Transform Your Home: 6-Week Lent Decluttering Challenge with Expert Tips

Lent can hold different meanings for everyone, but its essence remains consistent: reflection, self-discipline, and renewal. This year, consider embracing a decluttering challenge alongside your personal goals. It's an excellent way to refresh your living space and focus on what matters most before Easter arrives.

Professional organizers have shared valuable decluttering strategies to help you transform your home, eliminate unnecessary items, and break free from negative habits over the next six weeks.

Your Lent Decluttering Challenge

Lent provides a unique opportunity to revitalize our surroundings, prompting us to appreciate the belongings we possess.

Audra George, a professional organizer and founder of Pretty Neat, emphasizes the connection between clutter and stress. She states, 'A disorganized environment can lead to increased anxiety and mental overwhelm. By maintaining a tidy home, you create a serene atmosphere that allows for peace and relaxation. A clear space not only enhances your well-being but also makes it easier to navigate and maintain a clean, healthy home.'

By implementing these expert suggestions over the next six weeks, you'll embrace slow cleaning this spring and cultivate simple habits for a clutter-free home. Address different areas of your home each week, reserving Sundays for rest and rejuvenation before tackling the next space.

Using a planner can significantly aid in setting yourself up for a successful decluttering session. This Papier journal features daily to-do lists, habit trackers, and goal-planning sheets to help you establish targets and nurture healthier routines.

Week 1 – Declutter Your Kitchen

A hallmark of Lent is giving up certain foods to foster self-discipline, making it a fitting starting point for your decluttering schedule by focusing on your kitchen.

Lauren Saltman, an expert organizer and owner of Living. Simplified., recommends prioritizing food items in your kitchen decluttering checklist for Lent. 'Now is the time for a thorough declutter of your fridge and pantry,' she advises. 'Keeping your fridge organized is essential.'

Consider eliminating any foods that you or your family members plan to give up for the holiday, as well as expired items or foods you don't enjoy and won't consume before they spoil.

Lauren adds, 'This not only benefits you and your family but also makes room for the foods everyone enjoys.'

These transparent plastic bins provide a quick view of everything in your fridge or pantry, ensuring nothing is overlooked and left to spoil. They also encourage organization and neatness.

Utilize vertical storage solutions to maximize space on shelves by incorporating stacking drawers in your pantry for snacks and packaged goods.

Keep kitchen counters organized by utilizing countertop organizers like this compact shelving unit, which helps consolidate daily essentials and reduces visual clutter, making your workspace easier to navigate.

Next, turn your focus to the remainder of your kitchen. Diane N. Quintana, a professional organizer and founder of DNQ Solutions, shares, 'If you haven't used a kitchen appliance in over a year, consider donating it. It's just taking up precious space in your cupboards.'

'Aim to keep your countertops as clear as possible. Only have out the items you use regularly, like a coffee maker or toaster. If condiments contribute to clutter on your counter, consider investing in a single or multi-tiered lazy Susan to organize them, giving them a more intentional appearance.'

The classic Aleph Striped Crock adds timeless charm to your kitchen counters. Made from ceramic, its neutral base color is complemented by simple warm stripes, and its tapered neck adds a touch of artistic flair.

Week 2 – Declutter Your Living Spaces

With your kitchen organized, it's time to shift focus to your living areas, including the living room and bedroom decluttering. Spend the next six days addressing each space, reducing items that no longer serve a purpose.

Lena Gierasinska from Barker & Stonehouse advises, 'Tackling smaller tasks allows you to maintain control and momentum, rather than feeling overwhelmed by the magnitude of the job. By addressing clutter incrementally, you can make thoughtful decisions about what to keep and what to let go, ensuring your home reflects your current lifestyle and needs. This method is effective for reducing stress and creating a more balanced environment without drastic changes.'

During Lent, reflect on items that may have caused you guilt in the past—expensive purchases you regret, items associated with negative memories, or belongings that don't align with your current values.

Working alongside cleaning professionals from Dr. Beckmann, Dilly Carter, a professional organizer and founder of Declutter Dollies, emphasizes that decluttering is a personal journey. 'Take it step by step, focusing on what truly brings value to your life now and whether you can envision using it in the next six to twelve months.'

Andrea Fefekos, a professional organizer at Shelf Care Organizing, adds, 'Make decisions based on what serves you in your life today. Don't hold onto items that were once useful but now clutter your space and hinder your ability to move forward.'

Consider various decluttering techniques that can assist you, such as the pile decluttering method or the five-second decluttering rule to be more ruthless in your decluttering efforts.

Baskets are ideal for establishing drop zones in your entryway, living room, or hallway, making it easier to manage clutter throughout the week.

Utilize vacuum storage bags to keep seasonal clothing and soft furnishings stored away, minimizing their footprint in your home.

This spacious laundry hamper is perfect for busy families, featuring three removable bags to simplify laundry sorting and avoid clutter in bedrooms and bathrooms.

Week 3 – Clear Out Clothing

Clothing can often be one of the trickiest categories to declutter, so consider dedicating an entire week to reducing garments from all areas of your home—decluttering closets, including entryway closet ideas, as well as seasonal storage locations.

