Key Areas to Declutter (and Sections You Can Skip)

While it’s great to declutter your whole home—who has time for that? With work and family commitments, finding even a little time to tidy up one room can be difficult. Therefore, it's essential to prioritize what to declutter first and what can wait until you have more free time. Here are the key spaces to focus on decluttering in your home, plus a few areas to skip, as recommended by professional organizers.

Focus on These Areas

The Pantry and Refrigerator

Shantae Duckworth, professional organizer and founder of Shantaeize Your Space, recommends prioritizing the pantry and fridge. She explains, 'This is crucial! You visit your kitchen daily, preparing meals regularly, making it one of the busiest areas of your home. But it's also one of the most neglected spots, because we often just buy new food and store it without considering what we already have.'

These are also some of the easiest spaces to declutter since it's simpler to throw away last week's leftovers than to part with that college sweatshirt. 'We're not as emotionally attached to food as we are to clothes, shoes, or sentimental items. If food is expired, it's an easy call to toss it,' she says. 'If it’s still good but your family won’t eat it, it’s just as easy to donate it to a local food bank or give it to someone who will enjoy it.'

Bathroom Vanities

From expired aspirin to nearly empty tubes of Neosporin, Duckworth points out that bathroom vanities are filled with items you no longer need or may have forgotten about. 'When organizing this space, make sure to group similar items together. For example, keep all your skincare products in one section so you're more likely to use them daily,' she advises.

Once you've decluttered, be sure to restock any essential items you may be running low on, such as over-the-counter medications and first aid supplies.

Your Bedroom

Lindsey Mahanna, professional organizer and founder of Clutter to Clarity, recommends focusing on your bedroom. 'I suggest decluttering the primary bedroom because it's where you begin and end your day, and it should serve as a peaceful sanctuary,' she says.

Sorting through your clothing each morning can be time-consuming, so keeping this space tidy will save you time in the long run.

Jennifer Jarrett, professional organizer and founder of Jenuinely Contained, emphasizes the importance of decluttering the top of the nightstand. 'Maintaining a clutter-free bedroom creates a calming atmosphere that promotes better sleep. It's essential not to let items pile up on your nightstand or gather dust in small corners of the room,' she advises.

If you have the time, consider tackling your nightstand drawers once the visible areas are done.

The Room that Causes You the Most Stress

We all have those spaces that make us cringe. Manhanna advises prioritizing any room that causes you stress. She explains, 'If you walk into your home every day to a cluttered mudroom that makes your blood boil, that’s the first place you should focus on decluttering.' Achieving this can also give you the confidence and clarity to tackle the rest of your home.

What to Skip

The Garage

Both Jarrett and Duckworth recommend skipping the garage. 'It's often a catch-all space for many families because of its large size, which can hold a lot of things,' says Duckworth. From sentimental items to bulk-purchased toilet paper, there's no real reason for most of us to prioritize decluttering this area over other spaces in the home.

The Linen Closet

A cluttered linen closet is not a huge issue in the grand scheme of things. While it’s nice to have it neat, this space ranks low on your to-do list. Typically tucked away behind a door and not accessed often, it’s better to focus your energy on more visible, frequently-used areas.