Declutter 2021 – A Great Lenten Challenge

Declutter 2021

Clean Monday is coming up! And since everyone begins to talk about giving things up this time of year, I thought it would be a great time to declutter. Are you interested in giving up your stuff? Decreasing your attachment to physical goods? Great! Come join me on my 40 days in the Desert Home Challenge!

Here is how this challenge works. Each week of Great Lent is dedicated to one room of the house. (Or one type of space in the case of storage and entryways). During each week you are committed to at least decluttering the space mentioned within the seven days. 10 minutes a day should make a difference over the week! if you happen to have more time on your hands, take it a step further! Organize and then deep clean the space too! Check out our free crash course in organizing to help you remake these spaces in your home. Plus, our crash course includes various purging myths to help you break through the challenges of decluttering.

To get the most out of this challenge, take before pictures. After a few days in your decluttered space your brain will forget how bad things were before. So by taking before pictures, you can have a better vision of your progress. Plus, this will keep you motivated to keep going throughout the challenges.

Note: This challenge is based on the Gregorian calendar, and 2021, but you could do this six week challenge at any time! Just mark the weeks on your calendar as suits your time-frame.

Clean Monday – Cleaning Up our Place of Rest

From February 15-21 (Clean Monday to 1st Sunday) we will work on The Bedroom. The reason we want to start with the bedroom is that it makes the biggest difference to your life. It is the last place you see before going to sleep. And the first place you see when you wake up. So let’s remove the clutter from this room first.

This week let’s declutter 40 things from our bedroom, or 40 bedroom based items. Here is a Declutter Challenge List to get you started.

1. Clothing/Closet
   1. Tops
   2. Dresses
   3. Jackets, Cardigans, and Sweaters
   4. Bottoms
   5. Shoes
   6. Socks
   7. Undergarments
   8. Accessories
2. Bedsheets and Pillows
   1. Sheets
   2. Blankets
   3. Pillows
3. Bedside Table
4. Bedroom Decor

Having trouble building up the nerve to declutter? Don’t forget to read this first!

Declutter the Kitchen for the 2nd Week of Great Lent

From February 22-28 (2nd Monday to 2nd Sunday of Great Lent), let’s work on The Kitchen. Clutter-free kitchens can be hard work. But there is also a lot less sentimental items to declutter. There may me more expensive items you are holding on to, through. So, seriously, if you haven’t read the Home Organization Crash Course, do so now.

40 items from you Kitchen need to be decluttered this week. (Bonus points if you declutter 80 or more items. You can do it!)

1. Fridge
   1. Expired food
   2. Empty and expired condiments
   3. Condiments that have not been used in a year
2. Freezer
   1. Food with freezer burn
   2. Expired food
3. Island
   1. Declutter drawers
   2. Declutter counter tops
4. Pantry
   1. Expired food
   2. Foods that have been unused in a year that you wouldn’t use this week
   3. Empty snack boxes that the kids didn’t get rid of when they finished eating the snacks
5. Dining Area
   1. Extra plates
   2. Mugs
   3. Cups
   4. Extra utensils
   5. Extra serving bowls
      1. TIP: Set the dining room for the largest meal/feast you serve in a year, whether it is the 12 meatless dishes of Christmas Eve, or whatever your family does at thanksgiving. Any extras beyond that you can live without. You know you have enough for your biggest meal of the year, and you won’t go bigger than that!
6. Cooking Equipment/Appliances
   1. Unused specialty equipment
   2. Extra measuring cups and spoons
   3. Extra or Old pots and pans
   4. Mixing bowls
7. Other
   1. Tupperware/food storage containers
   2. Travel mugs
   3. Drinks
   4. Tea towels and washcloths
   5. Place-mats
   6. Anything else in your kitchen

Declutter The Living Room

From March 1-7 (3rd Monday to Veneration of the Cross) we will tackle the Living Room. Here are some areas from which to gather another 40 items to leave the house! Don’t forget to take before pictures!

1. Decor
   1. Artwork
   2. Picture frames
   3. Furniture
   4. Lamps, Candles and Misc Lighting
   5. Vases, and other pieces of decor
2. Entertainment
   1. DVDs and Bluerays
   2. Board games
   3. Video games
   4. Media, Remotes, and Consoles
   5. Puzzles
   6. Toys/Kids play things
3. Books
   1. Ones you would never read again or recommend
   2. Ones you haven’t read but would not choose to buy again if given the choice now
   3. Extra cookbooks
   4. Magazines and Textbooks
   5. Books the kids have outgrown

Declutter The Bathroom

From March 8-14 (4th Monday to 4th Sunday of Great Lent) we will declutter The Bathroom. Let’s work hard this week to clear another 40 items out of our homes.

1. Medicine
   1. Expired medicine
   2. Medicine that no one in the family uses
   3. First aid items
2. Amenities
   1. Soaps / shampoos
   2. Towels
   3. Facecloths
3. Personal Care Products
   1. Skin care products
   2. Perfumes
   3. Hair brushes and combs
   4. Travel sampler products
   5. Make-up
4. Cleaning
   1. Empty and old detergents
   2. Extra cleaning supplies
   3. Old rags
   4. Extra laundry supplies
   5. Unused and empty cleaning agents

Decluttering Work and Storage Spaces

From Mar 15-21 (5th Monday to 5th Sunday of Great Lent) we will declutter Storage, Office and Utilities Spaces. This week might feel a little overwhelming since it covers a large expanse of spaces in the home. Consider extending this challenge over two weeks, and moving next week’s challenge to Holy Week if you think you need more time. Otherwise, remember to stick to ten minutes a day and you’ll make progress without overwhelming your schedule!

1. Office
   1. Stationary
   2. Equipment and appliances
   3. Computers and technology
   4. Charging cables
   5. Papers
   6. Gift wrapping supplies/station
2. Storage
   1. Seasonal decor
   2. Costumes
   3. Party supplies
   4. Sentimental items
   5. Things children have outgrown
   6. Other stored items that haven’t been used in a year
3. Utility
   1. Tools
   2. Hardware
   3. Gardening supplies
   4. Home maintenance supplies
   5. Flashlights
   6. Lightbulbs
   7. Batteries

Entering the Home: Decluttering the way to Palm Sunday

From March 22-28 (6th Monday of Great Lent to Palm Sunday) we will declutter our home’s Entryways. This may include the space and closet by your front door, a mudroom if you have one, and a garage. If you have a garage, and it is mainly a storage space, hopefully you tackled that last week!

1. Coats
2. Sweaters/Jackets
3. Shoes/Boots
4. Mitts/Gloves
5. Toques/Hats/Caps
6. Scarves
7. Shoe horns and other misc items

After this week it will be Holy Week. If you need to, you can use this week to catch up. Otherwise, I recommend using the first three days of Holy Week to deep clean your house. In this way, deep cleaning can be approached as a penitential act, plus you won’t have to worry about the state of the house over Easter!

The Byzantine Life

Thank you for checking out this week’s article. Getting ready for Great Lent? Here are our related articles:

1. Cheesefare and Meatfare Sundays
2. Forgiveness Sunday
3. Great Lent

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