The Real Simple Guide to Decluttering Every Room

Life gets busy, things pile up, the clutter collects—it happens! But if you're ready to hit "reset" on your home, we've got you covered. To walk you through the process of a whole-house refresh, we created the Real Simple Guide to Decluttering Every Room. The guide offers tips for tackling some of the toughest clutter hotspots (hello, kitchen cabinets), recommends tidying techniques our editors swear by, and includes a room-by-room decluttering checklist so you can be sure every single area is clutter-free. Download the guide below—and thank us later when you're relaxing in your calmer, tidier home.

Try Some Tidying Techniques

The best way to conquer the clutter—and keep it under control—is to find the decluttering technique that works for you. Maybe you work best if you ask a friend to help you stay motivated, or perhaps the Mountain Method of organizing is more your style. Once you match with the right decluttering method, keeping things organized might start to feel less like an overwhelming project and more like an everyday routine. Download the guide to learn about all four tidying techniques.

Set Your Schedule

Which items should you organize every month? And which should you declutter every year? To take the guesswork out of what to tidy when, we've set a decluttering schedule, indicating exactly which items to sort through every week, every season, and every year. Mark your calendars and you'll never have to wonder if your makeup is expired or if the winter gear stashed in the attic still fits.

Go Room-by-Room

Once you're matched with a decluttering method and have your schedule set, we'll walk you through some clutter hotspots—starting, of course, with the kitchen. After the extra mugs and expired spices are cleared from the cabinets, move on to the living room and bathroom, getting rid of everything you no longer need. And when you're done with all three lists? We'll bet you can breathe a little easier in your home.

Complete the Whole-House Checklist

Download and print our complete decluttering checklist (enter your email and click "download" above) so you can cross off each item as you go. Trust us, each check mark makes the process even more satisfying.