How to Clean a Cluttered Room in Less Than an Hour
Inside: Learn how to clean a cluttered room in less than an hour! Finally, tackling the stuff doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.
So you need to clean a cluttered room – and you need to do it fast.
Rushing through the process of cleaning out a room filled with clutter isn’t ideal, but it’s absolutely doable.
As long as you’re ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work, you can absolutely make a huge impact on your cluttered room in under an hour!
Not sure how to make it happen? I’ve got you covered. Keep reading to see how you can completely transform your space in sixty minutes or less.
What You’ll Need to Clean a Cluttered Room Fast
Before you get started, it’s important to make sure you have everything you need to clean your cluttered room. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself stuck as soon as you start, which can cause you to lose momentum and spend hours struggling to clean your space.
Use the list below as a starting point to make sure you’re well-equipped to clean your cluttered room:
- Garbage bags
- Your favorite cleaning spray or wipes
- Paper towels or a microfiber cloth
- Boxes and bins for sorting and storage
- Post-It notes for anything you might need to label
- Cleaning gloves
How to Clean a Cluttered Room Quickly: 5 Super Simple Steps
Now that you have everything you need to clean your cluttered space, it’s time to make it happen.
By following these simple steps, you’ll be surprised to see just how quickly you can take your space from cluttered and chaotic to totally organized.
Step 1: Make it fun!
Yes, you read that right. To clean a cluttered room, the best place to start is by finding a way to make the process fun.
Put on your favorite playlist, turn on the latest episode of a well-loved podcast, or hit “play” on a new audiobook before you get started.
You might be surprised to see just how quickly an hour can pass when you’re dancing to your favorite songs or absorbed in a good story.
Another way to make it fun and speed up the process? Invite a friend over to help. You can catch up and chat while sorting through your stuff and cleaning up your cluttered room.
Step 2: Set a timer!
Once you’ve found the right playlist or audiobook to keep you energized, it’s a good idea to set a timer.
Not only will a timer help you hold yourself accountable – after all, you’re trying to clean and declutter in under one hour – you’ll be able to quickly check your progress and speed up as needed to hit your goal.
Ideally, your timer is big and visible from across the room – but your cell phone timer will work, too.
Step 3: Get rid of obvious trash!
Now, the real cleaning and decluttering begin.
Start by getting rid of anything that is obviously destined for the landfill. Literal trash, broken things that you’re holding onto, clothes with stains or tears that can’t be fixed, empty boxes to be recycled, and all sorts of miscellaneous stuff can fall into this category.
It shouldn’t take you too long to cruise through your space and fill a bag with stuff that is easily identifiable as trash.
Then, it’s time to move on to the next step…
Step 4: Create a donation box for unneeded clutter.
If you’re on a mission to clean your cluttered room, you need to be prepared to give up some clutter. Generally speaking, clutter is stuff that fills your space that isn’t serving a purpose anymore.
It isn’t trash, because it’s perfectly fine, but it isn’t being loved or used in your home, so it’s time for it to go.
Clutter means different things to different people. It could be books you’ve already read or clothes you’ll never wear again.
Some examples of potential clutter are: craft supplies that have gone unused for months, piles of mail or magazines that haven’t been touched, home decor items, pots and pans you don’t actually need. Any items that aren’t being loved or used fall into this category.
The big difference between trash and clutter is that trash truly serves no further purpose. It can’t be donated or passed on to someone else to repurpose. Clutter, however, can often find new life in a new home.
Fill a box with clutter and get it to your favorite local charity (or Buy Nothing group) to benefit your community and declutter your space.
Step 5: Clean your room in segments.
Don’t try to clean your whole room at once. Instead, clean your cluttered room in segments using the micro-declutter method.
Start with a small, focused space. It can be a specific corner of the room, a messy bookshelf, or some other spot where you can quickly make progress and see the results of your hard work.
Once that spot is tidy and clutter-free, move on to the next one. Continue the process until you’ve tackled all of the obvious areas in the room.
Just don’t forget to keep an eye on your timer! If you aren’t focused on moving quickly, it’s easy to get lost in a task and look up to find you’ve been organizing for hours.
If You Have More Than One Hour to Clean and Declutter
What if you have more than an hour to clean and declutter your space?
Here are a few more steps you can take to make your space perfectly clean and clutter-free.
Declutter a Little Deeper
If you’re trying to declutter fast, you’re going to end up cutting a few corners in the process. You’ll miss things and skip over certain areas that might take too much time to tackle in such a short period of time.
If you end up having a little more time than you thought, take advantage of that and declutter a little deeper. Open all of those cabinets and drawers.
Examine everything on your shelves or in your closets. Figure out what truly serves a purpose and what’s just taking up space – and deal with it accordingly.
Test Having Less
If you have extra time to declutter your room, take it a step further and try the house hushing method.
Remove unnecessary decor, furniture, and other clutter, and see how you like your space without all that stuff.
If you really miss something, you can put it back. But you might be surprised to see just how much more you enjoy your space when you aren’t overwhelmed by your stuff.
Do Some Deep Cleaning
You can make a significant impact on a cluttered room in an hour or less. But you won’t be able give it a deep clean in such a short period of time.
If you have more time to tackle your space, give the areas you quickly passed over a little extra love. Dusting, mopping, and other chores you might not have had time for before will make a big difference in your space.
Use these simple tips to help get your home cleaner if you have some extra time!
The Next Time You Need to Clean a Cluttered Room, Follow These Steps!
Not knowing where to start when it comes to cleaning a cluttered room can be overwhelming. By following these steps, you can see just how easy cleaning your cluttered room can be.
Make a checklist – or save this post – and use it again the next time you need to quickly declutter. Your future self will thank you!
What do YOU do when you need to clean a cluttered room fast? Share your best tips in the comments!
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I almost a always start with a sturdy clothes basket to gather up all the stuff in the room that belongs somewhere else (shoes, toys, mail, dishes, etc.). if time is short I’ll stash that basket in a closet or the laundry room and put the stuff away later. Then I can more efficiently assess the rest of the clutter that may belong but is just TOO much.
LOL – I’ve done that before when I have company coming – and then forget to go back to that laundry basket – till I have unpaid bills! So be careful! 🙂
yeah, cos it’s *that simple*, not! ypu could rename this article, ‘cleaning a cluttered room by a minimalist who doesn’t understand attachment’ 🙄🙄🙄
Some of the process for most people is simple, like throwing out trash. To be clear, I don’t actually consider myself a minimalist and I do understand attachment. For those who struggle with it, I would not suggest trying to declutter their space very quickly.
Thank you from this procrastinating person. Saving and going to use the advice!
I really appreciate your work. I’ve been subscribed for years, and even when I declutter my inbox, your emails are the ones I keep.
Like many people, I’m messy and easily overwhelmed. I’m self-aware, I’ve done therapy, and I know why decluttering triggers anxiety—but I’m still a work in progress.
What I value most about your articles is how practical and compassionate they are. The music, the timer, focusing on one small area—those tools make action feel possible when I’d otherwise freeze.
I’ve learned that taking action often creates the internal movement people are waiting for. One small, doable step at a time really does change things.
You’re making a real difference for people like me who want a better space but need some guidance. Thank you for that.
Thank you for your kind comment, Leslie. I’m so glad that the emails and posts have been helpful to you.