When I began my decluttering journey a few years ago, I came across the 40 Bags in 40 Days decluttering challenge that started in Catholic groups a few years ago to make their homes more inhabitable by getting rid of 40 bags worth of stuff during the 40-day Lenten season. I’m not a Catholic but there are certain things about this religion that I grew up believing in. The 40 bags in 40 days decluttering challenge was one such practice that I really wanted to adopt as a way to make my home more liveable.
Lent begins on an Ash Wednesday and ends a day before Easter Sunday making it a 46-day period, but you can take Sundays off and declutter on the remaining 40 days. Taking a break from decluttering on Sundays isn’t really necessary but it’s advisable to gain your energy back. If Sundays are your most productive days, you can choose any other day of the week as your rest day. The idea is to make this challenge as fun as possible while doing it in a way that works best for you.
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If you’re still wondering if your home needs to be purged of 40 bags worth of stuff, take a look around at your home and think how you feel.
Is there too much stuff around?
Do you feel stifled every time you enter your home?
Can you confidently admit that your home serves as a perfect relaxing sanctuary for you and your family?
If you are able to answer the above questions with utmost honesty, you will know whether to take this challenge or give it a skip this year. I took this challenge in 2022 and have no plans to do it next year because my home is already 40 bags lighter and doesn’t need to be purged of more stuff. Suit yourself while deciding how much stuff you need to get rid of. If there isn’t too much stuff to deal with, you can declutter only the things that can fit in 40 of these small trash bags.
So if you’re certain that you are taking up this 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge to declutter your home, here’s the list of spaces that you can tackle each day:
Kitchen
Day 1: Extra teacups, glasses, measuring cups & spoons and coffee mugs (including the ones that are chipped)
Day 2: Expired food items in the pantry
Day 3: Unused kitchen appliances, serve-ware, cookware and bakeware
Day 4: Unwanted stuff in the junk drawer like broken or duplicate scissors, duplicate bottle opener, old batteries, old take-out menus and torn food wrapping paper
Day 5: Broken, stained or lidless storage containers and jars
Living Room
Day 6: Mismatched, torn and stained throw pillows
Day 7: Excess décor items like paintings, photo frames and show pieces
Day 8: CD’s and DVD’s that haven’t been watched in ages
Day 9: Knick-knacks lying in the shelves of the living room
Day 10: Clutter lying on top of the flat surfaces like coffee table, dining table and center table
Day 11: Books that you’ve already read and the ones that you don’t intend to read in future
Bedroom
Day 12: Unwanted items sitting on top of the nightstand and in the drawer
Day 13: Damaged, torn and duplicate shoes in your shoe rack
Day 14: Clothes that don’t fit you anymore and the ones you don’t like wearing. Also get rid of the ones that are torn, stained or worn out.
Day 15: Old, broken and unwanted accessories like costume jewellery, old belts, ties, scarves, wallets and handbags
Day 16: Socks with missing pairs and underwear with holes in them
Bathroom
Day 17: Old makeup and skincare products
Day 18: Empty bottles of perfume, lotion, shampoo, shower gel and other bath & skincare products. Also get rid of old and broken toothbrushes and empty tubes of toothpaste.
Day 19: Broken and unwanted personal care items like hair styling appliances, epilators and razors
Day 20: Expired and unwanted prescription medicines
Day 21: Torn or threadbare bathmats and broken foot scrubs
Day 22: Excess or old bathroom cleaning supplies
Day 23: Sachets and samples you don’t intend to use
Home Office
Day 24: Unwanted cords and cables
Day 25: Junk mail and unneeded paperwork
Day 26: Empty ink cartridges in your printer, broken and old computer equipment like hard drives, software and outdated computer parts
Day 27: Unwanted and old stationery items like dried-up pens & markers, short pencils and extra mailing envelopes
Closets
Day 28: Mismatched & unused bed sheets and pillow covers
Day 29: Old and tattered towels
Day 30: Threadbare and moth-eaten blankets
Day 31: Broken hangers and hooks
Day 32: Board games, toys and puzzles with missing pieces. Also get rid of toys your kids have outgrown.
Day 33: Extra comforters and bedding sets. Get rid of the crib sheets that your kids have outgrown.
Garage/Patio/Garden
Day 34: Old or broken sports & workout equipment
Day 35: Empty paint cans and chemicals (don’t dispose it off directly. Call in a waste management company to deal with these items)
Day 36: Broken and unrepairable gardening tools
Day 37: Old and broken furniture
Day 38: Spare parts and tools that won’t be needed anymore
Miscellaneous Items
Day 39: Unwanted items in your car trunk
Day 40: Dried-up plants and broken pots – both indoor and outdoor
Even though this list covers every possible space of your home that might be a home to clutter, you can make changes based on your requirements.
Decluttering 40 bags of stuff can seem like a monumental task as you come to think of it, but I promise you’ll be proud of what you’ll be able to accomplish during this 40-day period. Your home will have more space to walk around, and the stuff that you have chosen to keep will be of more value. On day 40, as you will look around at your living space, you will have more mental clarity.
Have you taken this challenge before? If so, how did it turn out?