Join the Family Handyman 5-Day Declutter Challenge!
Updated: Jan. 26, 2022Five days. Five rooms. Half an hour each. Grab a friend — online works! — and buddy up to clear your clutter during our second annual Declutter Challenge. You've got this.
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Ready to show your home a little love in 2022? We’ll show you how to declutter your home in just five days. Join Family Handyman’s pro-led 5-Day Declutter Challenge starting January 31. Tackle small but persistent trouble spots throughout your home, Monday through Friday, 30 minutes each day.
If you’re anything like us, “new year, same old clutter,” may well be your mantra. And you’re craving a reset.
That’s why we teamed up with professional organizers Jamie Novak, author of Keep This, Toss That, and Michele Vig of @neatlittlenest to show you how to decluttter your home and help you clear it out in less time per night than it takes to stream the latest episode of your current binge-worthy watch.
Each day’s quick-and-easy challenge helps you tackle one of your home’s problem areas. The goal? To declutter and empower. Small changes can build the momentum that leads to bigger ones! At the least, you’ll help your family’s day-to-day run a little more smoothly.
Bonus: It’s a great way to connect with friends, keep each other accountable and celebrate daily wins.
Ready to control the chaos of home clutter? Read these challenge FAQs to find out more.
On This Page
What exactly is the Family Handyman 5-Day Declutter Challenge?
The FHM 5-Day Declutter Challenge is a series of five choose-your-own tasks, targeted to your home’s most clutter-prone areas. It makes learning how to declutter your home fast and easy. Mark your calendar and set a phone alert. We start on Monday, Jan. 31, and reveal one challenge on our website each day.
Each challenge requires just 30 minutes and includes a 10-minute quick toss. At the end of the week, you’ll find yourself with an undeniably tidier house.
But I have a lot/just a little clutter. Is this challenge for me?
Yes! It’s designed to help homeowners and apartment dwellers living with any level of clutter.
This challenge gives you the direction, motivation and connection to make change that will make a difference. Whether that’s getting the ball rolling on a bigger project or finally getting that last annoying junk drawer in order is up to you.
What if I have a question?
That’s the value of doing this challenge with the FHM community: Organizing expert Jamie Novak will be available to answer your questions. Simply tag your question with #FamilyHandymanDeclutterChallenge on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, and she’ll reply!
What if I miss a day, or start after Jan. 31?
No problem! There’s no pressure to catch up. Simply jump in anytime. Your personal first day is Day One.
Is there any prepwork involved?
Just a little. Have these things ready to ensure you’ll make the most of each day’s 30 minutes:
- A timer, to keep track of your 30 minutes (the one on your phone or the stove works).
- Basic cleaning essentials, such as:
- Microfiber cleaning towels;
- Multi-purpose cleaner;
- Vacuum cleaner and/or broom.
- Boxes or bags to gather donations.
- An empty vehicle trunk or other designated spot to store donations for pickup.
- A preferred donation spot, whether you’ll drop off or schedule a pickup (see donationtown.org for help).
What areas will we be covering?
You’ll spend time on small choose-your-own declutter projects in these five spaces during the challenge: kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, laundry room and entryway.
I’m in! How do I start?
Great! Simply go to this page on our website on Monday, Jan. 31, to start the challenge. Come back each day for the next four days to find a new challenge.
Until then, here are a few things you can do to help you stay motivated:
- Bookmark the challenge location on our website.
- Share this post with a friend and invite them to tackle the challenge with you!
- Set a phone alarm and/or put a reminder in your calendar to start the challenge on Jan. 31.
- Round up everything you’ll need. (See “Is there any prepwork?” above.)
- Follow and like Family Handyman on Instagram and/or Facebook.
- Share the graphic above on your social media of choice.
Meet Your Organizing Experts
Jamie Novak
Pro Organizer @JamieNovak, author of Keep This Toss That: The Practical Guide to Tidying Up, hosts The 10 Minute Podcast and her YouTube Channel Countdown To Clutter Free. She’s here to guide you through the assignments, sharing her insider tips to combat chaos and reset your home for a clutter-free new year.
Michele Vig
Vig founded Neat Little Nest with the goal of helping unlock people from their clutter and build the lives they envision. She is certified in KonMari decluttering and a member of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals. She published The Holistic Guide To Decluttering in 2020.
