10 things to declutter in 10 minutes — the cheat’s way to a clean and tidy home with minimal effort

We all lead busy lives, which means it can often be hard to keep your house in check. And as most people choose cleaning as their highest-priority task, this can often put decluttering at the bottom of the to-do list. However, it doesn’t have to be that way, as there are so many things you can declutter in 10 minutes.

Yes, while some decluttering methods can take you hours, weeks, or perhaps even months to complete, there are others that take no time at all - especially when you strategically choose certain areas of your home to declutter. In fact, many corners of your house can be decluttered in the time it takes you to boil the kettle, wait for the TV ad break to be over, or for your washing machine to finish.

That’s why I’ve put together a list of realistic storage and organisation tips and tricks to help you clean and organise your home without wasting hours you don’t have. And every single one of the decluttering hacks on this list takes less than 10 minutes to complete. So, boil the kettle, and you’ll be done by the time your tea has brewed!

1. Organise a kitchen cupboard

If you have particularly messy kitchen cupboards, you may put the task of organising them to the bottom of your to-do list - and I don’t blame you. But a great way to avoid spending hours decluttering is to opt for the ‘little and often’ technique, and organise just one kitchen cupboard when you have a spare ten minutes.

And while it may take you a few weeks to complete the whole kitchen, the process will be quick, easy, and relatively pain-free. You can dispose of the small kitchen appliances you no longer need or use, whittle-down your pots and pans to a sensible number, and finally get rid of those chipped mugs that have been sitting in the cupboard for years.

But once you’ve decluttered, it’s important to spend a few minutes storing what’s left and taking stock of what people with tidy kitchen cupboards never do. Jonathan Clark, space saving expert and creative director at Shelved, advises, ‘Using storage boxes inside cupboards can facilitate the decluttering process by providing a structured and efficient system.’

‘Opting for a modular unit to fit neatly into the cupboard allows you to create distinct compartments, providing an area to organise items by category, size, or purpose. The compartments also prevent items from becoming jumbled together, making it easier to find and access what you need.' Opting for space-saving solutions like this Joseph Joseph Cupboard Store (£11.30 at Amazon) can also help if you have limited cupboard space.

2. Switch out your hangers

Generally, you should set aside a few hours to organise a wardrobe - especially if you’re the kind of person that loves to pull everything out and start from scratch. But one thing you can declutter in 10 minutes (and what will make a huge difference to the tidiness of your wardrobe) is switch out your hangers.

In fact, getting rid of old or broken hangers you no longer need can instantly freshen up a wardrobe, make it look tidier, and give you more space to work with. It’s important to note that you still need to use the right hanger for the items you’re hanging, though.

Ingrid Jansen and Lesley Spellman from The Declutter Hub, say, ‘Velvet hangers work for most clothes, but wooden hangers are best for coats and suits, clip hangers for skirts, and padded hangers for delicate fabrics.’ And switching them around shouldn’t take any longer than 10 minutes - maybe even less.

Of course, a mishmash of hangers can often look bulky and when in a small wardrobe, which is why opting for space-saving hangers like these Argos Home Pack of 2 Metal Trouser Hangers (£7.50 at Argos) and these HOUSE DAY 8Pcs Magical Hangers (£15.99 at Amazon) can work wonders.

3. Fold one drawer

If you’re looking to tick things off your decluttering checklist, your drawers are a good place to start. And just as organising one kitchen cupboard at a time is perfect for time-poor declutterers, sorting out and folding one clothes drawer at a time can also make a world of difference to your home.

This short, intentional burst of decluttering is particularly effective when used for your underwear drawer - especially if you’re running low on space. And Shannon Murphy, professional organiser and founder of Simpl Living Co, says, ‘Many people keep a growing pile in the hope their missing pair will magically reappear. In reality, they just take up space. Make the decision to let them go.’

Doing this with odd socks should be easy enough, but if you want to tackle your trouser drawer or your T-shirts, you might want to use a method like the 5-second decluttering rule to make split-second decisions on whether you want to keep them, and then use drawer dividers like this 16 Section Striped Drawer Organiser (£5 at Dunelm) to keep everything in order.

Then, by taking 10 minutes to tackle one drawer like this every day, every week, or even every month, you can start making sense of the chaos in your drawers.

4. Declutter your desk

As someone who works from home, I can’t recommend this decluttering task enough. After all, a tidy desk is a tidy mind - and I’m now so used to doing this that it takes less than 10 minutes to do. The end result? A huge boost in my productivity and an organised home office.

However, this doesn’t need to be a military mission. You could focus on sorting through the paperwork that has piled up on your desk, popping everything back on this EXERZ Desk Organiser (£12.99 at Amazon) or tidying up the wires that make your workspace look like a space station.

As your desk is a small space, this shouldn’t take too long at all. But even if you don’t have a designated work station, you can tackle some admin that’ll take some work off your plate. In fact, Ingrid and Lesley advise you to ‘Unsubscribe from emails. Cut digital clutter and avoid temptation to buy more.’

You’ll definitely appreciate the 10 minutes you set aside to do this, as you won’t need to include in a bigger decluttering session if you have one in your calendar. So, it’ll help you declutter your home even faster.

5. Pick up your shoes

No matter whether you have a busy household or you live solo, there’s probably always at least one pair of shoes cluttering up your floorspace - and I know I’m guilty of simply leaving them on the floor when I’m in a rush.

But if you have 10 minutes to spare, why not spend it organising your shoes? Clutter on the floor can make your house look way more chaotic than you’d think, and the simple act of picking those shoes up and placing them back on the shoe rack or in your cupboard won’t take long at all.

