THINGS TO DECLUTTER IN AUGUST TO SIMPLIFY YOUR HOME AND LIFE

Here are some ideas, projects and things to declutter in August. Let’s tackle decluttering your home, one project and one month at a time. Build good decluttering habits, grow your confidence and enjoy creating a home that really supports you and that stays clutter-free!

THIS MONTH OF AUGUST

August, named after the Roman Emperor, Augustus Caesar, is the month to celebrate a good harvest and a good summer. It’s the last month of summer in the northern hemisphere and the last month of winter in the southern hemisphere.

For many countries in Europe, August is the month of holidays where many cities are deserted by the locals who head to the country on vacation and the tourists take over the cities! Here are some more fun facts about August which you might enjoy!

For those of us with kids, August can feel a whirlwind of clutter and chaos at home, a juggle of work and kids, but also the slow and unstructured stretch of downtime before term starts and school begins.

Whatever August means in your home, I hope you enjoy these little August decluttering projects to help clear clutter from your home and life.

DECLUTTERING YOUR HOME WITH EASE

When we have a lot of stuff it can feel difficult knowing where to start decluttering. That’s why I encourage readers to declutter slowly, go steady and build up decluttering confidence through practice and perseverance, finding what decluttering strategies work for you the best.

There are so many reasons to declutter your home. It makes it easier to look after and manage, gives us more physical space to move around in and is often more calm and relaxing.

But, getting to that point can be far from calm and relaxing! That’s why I share so many tips on this website to declutter your home, the simple and strategic way!

Below you’ll find a list of things to declutter in August. Simple, daily projects which you can tackle each day of the month and build up your confidence, day by day. I’ve also included links to further resources and articles which you might enjoy.

THINGS TO DECLUTTER IN AUGUST

Here is a list of 31 things to declutter in August to simplify your home and life.

1. Old make-up brushes and make-up applicators

Declutter the ones you don’t need, wash the ones that you use regularly and keep them all neat, tidy and organised so you can find and reach for them easily. Here are some helpful tips on how to tell when make-up has expired.

2. Old pillows that have lost shape, are uncomfortable, give you neck ache or are stained

Good sleep is vital for a healthy body and mind so declutter your bedroom of anything that doesn’t support good sleep hygiene, including your old pillows. Here are some more tips on how to declutter your bedroom and why it matters.

3. The glove box of your car

If you’ve been out and about over the summer, or just spend time in your car running errands, commuting, or doing the school run, I bet your car is less than squeaky clean. You could tackle decluttering and cleaning the inside and outside of your car, but the glove box feels a more manageable project, especially if you’re decluttering but don’t have much time. What do you need to keep in the glove box? A torch, notepad and pen, tissues, baby wipes, spare change? I also keep a hairbrush and ties, a small first aid kit or essential medicines (paracetamol and hay-fever tablets for my daughter) and an umbrella!

4. Old mattresses that aren’t good for your back or are uncomfortable to sleep on

You’ve tackled the pillows already, so what about your mattress, if your budget allows and you haven’t replaced your own mattress for a while. Here are some tips from the Sleep Foundation on when to change your mattress.

5. Kids that don’t do as they’re told (only joking!)

If you’ve been enjoying the summer holidays with kids and chaos, you might know what I’m talking about! You might enjoy this article on how to enjoy the holidays with kids.

6. Things that bring you down so you can learn to find joy in the little things

Life will always be full of challenges and the unknown, but prioritising your own physical and mental wellness is key to making the most of life. Here are some tips on how to find moments of joy in your every day.

7. Stuff that’s lurking under your bathroom sink

The bathroom is a great place to start decluttering. It’s a relatively small space with items that you’re unlikely to hold much sentimental attachment to. If decluttering makes you anxious, start small and build up confidence by practicing making decisions on what to keep and what to get rid of.

8. Tea towels that are too thin and worn to dry your dishes

Treat your kitchen to some new tea towels. Even just different accessories can change the feel of your home. Here are some other easy ways to refresh your home that are low-cost or no-cost.

9. Underwear that doesn’t fit your body properly

Support from the inside out doesn’t just apply to our mental health but our undies too! Declutter underwear that’s misshapen, got holes, missing a pair (in the case of socks) and that doesn’t feel comfortable or fit your body. Here are some more tips on knowing which clothes to declutter in case you want to declutter clothes beyond just your underwear. Or maybe try these tips on how to do a seasonal clothing declutter.

10. Sleepwear that you want to replace to feel good

We’ve looked at decluttering your bedroom in a couple of ways already, but what about what you wear to bed? Treat yourself to some sleepwear that you feel good in and that’s comfortable for sleeping in.

11. Your eating habits

Declutter your unhealthy eating habits such as too many ready meals and other processed foods. Meal-plan and meal-prep as much as you can, stop buying unhealthy snacks and foods so you can’t reach for them out of boredom or hunger and swap them out for healthier options. Here’s a list of seasonal foods that you could include in your meals.

12. Postal bills which you can swap for online ones

Create a monthly budget to keep on top of your monthly income and outgoings, check your bank statements against receipts regularly, set up bills to be paid automatically by direct debit, make a plan to deal with any debt, put money aside for savings if you can spare it, shop wisely and build in strategies to avoid impulse buying

13. Opt out of marketing phone calls, newsletter subscriptions and email lists

Clear the clutter coming into your home and invading your inbox. Here are some ways you can get rid of your digital clutter.

14. All the drawers in your home

Or at least the drawer that’s the biggest clutter-catcher! Drawers are notorious places for hidden clutter, the stuff that builds up in our home but that we don’t really notice. Do you have any other places where clutter is hiding?

