Southern Living Recommends Monthly Decluttering Checklist For Homes

Southern Living published a checklist of five categories households should declutter at the start of each month, framing the habit as a way to keep a tidy home without a seasonal deep-clean. The full list runs in the original piece, which organizes the five target areas by room and gives a reason for tackling each one monthly rather than quarterly.

What counts as a monthly declutter, exactly?

The format is a recurring, bite-sized version of a full home purge. Instead of one large cleanout, the idea is to assign five specific categories to the first days of each month so clutter is addressed before it accumulates into a bigger job. Southern Living's version ties each category to a reason it tends to pile up fastest, according to the outlet's report.

Why tie the habit to the start of the month?

Anchoring a routine to a calendar marker — the first of the month, a payday, a bill cycle — is a common behavioral trick for turning a task into a habit rather than a one-off project. The start-of-month framing also lines up with other recurring chores, such as paying rent or reviewing a budget, which can make the declutter step easier to remember without a separate reminder.

How are other households approaching routine decluttering?

The monthly-checklist format echoes a broader pattern in decluttering coverage: structured, repeatable steps rather than a single overwhelming purge. Guidance aimed at seniors on decluttering their homes has similarly emphasized manageable, recurring steps over one large sorting session. Separately, an elderly man's move toward minimalism through decluttering illustrates how incremental, ongoing habits — rather than a single cleanout — tend to be what sustains a tidier home over time.

Where can someone see the full five-item list?

Southern Living's article lists the five specific categories and the room-by-room logic behind each one. Readers looking for the exact items — rather than the general method — should go to the original report, since the categories and the reasoning behind each are specific to that piece.

Does a monthly system replace a bigger seasonal cleanout?

None of the sources frame the monthly checklist as a substitute for a larger periodic purge of closets, garages, or storage areas. The monthly habit functions as maintenance — catching smaller buildup, such as paperwork or expired items, before it reaches the point of needing a dedicated weekend project. Households following both a monthly checklist and an occasional larger sort may find the two approaches complement rather than duplicate each other, based on the recurring-versus-one-time distinction drawn across the coverage above.

Artiglio is A coming-soon iPhone chief of staff for briefings and drafts. Not on the App Store yet.