Hey mums! Are you currently feeling overwhelmed by clutter and the amount of things in your home? Here’s how to declutter your home even if you’re a busy mum!
If you’re constantly tidying up but your home still feels messy, you’re not alone. Many mums struggle with clutter, but the good news is—you don’t need more space, just less stuff! In this guide, I’ll show you simple decluttering steps for busy mums so you can create a more organized, stress-free home.
We’re a family of 4 who used to live in a large suburban home in West Sussex (with a loft and garage) a small NYC apartment and then to a 2-bedroom London house with barely any storage. The move to NYC came about through my husband’s work and we loved city life. Returning to England, we knew we had to make London our new home.
WHY YOU DONT NEED MORE SPACE:
You may think more space is the answer to your clutter issue, however, it really isn’t for reasons I’ll discuss below:
- The more space you have, the more you will fill – our 4-bed house was filling up pretty quickly. Having more space just allows you to have more things but you will reach a limit eventually and be back to feeling like you need more space.
- More space means more mess to clean up. I used to spend a lot more of my time cleaning and tidying than I do now.
- Kids don’t always play with everything they own. Things will get put in cupboards never to be seen or played with again when they could be passed on to someone who needs them.
HOW TO DECLUTTER YOUR HOME WHEN YOU ARE A BUSY MUM
The best advice I can give you if you want to declutter your home but feel overwhelmed by it all is: to just get started and do one thing at a time. I’m going to share a list below and it would be great if you can work through everything on the list. However, I would recommend you start with either:
- The room you use the most – for me, this was our living room. It was too much for me to be in there, and there was so much mess everywhere. OR
- The room that needs it the most – the kid’s bedroom in our London house was so full it was crazy, sorting it out has allowed them more space to play.
Tackling one thing at a time makes a mammoth task feel much more achievable. You can clear a draw in 10 minutes, which is far more productive than scrolling social media!
BIG LIST OF THINGS TO DECLUTTER IN YOUR HOME FOR BUSY MUMS
Here is a big decluttering checklist for busy mums of things you can clean out for a simple, stress-free home!
KID’S THINGS TO DECLUTTER
I’m starting with children’s things as I feel like they are the ones with the most stuff and they really don’t need it. Some things I put in a box, if they didnt ask for it within a month, then it could go. If they missed it, then they could keep it.
- Old Clothes – this is a really easy place to start because kids grow out of clothes so quickly. Empty their wardrobe/drawers. Of course, save a few things that are sentimental but anything else they have outgrown can be got rid of. Anything with stains or holes can go to be recycled and anything in good condition can either be sold or passed on.
- Broken Toys – toys are harder to declutter but anything broken can go. If it’s a real favourite, it could be replaced.
- Duplicate Toys – at one point, my little one had 4 shape sorters. This was tough because they were gifts and it can make you feel very ungrateful however we just didnt have the space. Even though they were all different, they served the same purpose. I ended up getting rid of two and keeping one upstairs and one downstairs. (which was still one more than we needed!)
- Unloved Toys – There are some toys, neither of my kids has shown interest in. I was keeping them just in case they suddenly became interested in them but if they don’t like it, they won’t miss it and they can definitely just clutter you don’t need.
- Books – damaged books or ones they’ve outgrown can be got rid of or donated.
- Artwork – we have so many pages of artwork. Keep the best bits in a storage box or frame and put the rest in the recycling!
- Craft Draw – dried-up pens (or ones with no lids), filled-up colouring/activity books, half-used craft sets you’ll never get around to finishing. Just get rid of them!
- Cuddly toys/Stuffies – if they’re not favourites or played with regularly, then they can go.
YOUR THINGS TO DECLUTTER
It wouldn’t be fair to get rid of the kid’s stuff and not your own right? So here are things for parents to declutter:
- Clothes with holes, rips or stains
- Clothes you no longer fit in (and probably won’t in future)
- Clothes that don’t make you feel good about yourself – if you don’t feel good in them, there is really no benefit to having them!
