxiety correlated to the clutter in their space. Not only does clutter affect the state of your home, but it also has an impact on your mental health. Thankfully, you can change that.

How to Quickly Declutter Your Home

Step 1: Set a Time Limit

Start by setting a time period for your decluttering routine, especially if you’re someone who’s frequently overwhelmed by time. “3 hours is usually a good amount of time,” says professional organizer Barbara Brock. “After that, the brain gets tired.” If clutter and mess feel out of your control, having something that’s completely decided by you can help. Set a timer for a designated amount of time to get started.

Step 2: Grab a Trash Bag and Walk Through Your Home

More often than not, trash is the biggest contributor to clutter. That’s why Rene recommends walking through your home with a trash bag. “You will likely be able to fill an entire bag up pretty quickly with things like papers, old magazines, empty food containers, the list goes on,” she says. “Don’t overthink it; just give yourself a goal to fill the entire bag as quickly as you can with trash items.” By the time you’re finished, you’ll already feel a sense of accomplishment and find the motivation to keep going.

Step 3: Try the “Naked Fridge” Challenge

Fridges are one of the hardest (and most overcrowded) parts of a house to declutter. If that’s the case in your home, Rene recommends trying the “naked fridge” challenge. “Remove everything from the front of your fridge and set [it] aside in a cabinet or drawer for now. Leave it blank on the front for seven days and just notice how different it feels when you walk into your kitchen,” she explains, noting that your fridge's clean appearance will result in a mental boost. “That feeling is the absence of visual clutter and will help kickstart your momentum to get into the real decluttering.”

Step 4: Create a Nightly Pickup Routine

Once you’ve finished eating dinner, use this time to start cleaning up. Rene recommends committing to a nightly pickup routine—consider listening to a podcast, playing your favorite album, or turning on an episode of your comfort show. “Set your timer for 15 minutes. Start with trash/food, then dishes, then countertops, then floors. Every night you do this, it gets easier,” Rene says. “Give yourself permission to stop when the timer goes off.”

Step 5: Use the “One In, One Out” Rule

The “one in, one out” rule is perfect for achieving underconsumption. The rule states that for every new item you buy, an old item must be donated. For example, if you buy a stylish new pair of jeans, that old pair of shorts should go to your local thrift store. Sticking to the “one in, one out” rule can help you avoid owning more than you need—it’ll pay off in no time.

How to Maintain Cleanliness All Season Long

Yay for a newly decluttered home! Now it’s time to maintain its cleanliness all year long. There are a few ways to do so, according to Brock—the first being to designate storage bins to seasonal decor. As you prepare to decorate for fall, assign one plastic container to all your decor items ahead of time. Once the season is over (hello, Thanksgiving!), place the items in their designated bin to use again the following year. Giving yourself a plan for staying organized will help you maintain the tidy, even during busy seasonal shifts and holiday time.

Additionally, implement routines and systems to prioritize staying organized. For example, you might do laundry on Mondays and Fridays, clean the kitchen on Tuesdays and Sundays, commit to nightly pickups on Wednesdays and Saturdays, etc. "Doing this will help you feel in control of your home, lessen the amount of time you are spending managing your home, and make it much less likely you’ll allow clutter to build up again in the first place," Rene says.

Above all, try to have some fun with it. Although it’s ideal for you to declutter quickly, use this time to think about the person you once were and who you’d like to be. Does that old dining room curtain still match the rest of the room? Do you really need to keep that kitchen appliance you've had for over a decade? Routinely asking yourself these questions can help you stay on the right track.