As moms, we all could use a quick win now and then. And while decluttering your life is more of a marathon than a sprint, it doesn’t mean you have to spend hours, days or even weeks sorting through stuff and getting rid of things. Most days, that’s not real. You’ve got better ways to spend your time. You’re busy, your kids need 1,000 things and you don’t have much time. The good news is, you don’t need a ton of time to work on a little decluttering. Every little bit adds up. Give yourself five minutes and try these projects you can quickly declutter and give yourself another tally mark in the W column today. 🙂

(And if you’re ready to learn the process you can apply to decluttering any space in your home — even if you’re a busy mom with no time — join my email list community and grab your free decluttering starter guide for busy moms! 🙂 )

25 Things You Can Declutter Quickly (in 5 Minutes or Less)

Quickly Declutter the Stuff You Tote

You already have your hands full (as every passerby over the age of 50 likes to comment to you whenever you head out in public with more than one of your kids). You don’t need to lug around anything more than the essentials. Lose some of that weight by quickly decluttering any of these. I can’t promise you won’t have to deal with a meltdown during your next shopping trip, but at least you’ll be able to easily grab your wallet when you need it. Small victories.

1. Declutter your purse
2. Declutter your diaper bag
3. Your coat pockets (come on, you know you’ve got at least one receipt crumpled up in there)
4. Your car (if it’s really cluttered, pick one section like the glove box or trunk)

Quick Wins for the Bathroom

This is the place where you get clean and refreshed (and, ok, also maybe sometimes hide from everyone for a minute or two. Maybe). But it’s hard to feel very clean and refreshed when it’s full of clutter. You may come here to use the toilet but you don’t need to feel like you’re IN one. Pick one of these projects to quickly declutter the next time you’re in there for a few:

5. Your makeup kit
6. Under the bathroom sink
7. Your shower
8. Your medicine cabinet

**I bet you can find at least one expired product to throw out in all of the above**

Master Bedroom Projects You Can Declutter Quickly

A few minutes. That’s all you need to get to a point where you can easily grab your favorite under garments and a matching pair of socks that don’t have holes (because that’s all you’ll have in there when you’re done). Quickly declutter these in less than five minutes:

9. Your sock drawer
10. Your underwear/bras

Kid Stuff Quick Wins

Hey, I hear you. Your kids have a TON of stuff! But no one said you have to declutter ALL of it in one long bummer of a weekend. You’ve got better ways to spend a Saturday. Get the ball rolling with these small, quick decluttering projects you can tackle in just five minutes (and for more on tips on decluttering kid stuff, click here):

11. Your kids’ sock drawers
12. Your kiddos’ undies
13. One bin of toys (odds are there are at least one or two broken or outgrown items hanging out there)
14. Art supplies (one container if you have a lot)

Quickly Declutter Your Kitchen

If you’re like me, you feel like you’re in here all the time anyway. The next time you’re waiting for that water to boil or dinner to finish cooking so you can nag your kids to not eat it, spend five minutes decluttering:

15. The kitchen utensil drawer/canister
16. Expired food from your pantry
17. Expired food from your fridge
18. Your spices
19. Coffee mugs
20. A junk drawer

(And for a round-up of some awesome organizing ideas for your kitchen, check out these tips from Of Life & Lisa — you’ll be inspired to finish decluttering so you can apply some of these bad boys and love your kitchen!)

Quick Paperwork Purge

Funny, when I was a kid, I used to get so excited to get the mail and see what kind of surprises might be in it. Now, I often daydream about how much less junk we’d have to sort through if the Post Office could just cut out the middle man and deliver most of our mail straight to the recycling center. I mean, in the age of email, why do we still get so many flyers? Save the trees, people! But, I digress. Odds are you’ve got a pile or two screaming for attention (because it never ends!). Give five minutes of your time to quickly declutter:

21. Coupons
22. A pile of paperwork

Miscellaneous/Anywhere in Your Home You Can Declutter Quickly

Seriously, in almost any room, you can find something to declutter quickly once you make it a habit. Here are a few more ideas to get you rolling:

23. Your laundry room – old stain sticks, used dryer sheets and laundry products you don’t love – Bye-bye!
24. The surface of your dresser, bed side table, coffee table or countertop
25. Your phone — all those annoying apps you never really use? Delete.

Will completing these small jobs change your life? Probably not, at least not individually. But will they give you some much need momentum – You bet! And combine a few, and you better believe you will see and feel a difference. Remember, this is a process. All of this stuff didn’t come into your home in a day. You’re not going to declutter it and keep it that way in a day either. But getting into the practice of finding opportunities for a quick purge will add up to a big difference pretty quickly.

If you’re ready to take the next step and get to work decluttering your home, you’re going to want to join my email newsletter community for weekly tips, tools and inspiration. When you do, you’ll get my decluttering starter guide for busy moms — Disaster Zone to Peaceful Home — for FREE.  In it you’ll find:

• A proven, simple, 7-step decluttering process you can apply to any space in your home or life
• How to get started, even if you have very little time
• Clutter busting habits that will help you keep your home clutter-free on autopilot (even with kids!)

Plus, you’ll get access to our private Facebook group where we share our wins, struggles and find some accountability to get this job done! I’ll see you on the inside!