Spring has sprung, which means 2 things: the Spring real estate market is here--with a vengeance--and it's time to clean!

If you’re anything like us, the words “spring” and “cleaning” in the same sentence usually make you turn the other way, but when you can break intimidating tasks down into bite-sized pieces and turn them into a challenge, they are that much easier to complete. Introducing the 10-Day Declutter Challenge! 

You've probably heard how hot the real estate market is right now, and with spring typically being the busy season, a lot is going on. Whether you're thinking about selling your home but know that some spring cleaning is necessary before a photographer comes by or you simply need to do a bit of a refresh, this challenge is for you! 

Before you deep clean everything, you need to declutter. The less stuff you have, the less stuff you need to clean. During the 10-Day Declutter Challenge, you'll slowly tackle decluttering your home to make it a little less daunting and a little more fun, especially if you’re the type of person who likes to cross things off a to-do list every day. 

Happy decluttering!

The Kitchen

DAY 1

Junk Drawers & Countertops

Before diving too deep into grandma’s china, we’ll start small. Everyone has at least one (or two) junk drawers in their kitchen. Clean these out first, throw away any actual “junk,” and organize the rest.

DAY 2

 Pantry, Refrigerator, and Freezer

Remember those frozen pretzels you bought last year when you were craving them? They’ve probably expired or will stay in there for another year, so it’s probably best to toss them. Go through your pantry, fridge, and freezer to get rid of all expired and unwanted food items.

DAY 3

 Kitchen Cabinets

Now we can dive into the good stuff. If you’re the type of person who loves getting free cups at every event you go to or has way too many plates it may be time to part ways with the excess cups you've received. You can donate anything you don’t need or toss anything that’s been used too much.

The Living Room

The Closets

DAY 6

 Clothes

This one may be a doozy, but you have a whole day to tackle it! Start by taking everything out of your closet and off of the floor so that you can really see what you have. Then start a pile for Keep, one for Donate, and one for Toss. 

If you haven’t heard of Maire Kondo yet, she has great tips on sorting through your clothes that actually work. Check them out here.

DAY 7

 Shoes and Accessories

Just like with your clothes, sort through your shoes, belts, bags, hats, and anything else that may be hiding in your closet. Throw out or donate things that don’t fit or are not used anymore.

The Bedrooms

The Bathrooms

DAY 9

 Under the Sink

If you're anything like us, then the space under your sink is probably filled with a couple of things... cleaning products, old lotions, and a few half-used bottles of shampoo, your "catch all" caddy and more! Take some time to go through which products and items you actually use and toss the ones that you just won't use or that you no longer need!  

DAY 10

 Linen Closets and Medicine Cabinets

Did you know that medicine expires? Well, it does. So if you have a tendency to keep old prescriptions and cough medicine, you should probably throw those out. For the last day of the 10-Day Declutter Challenge, we're going to finish strong by tackling the linen closets and medicine cabinets. This would be a great time to put old towels in the garage for chores and to refold all the towels in that one ideal way.