Punteha van Terheyden, head of Solved, notes, 'Clothing can be a significant burden, especially when many of us feel guilty about items that no longer fit or match our current style. To feel rejuvenated after Lent, try the Post-It Note decluttering method to categorize items as keep, try on, or discard, helping you make informed choices about your wardrobe.' This three-pack of Post-It Notes from Walmart simplifies the labeling process, making decluttering less messy.

Punteha continues, 'Consider the capsule decluttering method, ensuring you retain pieces that work together to create multiple outfits, maximizing the wear of each garment.'

During Lent, be kind to yourself for past impulse buys to ease the letting go of items.

For a clutter-free entryway, Lauren Saltman adds, 'Ask yourself if there's a designated spot for your coat or if the coat rack is overflowing. Is there a place to leave your shoes to avoid tripping hazards? An entryway is the first impression guests have of your home; make it welcoming with designated spots for coats, shoes, and bags.'

Week 4 – Evaluate Hobby Clutter

One of the most commonly ignored clutter categories is hobbies. Whether you frequently switch hobbies or invest heavily in one, there's always room to streamline with some decluttering tips for collectors and hoarders.

Clearing away clutter can make your hobby more enjoyable rather than battling through piles of items to begin.

Kathy Cohoon, operations manager at Two Maids, states, 'For me, under-consumption is about simplifying. It's about appreciating what you already have and resisting the urge to constantly acquire more. It might involve being creative with your existing items or finding new uses for them instead of purchasing new ones. It's about prioritizing quality over quantity and truly maximizing what's in your home.'

This is also an excellent opportunity to involve children in the Lent decluttering challenge, suggests Liora Seltzer, a professional organizer and founder of What U Keep.

She advises, 'If you think your kids can handle it, assist them in decluttering (or at least organizing) their toys and books to create spaces that align with their interests.'

Decluttering can be challenging, especially when children aren't on board, but involving them in the process and explaining the benefits of donating can effectively encourage them to embrace decluttering and maintain their new habits beyond Easter.

These stackable storage baskets quickly organize small hobby essentials, featuring cutout handles for easy transport to your craft area.

For those without a dedicated hobby space, under-bed storage is invaluable, providing easy access while keeping items tucked away.

For larger hobby items, such as sports gear or large children's playsets, large plastic totes in attics, mudrooms, or garages can help preserve items and keep them organized.

Week 5 – Tackle Digital Clutter

By week five, your home and mind should feel considerably lighter. To conclude the decluttering weeks, dedicate time to one of the most overlooked yet common forms of clutter: digital clutter.

Barbara Brock, a professional organizer and home stager, recommends, 'Declutter your computer or cloud storage by sorting files into folders and eliminating duplicates or unused documents.'

Now is also a great time to remove any bookmarked or saved items in your shopping carts. To prevent clutter from accumulating and foster better habits, transfer aspirational items to a wishlist that's out of sight. Set a reminder in your calendar to review this wishlist every six weeks and delete items you've forgotten about; chances are, you won't miss them as much as you originally thought. This is an excellent mindfulness technique for maintaining a tidy home beyond Lent.

Week 6 – Clean

In the final week leading up to Easter, embrace your newly organized space and kick off your spring cleaning checklist to prepare for welcoming friends and family to celebrate the end of Lent.

To spring clean without feeling overwhelmed, concentrate on revitalizing high-traffic areas that you often overlook, instead of trying to deep clean your entire home. As the weather warms, consider deep cleaning carpets while opening windows to facilitate drying. Alternatively, clean windows to eliminate winter grime and invite more natural light into your home, enhancing your mood and well-being.

Now is also the perfect time to introduce Easter decorations, such as beautiful wreaths or get creative by making Easter baskets to elevate your space for the season.

Properly cleaned microfiber cloths can last for years and are excellent for wiping counters, cleaning glass, dusting, and maintaining delicate decor.

Method cleaning products utilize a plant-based formula, enabling you to reduce the use of harsh chemicals in your home without compromising effectiveness.

For an efficient spring cleaning experience, consider investing in a steam mop. This versatile cleaner includes attachments for tiles, grout, hard floors, carpets, ovens, counters, glass, and upholstery, allowing you to clean your entire home with a single tool.

Meet the Experts

Audra is a professional organizer and owner of Pretty Neat: An Organizational Solution in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She began her career as a nurse, quickly recognizing the impact of clutter on her clients' stress and anxiety levels, prompting her to establish Pretty Neat in 2018.

Lauren is a professional home organizer who specializes in assisting busy families and retirees. She empowers her clients to take control of their environments for enhanced confidence at home.

Formerly a school teacher, Liora transitioned to home organizing in 2020 with the mission of helping others find peace and joy in their homes during uncertain times. She is a certified KonMari™ Consultant, dedicated to teaching her clients how to create systems that work for them. Additionally, Liora has become a parent mentor, guiding parents of children with ADHD to develop better routines that alleviate daily stress.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 40 Days of Lent Decluttering Challenge?

If you're seeking a more intensive decluttering approach for Lent, consider eliminating 40 items over the course of the 40 days—one item or a collection of items each day (excluding Sundays, which can be taken as a break). This method is ideal if you lack the time for longer decluttering sessions during the week.

Gather the items in a basket to take to donation centers at the end of the 40 days to minimize the number of trips.

Following your decluttering efforts during Lent and experiencing the benefits of a tidy home, you may find it helpful to adopt some habits of highly organized homeowners to maintain a space that promotes your health and well-being.