15 Game-Changing Organizing Challenges to Finally Whip Your Home Into Shape
With a new year comes the promise of a fresh start and, for many, the goal of a clean, clutter-free home. A 2012 study by UCLA’s Center on Everyday Lives of Families found that excess clutter significantly impacts stress levels, especially for mothers, who often describe their homes as ‘chaotic’ and ‘not fun.
Those with years or a lifetime’s worth of clutter, excess clothing, or kids’ toys may feel too overwhelmed to start the decluttering process. Luckily, these ten organizing challenges offer an easy way to tackle home organization.
1. Declutter 100 Things in 100 Days (Easiest)
Those seeking an easy organizing challenge should consider decluttering 100 things in 100 days. As the challenge title suggests, all that is required is to find at least one thing to get rid of each day until you’ve amassed 100 total items.
It’s crucial to deal with the stuff you’re getting rid of immediately — throw items in disrepair in the trash and keep a donate box for the rest. Drop the donation box off at the nearest thrift store when it is full.
2. Live Like a Minimalist Challenge (Hardest)
If you’re more into extremes, try living like a minimalist for a month. While this challenge takes more work, it’s a true test of what you can —and can’t— live without.
Here’s how it works:
- Choose a room (like the kitchen, for example)
- Grab a few large containers and add all duplicate items and nonessentials in the container (examples: extra wooden spoons, knickknacks, decor, duplicate frying pans, spatulas, oven mitts, enough plates/cups for each family member, etc.)
- Keep only the bare essentials.
If you need an item during the month, take it out of the box, but leave everything else stored away. At the end of thirty days, you can decide if those extra items are worth keeping.
3. Backward Clothes Hanger Clothes Decluttering Challenge
Turn all the clothes hangers in your closet backward. When you wear a piece of clothing, hang the clothes so that it faces the correct way. After 30 days, remove all clothing items still on a backward hanger.
4. Speed Declutter in Seven Days Challenge
Make the most progress in a short time frame by taking a week off of work or carving out a few hours each day for seven days. Pick the seven most frequently used rooms in your house, and declutter one daily.
Work methodically. Start with a large garbage bag and go through the room, discarding all trash and broken items. Then, grab a donation box and begin filling it with items you no longer use, need, or love. Drop the box off at the nearest donation center when it is full.
5. Join a Reddit Declutter Challenge for Accountability
Join the subreddit r/declutter for monthly decluttering challenges, find accountability, and share progress. At the start of each month, members post new challenges which you can join in on.
6. Clear Kitchen Counter Challenge
Surface clutter makes most homes look sloppy. By clearing your kitchen counters, you’ll increase your productivity and the look of your kitchen, which is probably the most-used room in your house.
Here’s what to do: Put away everything on your kitchen countertops aside from the small appliances you use every day, like the coffee maker or toaster. After thirty days, reassess.
7. Consolidation Challenge
If you’ve ever looked for something in your house, couldn’t find it, and had to buy extra, the consolidation challenge is for you. The goal is to combine like items. For example, rather than having hair things spread throughout the house, keep them all in one bathroom so you know where to look. Do the same for all items, including batteries, wall-hanging supplies, flashlights, candles or lighters, lightbulbs, tools, nail clippers, etc.
8. The 5-Item Rule
Each day, remove at least five items from your home—whether it’s trash, donations, or things to sell. This slow and steady method prevents overwhelm and makes decluttering a daily habit.
9. The 20/20 Rule
If you’re unsure about keeping an item, ask yourself: Can I replace it for under $20 in less than 20 minutes? If the answer is yes, it’s safe to let it go. This is especially helpful for “just in case” items.
10. The Quarantine Box Challenge
For items you’re hesitant to get rid of, place them in a box and store them out of sight. If you don’t need them after six months, donate them—chances are, you won’t miss them.
11. The One-Year Clothing Test (Simple Closet Decluttering)
Complementing the Backward Clothes Hanger Challenge, this method applies to folded clothes. Place all your T-shirts, jeans, and sweaters in a storage bin. Only retrieve items when you wear them. After a year, donate anything that remains in the bin.
12. The “One-Touch” Rule
Rather than placing items down with the intent to move them later (which leads to clutter), put them away immediately. This keeps surfaces clear and prevents small messes from piling up.
13. The “One In, One Out” Rule
For every new item you bring into your home, remove an old one. If you buy a new sweater, donate one you don’t wear. This rule helps maintain a clutter-free home.
14. The “First-Use” Sorting Test
Gather all similar items (e.g., office supplies, kitchen utensils) and store them in a box. Only take out what you use. After 30 days, donate anything left in the box.
15. The “Declutter by Location” Challenge
Instead of decluttering by category, pick a small, manageable space—like a junk drawer, a kitchen cabinet, or one shelf in your closet—and tackle it in 10-minute increments.