A Complete List of Things to Clean Out in the New Year

A few years ago, I decided to clean out and declutter my entire life, top to bottom.  I knew it would be a huge undertaking, so I gave myself the entire year to do it, and I focused on one room at a time.  To keep myself organized, I made a list of every single thing that needed to be cleaned out room by room, so I could keep track of my progress and hold myself accountable. 

I was successful that year, and I managed to complete the entire list, and because so much time and effort went into that project, I’ve been working hard to maintain it ever since. 

To maintain the organization, I just print the following list at the beginning of each year, and I take some time in January and February to get everything cleaned out.  It only takes a few weeks to get through the whole house now since I put the hard work in a few years ago, and it keeps our house clutter-free and organized from year to year. 

Today I’m going to share my actual list with all of you in case you decide you want to start doing the same thing!  All I did was write down every single room in our house, and then I listed each section of the room that needs to be cleaned out underneath each room.  Here’s what our list looks like…

Front Room

Game cabinet

Side table

 

Living Room

Entertainment center

DVD chest

Coffee table

Side tables

 

Kitchen

Cabinets/drawers

Pantry

Refrigerator/freezer

Bar cart

Buffet table

Closet under stairs

Coat closet

Command center

 

Dining Room

Buffet table

Wine rack

 

Brian’s Office

Storage closet

 

Downstairs Bathroom

Shelves

Cabinets

 

Master Bedroom

My dresser

Brian’s dresser

Hope chest

Under the bed

Brian’s nightstand

My nightstand

TV console

 

Master Bathroom

Cabinets

Medicine cabinet

Cabinet in toilet room

Shower

My closet

Brian’s closet

 

Jacob’s Bedroom

Closet

Bookcase

Nightstand

Under the bed

Desk

Dresser

 

Olivia’s Bedroom

Closet

Bookcase

Nightstand

Under the bed

Dress up clothes bin

Dresser

 

Kids’ Bathroom

Cabinets

Shelves

Shower

 

My Office

File cabinet

Desk

Storage cubes left of desk

Side table

Bookcases

Closet

Desk in middle of room

 

Playroom

Bins

Shelves

 

Laundry Room

Cabinets

Top of washer and dryer

 

Outside

Front porch

Back porch

Garage

Utility closet

Toy storage chest

My vehicle

Brian’s vehicle

 

Miscellaneous

Phone – contacts

Phone – apps

Phone – List Master

Phone – email

Purse

To stay on task, I just schedule a couple of things to clean out for each day in my planner until it’s all done.  And if I find myself with five or ten minutes to spare, I tackle one of the smaller tasks. 

I thought about creating a free printable for all of you, but then I realized that it's honestly better if you just make your own as everyone's houses and lives look different.  By making your own, you'll have exactly what you need and nothing more.

Before I go today, I’ll leave you with one piece of very important advice… before you get started on any task, be sure to get yourself in the right mindset.  You must be ruthless while purging and organizing, otherwise you won’t be as successful.  So if you’re feeling particularly nostalgic or sentimental on any given day, you may want to hold off until you’re ready to get rid of the clutter.  You’ll be much more successful if you do!

I plan to share my journey on Instagram stories this year, so be sure to follow along @lindsayssweetworld!  I also have highlights saved in my Instagram bio from the first time I cleaned out our entire house... they're titled "Simplify 1," "Simplify 2," "Simplify 3," and "Simplify 4" if you're interested in checking those out.  :o)

Happy Monday, y’all!!!!  And if y'all are looking for the Hello Monday linkup, you can link up with any of the ladies below.  I decided to stop co-hosting linkups this year, but they'll still be going strong!

*Linking up with My Glittery Heart, The Other Side of the Road, and The Sirois Family for Hello Monday.