Have you noticed that after having kids, you have to work extra hard to keep your house clean? If you are anything like me, you’ve tried 30-day challenges, massive cleanouts, adding bins in hopes of taming the mess, and million other things.
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Then life happens, and suddenly you’re looking at a big fat mess again.
Mountains of laundry, toys sprinkled like confetti, and closets bursting with clothes that are screaming for you to declutter them.
If any of this sounds familiar, you need to know about the 15-minute declutter habit that changed our days. Kiss goodbye cleaning marathons (who has time for that in the new motherhood era anyway?). Here is a teeny tiny habit that I promise you makes the biggest difference!
You’re getting exactly how my 15-minute declutter habit works, why it is repeatable, and how you can start right away to keep your home feeling calm and light.
You will find your 15-minute declutter tracker at the end of this post. So make sure you grab it!
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What Makes the 15-Minute Declutter Habit So Special
Gone are the days when we can power through cleaning our entire house at one time. Kids are demanding snacks, recruiting you to play restaurant, and throwing a fit because they can’t find their favorite stuffed animal.
But 15 minutes? Piece of cake!
Here is why it works:
- It feels manageable, even on the crazy days!
- You build consistency, which will make it easy to welcome this new habit.
- The little things add up, taking the overwhelm away.
- Your days feel lighter, because your to-do list feels less like a scroll!
How to Start Your 15-Minute Declutter Habit
1. Pick One Daily Zone
When you try to do too many things at once, it can feel overwhelming and impossible. Don’t tackle the whole house at once.
Instead, choose ONE zone each day:
- The toyshelf
- The kitchen counter
- The entryway table
- The junk drawer
- The pantry (or one shelf, depending on how large your pantry is!)
Picking one small area to address a day is doable and leads to big wins!
2. Set a 15-Minute Timer
This small habit has trained my brain to just know when 15 minutes is up.
Set a timer to help keep you on track. It also creates a sense of urgency and keeps you motivated to power through and complete your task before the timer goes off.
Pick the zone you want to declutter or clean up, set the timer, and check it off your list.
3. Love It, Like It, Lose It
When decluttering, I like making three piles: love it, like it, or lose it.
- If I love it, I use it all the time and never want to part with it.
- If I like it, I stop and reflect on when the last time I used it was and how often I use it. If I have not used it often enough, I put it in the donate pile.
- “Lose it” items are either thrown in the trash or donated (depending on what state they are in).
Keep this process really quick. I have learned that the longer you spend thinking, the harder it is to actually declutter.
4. Reset the Space
Give the area a quick clean or refresh. Ensure everything is back in its proper place. 15 minutes is up, and you can move on with your day!
Pro Tip!
For the most part i TRY TO ABIDE BY THE ONE TOUCH RULE. iF something is in my hand, I return it to its home. If i set it down somewhere and tell myself i will take care of it later, i won’t.
The 7-Day 15-Minute Declutter Plan
As a very routine oriented person, I find it super helpful to assign a space to each day of the week. Here is my weekly decluttering schedule:
- Monday: Living room
- Tuesday: Kitchen
- Wednesday: Bathroom drawers and baskets
- Thursday: Kids’ toy shelf
- Friday: Fridge & pantry (wipe it down and refresh)
- Saturday: Paper clutter (sort mail, school papers, light shredding)
- Sunday: Laundry room and linen closets
Once you implement the 15-minute declutter habit, you will notice that you don’t need to tend to certain areas every week. For example, I do not have to declutter the pantry, bathroom drawers, or linen closet weekly.
15-Minute Declutter Checklist (Free Printable!)
This is your go-to printable for a quick, easy, and sustainable 15-minute declutter routine. Print this and hang it on your fridge to help keep you on track.
You can easily make changes to reflect your daily focus!
What you see below includes my daily declutter tasks, but when you sign up for your free download you will also get one you can customize.
Tips to Make This Habit Actually Stick
Even on the insanely busy days, these habits will make your days and weeks feel lighter. Here are some additional tips to make decluttering second nature:
- Always keep a trash bag inside closets. When your kids outgrow clothes, or even when you decide you don’t need to hold on to the shirt that has been sitting in your closet and collecting dust for the past year, throw it in the donation bag! Drop off the donation bags once your bags are full. This is such a good feeling.
- Save your more time-consuming areas (showers, tubs, floors) for nighttime when your littles are asleep or during the weekend when your husband can keep the kids occupied.
- Always clean out the fridge on trash days.
- Before buying new clothes, purge some!
- Recruit your kids to help organize and tidy their spaces. My daughter is 4 and is the best little organizer.
- Store cleaning supplies on each floor of your house. Make less work for yourself! Who wants to schlep cleaning products up and downstairs?
Words of Encouragement
This system has significantly simplified my life. I no longer feel like I am drowning in laundry and chores. You do not need hours to keep a tidy home. You do not need to go out and buy fancy bins and labels. Your pantry doesn’t have to look like it was featured on the Home Edit.
All you need is 15 minutes a day.
I challenge you to try this for one week and embrace the change. I am a firm believer that when your house doesn’t look like a disaster, your home feels calmer and happier. Plus, you will feel more motivated.
I think you will also find that it allows you to be more present with your kids because you are no longer consumed with your chore list.
Happy decluttering!
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