15. All the cupboards in your home

Or make a start and just choose one cupboard to declutter this month.

16. Uncared for flowerbeds that need weeding and tending

Assess how often you get time or energy to garden. Do you enjoy gardening? It’s a great form of exercise, gets you out in the fresh air and back to nature. There’s also a relationship between mindfulness and gardening which helps calm the body and brain and bring us back to the present. Here’s a beginner’s guide to gardening for some tips to get you started.

17. Loyalty cards in your purse for shops and places you don’t go to anymore

If you never go to the shop or place, do you need to keep them and carry them around with you every day? Maybe they encourage you to actually spend more each time you visit that shop or place? Here are some other ways that stores encourage us to spend more money.

18. Sticker books and colouring books that have been used up

Clear space for your kids to play and be creative.

19. Stuffed furry toys

Declutter toys that your kids no longer play with (with or without their help) and that just take up space. Can you limit the stuffed toys to your child’s favourite 3, 5, or 10 perhaps? A great way to store stuffed toys is inside an empty bean bag where you’ve removed the stuffing so it’s now just the empty bag. It keeps the toys all in one place, is easy enough for quite young kids to put their toys away in and helps keep your child’s bedroom tidier and less cluttered.

20. Excess Lego

You can now recycle unwanted Lego bricks.

21. Kitchen utensils

Duplicates, utensils that you don’t ever use, utensils that you keep out on the counter but could find a ‘home’ for instead in a drawer so you have clutter-free kitchen counters.

22. Things that are stuck on the front of the fridge

Post-it notes, photos, To Do lists, phone numbers, leaflets and flyers, your child’s artwork. Can you find alternative homes for all these things?

23. Your noticeboard

Go through and check that it’s up-to-date and relevant. As tempting as it might be, a noticeboard is not a place to stick paper clutter. It’s there to provide you with helpful, timely and important information.

24. Laundry room and laundry supplies

Are you running low of anything that you use regularly and which needs to be replenished? Do you have laundry or cleaning supplies which you never use but are gathering dust? Keeping only the laundry and cleaning supplies that you DO use makes cleaning your home quicker. Here are some more tips on how to make housework quicker and easier.

25. Tin foil, baking paper, cling film etc

Check your stocks, replenish if needed and keep it all tidy and organised.

26. Baking supplies

Do you use everything you have, is it scattered around your kitchen cupboards and drawers (or on the counter), is it laid out so you can easily find and access what you need, when you need it?

27. Clean laundry

Nothing else to be done with clean laundry but to put it away! Here are some other household routines you can put in place to keep your home ticking over with minimal hassle.

28. Excess blankets that might be cosy but add clutter too

I love blankets and throws to snuggle into when the weather is colder but do you need them all, especially when the weather is warmer? Declutter the items you don’t need and find storage for the keepers when they’re not in use. You might enjoy this article on how to make your home cosy without clutter.

29. General paper clutter that lies in piles around the home waiting for you to sort through it

Get your paper piles together, sort them out into different categories, get rid of the obvious junk, keep a tray, small box or magazine rack for papers you might or might not need and review this every month, scan or file the important documents in a clearly labelled storage system. Sort through your paperwork daily, or at least every week, so it doesn’t build up.

30. Stationery supplies so you know what you’ve got and what you need to replace

Here are some other ways you can be more organised at home and in life.

31. Your home office desk

Declutter and organise your home office desk so you can be productive and effective and focus on the work you need to get done. Work smarter, not harder!

MORE RESOURCES TO HELP DECLUTTER AND SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE

• How to Declutter Toys – Tips and ideas on how to declutter toys to simplify and declutter your home and encourage your child’s imaginative and creative play. Create more time and space for yourself and make your home easier to tidy and clean without compromising on your child’s fun and learning.
• 11 Ways Children Benefit From Fewer Toys – Decluttering toys was one of the best things I ever did to simplify my home and life. However, it wasn’t just me that enjoyed the benefits, my kids benefitted too! In this article I’m sharing 11 ways children benefit from fewer toys.
• How To Stop Living For The Weekends and Enjoy Your Week More – Here are some tips on how to stop living for the weekends. Simple ideas to help you make the most of your week rather than wishing ahead to the weekend.
• 30 Journal Prompts to Start The Week With Intention and Clarity (+ Free Printable) – Want to get ready for the week ahead and make it a great week, full of things that make life meaningful to you? Here are 30 journal prompts to start the week with intention and clarity. I hope they help simplify your life so you can look forward to the week ahead and get the most out of it!
• 30 Self-Care Ideas for Summer – The days are longer and warmer and many of us can spend more time outside looking after body and mind. Try these 30 self-care ideas for Summer to include in your regular self-care routine.
• 20 Simple Ways to Mark the End of Summer – When Summer draws to a close, here are 20 simple ideas to mark the end of summer and celebrate the last of what this season has to offer before we head into the Autumn. Meaningful little tips to bring the fading Summer into your home, heart and schedule.

YOUR NEXT STEP…

I hope you enjoyed this list of things to declutter in August. There’s an item for each day of the month. I’ve created a checklist you can use each month to keep your home and life simple, decluttered and organised. Get your copy by popping your details in the below so I know where to send it!

DON’T MISS OUT!

I’m Antonia and on this blog I share practical inspiration to simplify your home, time and life. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest! You can also subscribe to Balance Through Simplicity and receive regular simplicity tips straight to your inbox for free. Make sure you never miss an article plus you’ll get a copy of my free Declutter Starter Kit as a welcome gift!