8 Easy Decluttering Tricks to Transform a Messy Room in 30 Minutes or Less, Straight From Organizing Pros

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-declutter-a-room-in-30-minutes-11946383#:~:text=timer%20for%2030%20minutes%20to%20create%20a%20sense%20of%20urgency%20and%20focus

KEY POINTS

Declutter fast by setting a 30-minute timer, doing a quick sweep, and sorting into keep, donate, or toss.
Focus on one zone at a time—don’t deep clean, just clear clutter efficiently.
Finish strong by putting items away, dropping off donations, and tossing trash.

A cluttered home can be overwhelming, and you just may want to throw up your hands and give up. But what if you could declutter a messy room in 30 minutes?

"The key to tackling any messy room is to stay focused and keep it simple—30 minutes can be a game-changer when you know exactly what to do," professional organizer Meaghan Kessman says.

We talked to Kessman and Jamie Hord, organizing pros to gather the eight best tips to help you declutter and bring order to any messy room quickly.

MEET THE EXPERT

Jamie Hord is the founder of Horderly Professional Organizing.
Meaghan Kessman is a professional organizer and owner of Meaghan Kessman Home.

Assess What Needs to Be Done

Bathroom counter with decor and plants. — Credit:
The Spruce / Jacob Fox

Organizer Jamie Hord suggests assessing the entire house before beginning to declutter a room.

"You want to consider the entire home when decluttering one room because getting organized can be a domino effect when your entire home is cluttered and unorganized," says Hord.

For example, if you find multiple items in your bedroom that really should belong in your bathroom, create a proper home for them to live in your bathroom.

Don't Miss

7 Things Minimalists Always Toss When Decluttering—and You Should Too

Neutral, minimalist living room interior

The 5 Decluttering Tasks I Always Do After a Long Week That Leave Me Feeling So Much Better

Set a Timer

Setting a Timer is the Key to Better Household Cleaning — Credit:
The Spruce

To help reduce the chances of going down a rabbit hole of sorting that you can never find the exit, Kessman urges you to set a timer for 30 minutes to create a sense of urgency and focus.

Make a Quick Sweep

organized living room — Credit:
The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

"When I walk into a cluttered room, I always start with a quick sweep, says organizer Meaghan Kessman.

She suggests grabbing a trash bag and quickly gathering obvious garbage like broken items, food wrappers, empty containers, or used tissues.

She then places any misplaced items like dishes, books, or clothes in a designated bin or basket to return to their rightful places later.

Create a Sorting System

Decluttering your home checklist — Credit:
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly

Kessman uses a three-box sorting system: Keep, Donate, Toss. She says the system helps you make decisions quickly and keeps the process focused. To help clarify her method, she broke down what goes in each box:

KEEP items you use regularly or hold sentimental value.
DONATE anything in good condition that you no longer need or use.
TOSS any broken, damaged, or expired items.

Hord likes to start by gathering items into sorted piles of what she calls "likes with likes." All the toys go in one pile, sweaters in another, jeans all together, etc. Then you can see what you've accumulated and make better decisions. This is particularly helpful when decluttering a bedroom or closet.

Stay Focused

cleaning a play area — Credit:
The Spruce / Ana Cadena

If you are feeling overwhelmed, focus on only one area at a time. Break the room into smaller zones and complete each task.

Some rooms cannot be decluttered completely in just 30 minutes. However, you can accomplish a great deal in small periods. This might be cleaning out a set of drawers or sorting one or two types of toys.

Kessman suggests resisting the temptation to start deep-cleaning or creating an entire organizing system at this stage. The goal is to declutter quickly.

Stop and Put Things Away

Closet contents sorted into plastic bag, boxes and basket to keep or donate — Credit:
The Spruce / Sarah Lee

When the timer goes off, Kessman recommends that you stop working and take a few extra minutes to put away the "Keep" items in their proper place, take the "Donate" box to your car for drop-off, and recycle or trash the items in the "Toss" box to complete the process.

Determine If You Need Help

Clean space in kids room — Credit: KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Getty Images

Hord and Kessman agree that the decision to work alone or with other family members is a personal preference. Kessman notes that if you're decluttering a shared space, set clear guidelines for everyone involved, like agreeing on what to keep, donate, or toss beforehand.

"Having someone with you can help you make hard decisions, or hiring a professional can help make the process go much faster," Hord suggests.

Keep It Fun

golden rules for decluttering — Credit:
The Spruce / Candace Madonna

Decluttering is an ongoing process. Each step you take helps bring order to your home. Even if you don't have 30 minutes, take ten minutes to straighten and declutter a pantry shelf or the basket of remotes to long-gone electronics.

Kessman likes to put on some upbeat music to stay motivated and make the process more enjoyable.

Global Amulet

Search This Blog