Quick 10 Minute Decluttering Tasks That You Can Do

Take the frustration out of decluttering by simplifying it! Instead of tackling the entire home at once, start with these easy 10 minute decluttering tasks. They will instantly organize and transform your entire house and give you motivation to keep going!

So rather than starting in the area of your home with the biggest mess, we are going to focus on small areas. This way we avoid feeling overwhelmed, we make progress towards our goals and we can see the big impact these easy decluttering tasks immediately have on our home.

None of these 10-minute tasks should take you a long time to finish! All are easy tasks you should literally complete in about just ten minutes. So even if life is super busy, almost everyone can find just 10 minutes in their day for a decluttering project.

Why Should You Start With 10 Minute Decluttering Tasks?

You may think just 10 minutes won’t make a big difference in the clutter in your home. But you may be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes those short focused periods of work can yield some huge successes!

So starting with smaller tasks makes it easier to complete from start to finish. You don’t need a ton of extra time and you see your progress right away. And of course, you like what you see, so it motivates you to do more 10 minute decluttering tasks. Or even gets you fired up to move into bigger, more time consuming decluttering home projects.

The areas we are going to focus on often get cluttered easily. So cleaning them will provide you with a quick win! Plus, it will show you that even if these areas of your home get cluttered again, it only takes 10 minutes to get things tidy and clutter-free.

Clean Off Kitchen Counters

Since the kitchen is always the busiest room in the house, I think it’s a great option for a quick 10-minute decluttering. Cluttered kitchen counters can get in the way of food prep, make it harder to find things, and really make one feel defeated when it comes to maintaining a clean, organized home.

So start by taking everything off the counters that shouldn’t be there. Then give the counters a spray and quick wipe. Discard any trash, put misplaced items back where they should be. Then access the items left on the counter. Should they stay there? Or could they easily find a new home that would allow you even more open counter space?

Clean kitchen counters are so satisfying to see! Just think about how many times you step in and out of the kitchen.

So by completing this one 10-minute decluttering task, you are rewarded multiple times a day with a great win in this room! Have an extra minute or two? Tackle those dirty dishes real quick too!

Sort Junk Mail

This task may even take you less than 10-minutes! I usually check my mail box about twice a month. Shocked? 99% of my mail is junk mail that just adds paper clutter to my home. So I figure all that junk mail gets only 10 minutes of my time about twice a month!

Grab any mail that has piled up. First sort and discard any junk mail or old bills. Then place important mail such as bills, cards and letters in an appropriate location to immediately locate when needed.

Declutter Dining Table

The dining room table can quickly get cluttered if this is an item that services multiple purposes in your home. Often this table is used for after school homework, art projects, office work as well as the family meals.

So start be removing all the misplaced items that don’t belong on the table. If you have a dining table centerpiece, stop and evaluate it. Do you still love it? Want to switch it out or remove it all together? If you need a great everyday centerpiece idea, check out this posts HERE.

Once the table is empty and you have a clear surface, give it a quick wipe down – along with the table seating. Got a few extra minutes? Give the room a quick vacuum too!

Tidy Up Living Room

The living room is actually a room I like to declutter the last few minutes of my day. It’s kinda like putting my home to bed – if you will. I love to come down the stairs in the morning and see a clean and tidy living room greeting me.

If you find the room getting more on the cluttered side then the relaxing side, it’s time to declutter. Take a moment to take inventory of your throw pillows and throws. Do they need a seasonal change or perhaps you just want a new look? Or maybe there are too many?

Remove all the items off the top of the coffee table and other room furniture. Then, add back only the items you really love. For anything you are unsure about, leave it off for now and see how you like the room without it.

Clean Out Fridge

This may not be the funniest task on this list, but cleaning out the fridge is a necessary one. Often food gets hidden, only to be found when it’s beyond gross. So let’s tackle all that scary stuff that’s gone bad!

We’re not doing a super deep cleaning here. So for our 10 minute task, remove any expired food. Do a quick wipe down of the shelves and drawers. And if you have time, possible reorganize as you go.

