Feeling overwhelmed by all the mess and clutter around the house and just have no idea where or how to begin? Here is how you can Clean and Declutter your home in 30 days with this FREE 30 day Home Cleaning and Decluttering Challenge.
Create a plan of attack to overcome the mess WITHOUT THE OVERWHELM and love your home again!
I know, it can feel like an overwhelming and daunting task trying to declutter and simplify your home. Believe me I’ve been there.
I’m right in the midst of raising 3 kids aged 8, 6 and 4 and I liken trying to keep a tidy house with them around to brushing your teeth while eating an Oreo cookie.
Little humans can make such a big mess!
So around about a few months ago I completely lost the plot. The overwhelm of all the mess, clutter and my inability to keep on top of it all sent me into a complete meltdown and I knew that I had to take control of it all somehow.
Now I am not an advocate for keeping an immaculate house when raising kids. They need space to grow, learn and make mistakes sometimes without Mummy flipping out because they spilled something here or broke something there.
And I’ve also never really been an overly organised or tidy person.
But I do need a certain standard of cleanliness and order to keep me sane.
And I desperately needed to get that back.
It can be truly daunting ….. wanting to overcome the mess but not knowing where to start!
And as I looked around my house, this task seemed impossible, with almost every drawer, every closet and every cupboard full of unorganised ‘STUFF.’
Not to mention all the visible stacks of ‘STUFF’ lying around the house that had no place. Or simply wasn’t in the right place.
No one could ever find anything and the dust and dirty fingerprints that were smudged all around the walls of the house were starting to become an artistic feature of the house.
So I decided that enough was enough.
That I was going to get on top of it all again. And take back control of the mess! I took action and slowly but surely cleaned up the entire house in as little as 15 minutes a day.
And you can do it too with the FREE 30 Day Home Cleaning and Decluttering Challenge!
Download this Free 30 Day Challenge Printable to get started. But before you do, read these important tips that you need to know to tackle your own clutter and clean your home! And create a home that you love!
5 Tips to tackling the mess and beating the clutter – (WITHOUT OVERWHELM)
#1 Tackle the mess one chunk at a time!
If you’ve ever been asked the question ‘How do you eat an elephant?’ Then you will know that the answer is ‘One bite at a time.’
The truth is, cleaning and decluttering an entire home can be a huge task. (Especially when it gets completely out of control like mine was).
But like every BIG task, it can be broken down into smaller, more manageable and less overwhelming tasks that you can get done …… ONE BITE AT A TIME!
Know that the end result will not happen overnight. I wish I had a magical fairy that I could send to you who could snap her fingers and suddenly everything is clean, sparkly and organised! With labels, pretty containers, tidy shelves and stickers so everything is easy to find.
Be your own magical fairy. Get creative if that’s what you like to do. But snap those fingers, one snap at a time!
#2 Just get started!
I know the feeling of being so overwhelmed by something so BIG that it seems easier to just leave it as it is. It’s called procrastination and some of us are very good at hanging out in this state.
But when we take the time to look at those BIG tasks and break them into smaller chunks it is so much easier to find the motivation to get them done because it feels less overwhelming and more achievable.
So pick a smaller task that you would like to tackle and simply get started on that one. It will feel so good to finally have that cupboard sorted, or that drawer tidied and suddenly you will find the inspiration and motivation to move on to the next thing that needs doing.
If you simply get the wheel moving, you will create the momentum to keep going! And it will feel great!
#3 Block some time into your daily schedule to do the challenge (10-15 mins a day is all you should need for a task)
There’s really no excuse to NOT do this challenge. Seriously, most of the tasks will take a good 10-15 mins if you get stuck in. Block off some time, every day to do at least one – or even part of one. And if it doesn’t get done- carry on that task in tomorrow’s 10 min block.
