For my entire adult life, I’ve lived in various small apartments in big cities, and for the past three years, I’ve lived in the same 650-square-foot New York City apartment—a one-bedroom oasis that I truly love. I didn’t initially think that I would end up staying in this space for so long, but let’s face it: Moving is difficult and expensive. Plus, since I’ve customized my apartment to truly fit my needs and reflect my style, there’s no need for me to spread my wings and leave my little nest quite yet. One of the major reasons I’ve managed to not outgrow my small apartment? My regular monthly declutter sessions.
5 Tips to Help You Tackle a Monthly Declutter
I’ve always loved organizing—ever since I was a kid, I’ve taken great pleasure in tossing unnecessary items and leaving only the essentials behind. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m by no means a minimalist,—but everything in my apartment has its place and purpose. While I do have stacks of coffee table books and bins of decor that I’m holding onto for a bigger apartment sometime down the line, you’ll never find unnecessary “stuff” in my home. Here’s now I keep my space (and myself) chaos-free.
1. Choose a New Area of the Home to Focus on Each Month
It’s funny because my monthly declutter isn’t something that I schedule on a calendar or note down on a to-do list. Rather, it’s a process that I naturally feel inclined to engage in every few weeks. However, if decluttering doesn’t come as effortlessly to you, that’s more than ok.
Each month, choose an area to focus on specifically, whether that’s your medicine cabinet, makeup drawer, bar cart, junk drawer, etc. Spend time going through the items in this location and determine what you still use and will keep. Then, make a bag of things you can donate or give to friends and make another bag of items to toss or recycle. By focusing on just one drawer or bin each month, you won’t become overwhelmed or make hasty decisions.
2. Don’t Let Donations Linger
Luckily, my apartment is located right near some great thrift stores where I can easily drop off items I’m ready to part with post-monthly declutter. Make sure that you, too, are efficient about discarding unnecessary goods so that your entryway doesn’t become overwhelmed by reusable bags that you’ve been meaning to take to Goodwill.
I love to thrift, so dropping off donations also comes with the promise that I can browse for new-to-me items. Yes, this may seem counterintuitive, but honestly, I find that after a cleanout I’m more judicious about what I choose to bring home, since I’m still riding that clutter-free high.
3. Tackle Cleanouts in Small Increments
There’s no need to completely overturn your schedule to fit in a monthly declutter. Some of my most productive monthly cleanouts have taken place when I’ve had a free 30 minutes during the work day and need a bit of a distraction from looking at my screens.
Don’t assume that you need to devote more than a half hour to an organization task. You’ll feel more productive if you can squeeze a quick drawer cleanout into your regular daily schedule. Of course, an area like your closet will require more availability—save that for a weekend!
4. Ask Yourself If You’d Keep Something If You Moved
For a while earlier this year, I was toying with the idea of moving apartments, and that made me become extra strict with myself during my cleanouts about what I felt was worth holding onto. While I’ve decided to renew my lease for an additional year, I still find myself thinking seriously about whether I’d really want to carry (or pay a mover to carry!) yet another box of coffee table books (which are my biggest vice!) into a future apartment.
Just as you might ask yourself if you really need that final cocktail when you’re out at a bar, make an effort to also ask yourself during your next decluttering spree whether you really need that extra cookbook or vase or tablecloth—whatever—or if it can instead go into the donation bin. After some time, this will become a habit!
5. Host a Mini Sale
Earlier this summer, a fellow collector friend of mine teamed up with me to host a mini yard sale in our other friend’s basement, and it was such a hit! It may sound cheesy, but it brought me so much joy to see other people enthusiastically pick up books I hadn’t touched in years or swoon over accessories that were begging to be displayed in a new home. Additionally, making a little (actually, quite a bit!) of extra cash didn’t hurt. Just be sure that you spend it on something intentional rather than going on a post-sale shopping spree.
Final Thoughts
Need a little more inspo? I’m always motivated to get decluttering after watching some of my favorite creators’ “Sunday reset” videos on TikTok. While these are much larger cleaning sessions, they’re definitely inspiring and will have you realizing how quickly you can tackle that pesky drawer that’s been nagging you for months. Highly recommend!
More articles to help you get that fresh, clean-slate feeling.
You’ll never want to leave.