You don’t need to spend an entire weekend cleaning to make your home feel less cluttered. The time between starting a load of laundry and moving it to the dryer gives you a chance to tackle a small task you’ve been putting off.
Pick one area and spend a few minutes sorting through it while the washer runs. These eight quick tasks can help you make progress without leaving you with a huge mess to finish later.
The Pile of Mail on Your Counter
Gather the envelopes, flyers, and loose papers sitting on your kitchen counter or entryway table. Recycle unwanted mail, shred papers with private information, and keep documents you need in one place.
Related: 15 Home Organization Tricks That Make Clutter Easier to Manage
Your Makeup Bag
Empty your makeup bag or cosmetics drawer and check for expired products, dried-out mascara, and items you no longer use. Toss anything you can’t use safely, then put your regular favorites back where you can find them.
Socks That Have Seen Better Days
Look through your sock drawer for holes, stretched elastic, worn fabric, and single socks sitting around without a match. Keep the pairs you still wear, and check whether a textile recycling program near you accepts old socks.
Related: 12 Things to Remove From Your Home If You Want Less Clutter
The Kitchen Junk Drawer
Start with the drawer filled with loose batteries, old receipts, takeout menus, and other odds and ends that seem to end up there. Throw away the trash, return misplaced items to their proper spots, and keep only what belongs in the drawer.
One Shelf in the Refrigerator
Choose a single shelf and remove food that’s spoiled, expired, or unlikely to be eaten in time. Wipe down the shelf before returning the food, and move items you need to use soon to the front.
Related: 13 Items People Regret Throwing Away During Decluttering
Your Medicine Cabinet
Check the dates on medications, creams, and first-aid products pushed to the back of the cabinet. Set aside expired or unwanted medicines for a local drug take-back program, and note supplies that need replacing.
The Pen Cup or Desk Drawer
Test the pens and markers you’ve collected over time, including the ones that keep failing when you try to use them. Recycle or discard dried-out supplies where local rules allow, and keep a manageable number of writing tools that still work.
Related: 15 Decluttering Mistakes People Make When Following Marie Kondo
Old Photos and Screenshots on Your Phone
Scroll through your photo library and delete blurry pictures, duplicate shots, and screenshots you no longer need. A few minutes of sorting can free up storage space and make the photos you care about easier to find.
