Where does it go?Everything has somewhere to go.It did not pile up overnight. One thing at a time.
Where does it go? Free printables · Decluttering

The decluttering checklist, room by room

The short answer

Ten rooms on one A4 page, in the order that works: the kitchen first because it is the highest-yield room, the garage last because it needs a weekend. Each room lists its steps in order, the time it takes, and the thing that stalls everyone. Tick the steps, not the room.

Do the rooms in this order. The kitchen builds the momentum the garage needs.

What is on the sheet?

01 Kitchen

Two to three hours

The trap: The appliance you used twice and feel guilty about. The guilt is about money you already spent, and keeping it doesn't refund a cent. Someone else will actually use it.

The full kitchen guide

02 Bathroom

Forty-five minutes

The trap: Skincare and makeup you spent real money on and used twice. Expired product on your face isn't thrift, it's a rash.

The full bathroom guide

03 Bedroom

About an hour

The trap: Clothes kept for a future size. They don't motivate anyone — they just make getting dressed a daily reminder. And if the size does change, they'll be out of fashion by then anyway.

The full bedroom guide

04 Wardrobe

Half a day, done properly

The trap: The expensive mistake. A coat that cost a fortune and never suited you is still a coat that never suited you — and the money is gone either way.

The full wardrobe guide

05 Living room

Ninety minutes

The trap: Remotes and cables for devices that left the house years ago. Nobody in recorded history has regretted binning an orphan remote.

The full living room guide

06 Kids' rooms

Two hours, plus a conversation

The trap: Guilt about gifts from relatives. The gift did its job the moment it was given. Nobody is auditing your shelves.

The full kids' rooms guide

07 Home office & paperwork

Half a day for the paper alone

The trap: Manuals and warranties for appliances you no longer own — and the belief that you'll scan everything. You won't, and digital clutter is still clutter.

The full home office & paperwork guide

08 Laundry

An hour

The trap: Chemicals you can't identify. If you don't know what it is, don't tip it out — unlabelled containers are exactly what hazardous waste drop-offs exist for.

The full laundry guide

09 Garage & shed

A full weekend, minimum

The trap: Timber and materials kept for a project you'll get to. Give the project a date. If the date passes, the timber goes.

The full garage & shed guide

10 Spare room & storage

Depends what's in there

The trap: Boxes unopened since the last move. If you moved house without needing it, you've already run the experiment.

The full spare room & storage guide

Where do the bags go afterwards?

Op shop, refund, drop-off or bin: Where does it go? answers it by state. The other sheets are on the printables page.