I love quick decluttering projects. They just take a few minutes, and they give you such a sense of accomplishment. But even more importantly, they make your space look far less chaotic – and this can help you clear your mind and feel less stressed. That’s quite a lot of benefits for just a few minutes of work, isn’t it? 

When you’re short on time, the key is to focus on the areas of your home that are most visible. Cleaning out a junk drawer is a good idea in theory, but it’s not going to help you feel any calmer when you look around the room. With that in mind, here are 7 quick decluttering projects that can instantly make your home look less cluttered.

1. Kitchen countertops

This is where a lot of stuff that we don’t want to deal with ends up living. If you have piles of paper neatly stacked, go through them and decide if they can be thrown away, filed, or need to be actioned. If you need to follow up with filling out forms/paying bills/anything else, put these papers aside and get them done this very evening (go to number 3 for how to deal with mail piles). Anything else such as keys, wallets, sunglasses, and so on should be moved to another spot close to the front door. Time for a quick tidy. Do another quick scan of your countertops for anything that can go inside the dishwasher; place the other dirty items in the sink. Put everything else in its proper place, then wipe the counter down quickly with a sponge.

2. Shoe cabinet near the door

Take all the shoes out. Put away any that are out of season, and rehome those that haven’t been worn for a long time. Then, vacuum the cabinet and replace the shoes, fitting them into one another to save space.

3. Mail piles

Don’t let your mail pile grow out of control. If you’re really short on time, try to put everything into a single, neat stack. But if you have even a few minutes to spare, go through it quickly and place items in different folders (school documents, bills, etc.), then place in a drawer out of sight. Make sure to deal with them consistently, or this can get severely out of hand. I’ve got a great blog post for you >> 4 simple steps to organise your paperwork, once and for all

4. Dinner table

If your dinnertable falls victim to piles of books for homework, stationery that’s not been put away, or anything else, deal with everything that’s on it. Shifting piles from the dinnertable to the counter when it’s dinnertime isn’t all that great of an idea.Leaving everything out just makes the room look more cluttered – especially if you have an open-plan home. The room will instantly feel cleaner when you stash these items in their place.

5. Coffee table

Once someone leaves one thing on the coffee table, it’s like an open invitation for everyone else to pile everything up there. The furniture in your living room is probably grouped around your coffee table, so keeping this area clear can make a huge difference.

Try to find a dedicated space where items like remote controls and magazines can be placed to keep coffee table clutter under control. Consider investing in a coffee table with a drawer underneath so no one will be tempted to leave things on the tabletop, and you’ll never have to do this again!

6. The top of your dresser

Your bedroom needs to promote relaxation, but how can anyone be calm with a pile of clutter on top of their dresser? Taking a few minutes to go through what’s over there. If anything needs to be tossed, do so. Put everything in its place will change the room’s entire mood and put you in a more restful state.

7. The shower

Organizing the shower can be a big win, especially if you have a glass shower door that makes all that disorder visible the minute you walk through the bathroom door. Pull all the products out of the shower and place them by the sink. Take empty bottles out for recycling and move any items that aren’t used frequently into a cabinet or drawer. Don’t let anything you won’t use take up precious shower space. Then, put your most-loved and used products back inside the shower.

When it comes to cleaning out clutter and getting organised, sometimes it’s the smallest things – and quick decluttering projects can make the biggest difference!