Now when you open the fridge you will have some extra space and a fresher fridge with food you can eat!

Clean Out Junk Drawer

No one wants to have a junk drawer and yet, I’m guessing most of us do. Even me. But I limit it to just one drawer. And I would say the word ‘junk’ doesn’t really apply because we use all the items almost daily. So it really should be named the ‘miscellaneous’ drawer.

Start by taking everything out of the drawer. Wipe down the drawer and the organizing container if you use one. Put things of similarity together.

Go through and assess what needs to go in the trash or to another part of the house. Put back the items that you want to remain in the drawer. As always, organize as you go.

Now every time you open the ‘miscellaneous items’ drawer, it will be easier to find what you need. It’s also so visually satisfying to open an organized drawer – at least it is to me!

Clear Off Bathroom Counters

Another area that can get cluttered fast in a home is the bathroom counters – especially if it’s shared by many family members. Take a few minutes to quickly remove all the items off the counter.

Then find a place to store the items off the counter like in a drawer or cabinet. The main goal is to keep the bathroom counter as clutter free as possible.

If your counters are already clutter free because you have limited counter space (like me!), then open a drawer or cabinet and see if there are any items you can declutter from these areas. Discard any items that are unwanted or expired.

Loving your clean counters but want to add some multi-use stylish design pieces, I have seven great ideas you can find HERE.

Tackle A Kitchen Drawer or Two

Often kitchen drawers can become a catch-all and get very disorganized – fast! So let’s take 10 to get them organized once again.

Pick a couple of drawers you don’t use as often and remove everything. Wipe the drawer down and throw out any item that is broken. Then place back in the drawer the items you actually use and want. Donate any items left over.

Go Through One Drawer of Clothes

I’m so guilty of just cramming clothes into my drawers (especially socks) and never decluttering! So I’m doing this 10-minute task myself this week!

I know decluttering clothing can become a taunting task very quickly. So by just tackling a drawer (or two) you will see some great results and get encouraged. Start with a drawer of clothes that will be fairly easy to make decisions on, like maybe your sock drawer.

Begin by taking all the clothes out of the drawer and then put them into piles with similar items. Let go of anything that doesn’t fit, you don’t like, or is in poor condition.

Fold the items that are in good condition and you’re keeping. Then organize them back into the drawer. You just took a few small steps in the right direction to creating a capsule wardrobe you will love to wear!

Clean Out Medicine Cabinet

Decluttering the medicine cabinet is a great 10 minute task because you need to know what medicine you have on hand and that they are not expired.

We actually keep our medicine in our organized linen closet. It’s high and out of reach of little hands and it’s stored in a cool, dry place away from the heat and moisture of a bathroom.

Remove everything and check for expiration dates. Then toss anything that has expired. Then place back into your cabinet and organize as you go.

Declutter The Entryway

The entryway is the first place your guests will see. So it’s a good idea to give this area of your home a quick decluttering.

You may need some help from the family maintaining this area, especially if you have young kids. Ask them to help by keeping backpacks, coats and shoes put away in the hall closet.

Take a look at any furniture you may have in this area as well – like console tables or seating. Remove any items you don’t love or no longer use.

Clear Off Bedside Table and Dressers

Flat surfaces seem to attract clutter like moths to a flame. It’s just so easy! So let’s take back those surfaces with a few quick decluttering tasks.

Start be removing all the items and the giving those surface areas a quick dusting. Then look at the items you removed. Do they belong in another area? If so, take time now to put them in their correction location.

Before you put any items back, ask yourself whether or not you really want them there. If not, remove them or switch them out with items you truly love! Or if you are unsure, try leaving the space empty and see if you like it.

We sometimes assume that we ‘need’ all these items because they have always been there. So by removing it for some time we are giving ourselves the opportunity to experience life without it. And often, we find that less is really more!

I hope these easy 10 minute decluttering tasks motivate you to keep going throughout your home. They are the best way to accomplish a ton in small amounts of time! And if you want to work on getting a clutter-free home by decluttering a little each day, be sure to check out my 28 Day Declutter Challenge where I help you tackle all the rooms of your home!