Here are 31 things to declutter in August. Let’s tackle decluttering your home, one project and one day at a time. Build good decluttering habits, grow your confidence and enjoy creating a home that really supports you to stay 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 young families, 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 the decluttering strategies that 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 August decluttering 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.
31 AUGUST DECLUTTERING PROJECTS
Here’s 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 starting with 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’re inspired 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
- 11 Ways Children Benefit From Fewer Toys
- How To Stop Living For The Weekends and Enjoy Your Week More
- 30 Journal Prompts to Start The Week With Intention and Clarity (+ Free Printable)30 Self-Care Ideas for Summer
- 10 Summer Decluttering Projects to Refresh Your Home
- 20 Simple Ways to Mark the End of Summer
YOUR NEXT STEP…
I hope you enjoyed this list of August decluttering projects. Perhaps it’s inspired you to do some more decluttering this month? To help you declutter your home room-by-room I’ve created a checklist you might find helpful. Get your copy by popping your details in the box below so I know where to send it!