- Odd socks, or ones with holes in – and any underwear that doesn’t fit properly
- Uncomfortable shoes – if they give you blisters or hurt your feet, then let them go
- Costume jewellery that you never wear
DECLUTTER YOUR HOME: KITCHEN THINGS
- Any expired food products
- Duplicate utensils that don’t get used
- Any appliances you don’t use
BATHROOM ITEMS TO DECLUTTER
- Makeup that no longer works for you or has expired
- Any expired toiletries – including seasonal things like suncream
- Products you never used
- Dried-up nail polish
- Any old or expired medication
DECLUTTER YOUR HOME OFFICE
- Junk Mail
- Old Coupons
- Paperwork you no longer need
WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU’VE DECIDED WHAT TO GET RID OF
Once I’ve decluttered things from and area of my home, I have a physical box of things to get rid of and I find it really helpful to just add things to the box every so often after a clear out. Sort through your pile and put things into categories:
SELL
Things that are in good condition, you can try to sell. I love Vinted, especially for clothes. As a busy mum, selling things on Vinted for a couple of pounds each is a job you really need to make time for.
About once a month, my husband takes the kids to the park and I upload as much as I can from the get rid of pile.
DONATE
If you don’t have time to sell on Vinted (or just don’t want to) you can donate your unwanted items. Maybe a friend or family member would appreciate them. If not, take them to the charity shop!
RECYCLE
Anything that isn’t in good enough condition to sell or donate, I try to recycle.
H&M have large bins in their stores where you can donate unwanted clothing and textiles (not shoes). In exchange, they give you a discount voucher. Find out more here.
Boots offers a similar scheme for makeup and toiletry products. See details here.
There are also lots of ways to recycle and possibly earn from old electronics, books, CDs and more.
TRASH
I like to avoid unnecessary landfill waste as much as possible however, things like expired food are unfortunately no good to anyone. If you have items that are not suitable to sell, donate or recycle then pop them in the bin.
HOW TO STOP CLUTTER FROM BUILDING UP AGAIN:
Once you’ve done such a great job of decluttering your home, you’ll want to stop that stuff building back up.
STOP BUYING MORE
The solution is really very simple. Just stop buying more stuff. If you don’t really need it, just don’t buy it. Before making a purchase, think about where it will fit in your home. If there is no place for it, you’ll either need to get rid of something or don’t buy it.
Some people like to use a one-in one-out rule. So if you buy a new dress, you need to get rid of one that’s already in your wardrobe.
My kids have had to learn that they don’t get a new toy every time we go to the store. A great tip is to take a photo of them holding the item they want “for their Christmas List” by Christmas, most things will have been forgotten and you can use your judgment on what they need.
STOP OTHER PEOPLE BUYING FOR YOU
Another challenge is to, stop other people from buying more stuff for you. I find this one very difficult as I never want to be ungrateful for a gift. However, I do find my kid’s birthdays and Christmas’ a bit overwhelming with so many people asking what they want and insisting on gifts.
Recently, I have been asking people to not buy gifts for my husband and me and to get an “experience” gift for the children. Ideally, something that the gifter can do with us. The boys are really enjoyed this and have lots of happy memories of it.
There will always be people who still want to give a physical gift and there’s not really much you can do about that. I try to give those people an idea (if they ask) of something the boys need or something I know they will really like.
RENT OR BORROW RATHER THAN PURCHASING
I have always loved books but have recently cut down the amount I physically buy and use the library as much as possible.
There are now many great toy subscription services or even, toy libraries you can use instead of purchasing new things. We’ve recently tried a Little Jukey subscription box (gifted product, no obligation to post) and the toys were amazing quality and my little one loved them!
Need something like a drill you’ll only use once and then store forever? See if you can borrow one from a friend or family member first!
Thank you so much for reading my guide on how to declutter your home. I hope you’ve found it useful!