It’s easy to find 10 minutes in your day. Whether that be in the morning before the kids get up, or the 10 mins you usually waste watching Netflix or chatting to your friends on FB. Small chunks add up! Plan to eat the chunks of your elephant 10-15 minutes at a time and do it when you say you will!
HINT: Your brain is going to fight you on this every step of the way. But fight that resistance, get it done and you’ll be amazed at the progress that you will make!
#4 Use the 30 Day Home Cleaning and Decluttering Visual Chart to track your progress!
I’ve designed this chart with the overall house in mind. But you can choose where you want to start. Try to do 1 task a day from any of the columns. Most should only take 10-15 mins so pick an easy one to complete first to get that momentum going.
Cross off or highlight each task as you complete it. This might sound silly, but it really helps your brain recognise the progress that you have made and will help you to continue the challenge and stay motivated.
I’ve also included an empty copy of the challenge template plus an Ultimate Room-by-room Declutter sheet if you would prefer to create your own challenge. I know that I had specific tasks that I really wanted to achieve.
So if this is you, sit down, brainstorm and fill in your own challenge! AND THEN DO IT! Seriously it doesn’t take long and it’s super therapeutic getting it out of your brain and onto paper!
#5 Things to think about before you organise, declutter or throw away your stuff!
- Simplicity is key to maintaining a tidy home. So be brutal. Get rid of everything you don’t need. And organise everything that is left as efficiently as possible
- Ask yourself what you actually use? And ditch the rest!
- Designate a clear place for the stuff you want to keep!
- Conceal clutter smartly
- When deciding whether to keep sentimental items, ask yourself if the item sparks joy. If not- BIFF IT!
- Donate anything that is still usable for someone else
- Use labels so it’s clear to everyone what goes where
- Make use of vertical spaces
- Invest in storage containers that work for the spaces you have- Yes that’s right …. go shopping my friends!!!
If you follow the 30 Days of Home Cleaning and Decluttering Challenge and complete each task …… you are going to feel amazing!
When you have finally cleaned out that side cupboard that you’ve been wanting to tackle for a long time, the fridge is clean and even the car has had a makeover I guarantee you will notice a difference in how you feel about your home.
It really is such a relief!
It’s good for the mind and it’s good for the soul to organise and take control of your stuff. And finally have a tidy and clean house.
And you can achieve this in just 10 minutes a day! One bite at a time!
And once you see the results of all your efforts …. You are most likely going to want to keep it this way!
And that my friends is POSSIBLE TOO!
Suddenly all the little chunks of hard work that I had put in to the house had totally paid off!
Once I had completely overhauled the mess and chaos of the house, my overwhelm, anxiety and stress dissipated and I desperately wanted to keep it that way.
So I systemised our entire House Cleaning Routine! And I still can’t believe how well it works!
I was serious about not letting the house slide into the mess again. So I sat down and processed my entire elephant.
From dishes, to washing to scrubbing the toilets. I wanted to create a system that allowed me (and my family) to keep on top of the housework and keep it clutter free.
And the system works on the exact same principles as the 30 Day Home Cleaning and Decluttering Challenge. It breaks down every BIG household chore into smaller, more manageable chunks and spreads them throughout my daily, weekly and monthly schedule!
I now have a system that has become a routine for my family that seriously keeps the house consistently tidy and clean with what seems like such minimal effort.
It’s easy to stick to because there is very little to do when tasks are spread throughout the whole week. And we constantly look around at the home and are pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to keep clean and tidy.
Once YOU have completed the 30 day challenge, I guarantee that you will want to keep on top of it too.
From here you may like to read: How to keep a consistently tidy home- EVEN WITH KIDS. (Free cleaning schedule template)
The Ultimate Stress-Free Morning Routine That Actually Works- Free Chore Chart Printables!
It really is easy to process and create a system that works for any household. You can do what we have done too. Take a look at the Ultimate Home Cleaning System below where I teach you exactly what we did and take you through a step-by-step guide to create your own home cleaning system! It’s so worth it, so easy and you will love your home again!