If you don’t have a dedicated space for them because you lack storage space in your home, it’s probably worth investing in one of the shoe storage ideas for small spaces, and if you have a busy household with numerous kids and adults shoes all over the place, you’ll be happy to know that there are solutions.

In fact, our Editor-in-Chief, Heather, bought a shoe rack like this Argos Home 8 Shelf Shoe Rack (£35 at Argos) for her bustling family home, and has found it to be a game-changer.

6. Clean a refrigerator shelf

Sometimes you just don’t have the time to organise your fridge, and I get that. But next time you’re waiting for your dinner to cook, it could be a good chance to clean just one shelf in your refrigerator.

How you clean this shelf is completely up to you. You could go down the conventional route and whip out your disinfectant, or you could choose to throw out (or compost) old food that’s no longer edible, re-arrange your jars, or invest in fridge organisers like these KICHLY Stackable Fridge Organisers (£13.99 at Amazon).

'Pick a different section or shelf to clean each day, repeating the same process until you’ve succeeded in cleaning the entire fridge,' recommends organising expert Joyce French at HomeHow.

Plus, a clean and organised fridge will also help you with another fridge-based chore. 'When it’s clean, check what items you need to buy for your next food shop and list them,' says Nicola Rodriguez, AKA Essex House Dolly.

7. Organise your junk drawer

Let’s be honest; we all have them. Whether you call it the ‘drawer of doom’ or ‘the drawer that shall not be named,’ the junk drawer has a way of taking over our minds and cluttering up our house whether we like it or not.

However, organising a junk drawer is one of the best things to declutter in 10 minutes. That’s because most of it is, well, junk! As you organise the junk in this drawer, you’ll probably find that you don’t need to keep it.

'Tip everything out onto a table, grab the bin and while you’re at it stick a drawer divider in the drawer,' advises organising expert Joyce. 'Go through the contents discarding what you don’t need and organising what you want to keep in your new ‘useful’ drawer.'

So, you can spend 10 minutes throwing out the things you don’t need and then using drawer dividers - like this Vtopmart 25 Pack Drawer Organiser (£15.38 at Amazon) to organise the rest.

8. Declutter your bathroom

We know that cleaning a bathroom isn’t something you can do in 10 minutes unless you’re a speed cleaner. Nevertheless, it is possible to declutter a bathroom in that time - and it can make a huge difference to the rest of your home.

Whether you finally get around to throwing out the multiple old shampoo bottles that have been lying in your bathroom caddy or you decide to declutter your bathroom cabinets or vanity area, these small bursts of organisation can make your space look and feel tidier.

Plus, if you keep cleaning products in your bathroom, you could also spend 10 minutes decluttering your cleaning products to make sure they’re all still in-date and you’re not hoarding any empties. But if you struggle with space in your bathroom, there are some ways to keep it organised after you’ve decluttered.

Adding something like this Rattan Natural Caddy (£50 at Dunelm) into the mix can offer you storage space while also adding some natural texture to what can often be a harsh and clinical room.

9. Put away the washing

Washing and drying clothes seems like a never-ending cycle, and I wouldn’t blame you if you were fed up with the mountain of clothes you always have to put away at the end of the week. But instead of waiting for multiple loads, why not put the washing away when the kettle is boiling?

Although it may seem like the longest 10 minutes of your life, you’ll be able to rest easy when your utility room is free from clutter and chaos, and you’ll also know where all of your clothes are - unless they’re waiting to be washed in the Joseph Joseph Tota Trio 90-litre Laundry Separation Basket (£125 at Amazon), which is an Ideal Home favourite.

While you’re at it, why not tackle the chair in the corner of your room where you throw the clothes you’ve worn once but don’t necessarily need a wash? Take this as another sign to declutter the chair of doom and hang or fold your clothes back up.

But if you struggle with folding quickly and efficiently (like me), I couldn’t recommend this T-Shirt Folding Board (£12.99 at Amazon) any more. It really is genius.

10. Fake it until you make it

While the idea of having a completely clutter-free house sounds like a dream to some, it’s not always possible. If you have a big family with limited storage but lots of items that you need to keep, sometimes it’s better to just fake it until you make it.

The best way to do this is to invest in multi-functional furniture that can also serve as storage, so you can at least hide the clutter that doesn’t need to be on show. And hiding these things will take way less than 10 minutes.

'For those who find it hard to keep on top of accumulated clutter, consider opting for furnishings that double up as storage solutions,' advises Dani Burroughs, Head of Snug.

'A sumptuous sofa with a storage compartment underneath is a great way to hide any essential living room belongings. Homeowners can store anything from blankets or extra cushions, leaving the space neat and tidy in minutes.' Just remember that you’ll need to properly declutter them eventually.

10 minute declutter essentials

FAQs

How to declutter in 10 minutes?

The best way to declutter in 10 minutes is to realize that 10 minutes isn’t a huge amount of time. Manage your expectations, and aim to tackle a small section of your house at a time - whether that be a single drawer or a quick sweep of a larger room in the house. Then, focus on one particular area of decluttering. Aim to throw out things you no longer need, organise what you have to make it easily accessible, or give something a good clean.

What is the fastest way to declutter?

Many decluttering experts swear by the “five-second rule” when it comes to organising your house. To use this rule yourself, pick up an item in your home and try to remember when you last used it. If you can’t remember when you last used it within five seconds, then it's obviously not something you need in your life. So, you can either throw it away or donate it. By doing this, you should be able to declutter extremely quickly, ridding your home of unnecessary items.