Does your home feel like it’s slowly being swallowed by stuff?
You are not alone. Close to 48% of Americans feel that their homes are somewhat full of things they no longer use. Even more troubling, 41% of people haven’t decluttered in more than a year.
Here’s the problem:
Tried tackling one drawer at a time? Attacking it bit by bit for months… and never getting it done.
However, there is a quicker method. With the right strategy (and a dumpster in the driveway), you can declutter your whole house in one weekend.
Here’s how to do it…
Here’s What’s Inside:
- Why One Weekend Beats One Drawer At A Time
- Comparing Your Junk Removal Options
- How To Prep The Week Before
- Your Saturday Game Plan
- Your Sunday Game Plan
- What Can’t Go In The Dumpster?
Why One Weekend Beats One Drawer At A Time
Slow decluttering sounds sensible. But it rarely works.
You clean out one closet on Monday. By Friday, another pile has sprouted somewhere else.
With a weekend blitz, you set a deadline, empty the entire house, and toss everything before Sunday night. No half-empty piles. No regrets.
Oh, and the reward is huge. According to research, clutter wastes about 2.5 days per year of Americans’ time just searching for lost items.
It really is that simple.
Comparing Your Junk Removal Options
Before you move a single box, you must decide where all the junk will go. This is the step people often skip… and it’s also the step that stresses people out.
There are 3x main junk removal options for a whole house cleanout:
- Curbside trash pickup: Free service but slow. Most cities restrict the amount you can set out per week.
- Junk removal crews: Fast, but expensive per load and they work when they want to.
- Dumpster rental: Single price, bin sits on your property all weekend.
When it comes to decluttering your whole house. A dumpster is typically your best bet. Throw broken furniture, old boxes, and garage junk away as soon as you decide to get rid of it. When weighing your junk removal options with price in mind, an affordable dumpster rental lets you clean out your entire home for one price rather than per visit.
Tip: If you live in a house, a 10 or 15 yard dumpster should do the trick. Overflowing garage or basement? Size up. It’s less expensive than renting another dumpster.
How To Prep The Week Before
A great weekend starts with a few small jobs during the week.
Here’s what to do:
- Book your dumpster to arrive Friday afternoon
- Grab heavy-duty trash bags, boxes and markers
- Set up 3x zones: Keep, Donate and Toss
- Ask family or friends to help on Saturday
- Book a donation pickup for Monday morning
The zones are your secret weapon. Everything you acquire lands in one of 3 zones. There is no “maybe” pile. Maybe piles are clutter magnets.
After that, walk through each room and jot down a quick list of large items. Old mattresses, busted-up chairs, the treadmill you swore you’d use… These items go first because they take up the most room.
Saturday: Tackle The Big Rooms
Saturday is cleaning day. Start early and work from the biggest mess to the smallest.
Morning: Garage, Basement And Attic
These areas tend to have the most debris. These piles are also closest to the dumpster. Good to start here when you first start pushing.
Empty everything out into the driveway. All of it. Sometimes seeing everything in one place can help you make quick decisions.
Then ask one simple question for each item:
Has this been used in the last 12 months?
If not, it goes in the bin. Paint cans and chemicals require special handling (explained below), but everything else goes in the trash.
Afternoon: Living Areas And Kitchen
After lunch, move inside. Focus on the living room, dining room and kitchen.
Pantries are deceptive. When clutter is stashed behind cupboard doors, it’s easy to forget about. Extra pans. Plastic containers without lids. Gadgets in their boxes… Before you know it, it accumulates. Keep only what you use each week. Donate the remaining items if they’re still in good condition.
Pretty easy, right?
Sunday: Bedrooms, Closets And Clean Up
Sunday is easy work, but requires concentration. Bedrooms and closets hold personal belongings, which can make every decision tough.
Begin with clothing. They are the simplest things to purge rapidly. In a Talker Research poll, 66% of Americans named old clothing as the first thing they purge.
Apply the 10-second rule. Pick up an item and make a decision in 10 seconds or less. If you can’t decide, toss it in the donation box.
Then move on to:
- Paperwork and old mail
- Bathroom cabinets and expired products
- Kids’ toys and outgrown gear
- Linen closets
Do a walk-through around dusk. Dump the last bags into the dumpster, sweep out the bare spaces and return your “keeps” to their rooms.
All right, this is it. Purging the entire house…all completed in one weekend. Plus since the dumpster will be picked up on Monday, all of the junk will truly be gone forever.
What Can’t Go In The Dumpster?
Here’s something most people don’t know…
You can’t throw anything you want into a rental dumpster. Certain items are prohibited due to safety concerns or special disposal/recycling requirements. These typically include:
- Paint, oil and household chemicals
- Batteries
- Tires
- Electronics like TVs and computers
- Fridges and freezers
Ask your city or county. Lots of cities/counties have designated free hazardous waste drop-off days. Some electronic stores will recycle your old electronics for you too.
Make sure to ask the rental company for their complete list of prohibited items prior to loading. It will prevent unexpected charges later.
Your Clutter-Free Home Starts This Weekend
Decluttering your whole house doesn’t have to take forever. Pick the best junk removal option and you can declutter your entire place in just 2x days.
To quickly recap:
- Pick the junk removal option that fits your home
- Prep your supplies and zones the week before
- Clear the big spaces on Saturday
- Tackle bedrooms and closets on Sunday
- Keep banned items out of the dumpster
The hardest part is taking the first step. Choose a weekend, reserve your bin and start clearing stuff out.
Your future self (and your garage) will thank you.