It’s finally, officially Summer!  Which means you’re probably enjoying the longer days by attending barbeques, hanging out by the pool, and eating more fruit in a weekend than the whole month of December.  It probably also means your schedule isn’t as set as it is during the rest of the year.  Even though it might feel like you are constantly on-the-go this time of year, I bet you still have 10 minutes a day to do a little decluttering.  Below are five things in your home (and out) that you can declutter in 10 minutes or less.

 

Purse

Makeup Bag

Whether you call it a handbag, a purse, or a pocketbook, I’m almost positive there’s stuff in there you don’t need.  Take your bag and dump the contents onto the floor.  If you have a makeup bag inside the purse, dump that stuff too.  Any receipts or trash in there?  I knew it!  Now toss that stuff right away.  For everything else, identify what you need with you every day (I bet it’s not more than one pen and it’s certainly not three half-used lip balms).  Only put back into your purse what you really need.  It’s amazing how quickly things accumulate in our everyday bags, but after 10 minutes of decluttering, it should be lighter and easier to manage going forward.  Plus, your neck, back, and shoulders will thank you.

 

Car

Another place that seems to capture unnecessary clutter is the car.  The next time you head to the pump to fill ‘er up, take the time you usually spend on your phone to declutter the car.  Start in the glove compartment and work your way back to the trunk.  Toss any trash you come across.  This also includes any broken or unnecessary shopping bags you stash in your trunk.  You might even find what’s been causing that annoying noise when you make a stop.  If you want more on car organization, I wrote a whole post that you can find here.

 

Phone Apps

Apps Organized by Color

Do you use all the apps on your phone?  I’m going to guess not.  Those unnecessary apps are creating digital clutter and ain’t no one got time for that.  Take an inventory of the apps you have downloaded and remove any you (or your kids) no longer use.  Don’t forget those sneaky apps that come automatically with the phone.  If you don’t have an apple watch, why keep the app on your phone?  For everything else that you do use, organize them into folders.  I, personally, have them organized by color but I know that doesn’t work for everyone so do what works for you.

 

Sock Drawer

Do you know where that matching sock goes when it doesn’t come out of the dryer with it’s pair?  Yeah, me neither.  But, I can almost guarantee that if it isn’t stuck to the side of the washing machine then you’re never going to see it again.  Because of this, I urge you to get rid of any solo socks you have hiding out in your drawer.  With the remainder of your 10 minutes, go through the rest of your socks and toss any with holes in them.  You deserve better than playing Russian roulette every time you grab a pair of socks for the gym hoping you don’t get the pair where your big toe sticks out.

 

Night Stand

Clutterfree Bedroom

Where you sleep should be a sanctuary.  Unfortunately, many times, the night stand becomes the bedroom equivalent of the kitchen junk drawer.  I fully believe clutter causes anxiety and the first thing you wake up and see beside you should not be anxiety inducing.  Instead, take a few minutes to clean off your bedside table.  Get rid of anything you don’t truly need to have out.  If you have some extra time left, start to tackle those drawers or shelves too.

 

 

As always, I hope you found this post interesting, informative, inspiring, or entertaining (I’ll take any one as a success).  If so, please let me know in the comments section.  Also let me know if there is anything you’d like to see on this blog by writing me at feedback@theorganizingblonde.com.

 

XOXO,

The Organizing Blonde