The 52 Weeks Decluttering Challenge Is a Year-Long Process to Tidying Your Home — Here's How to Complete It

Randomly assigning home chores involving organization and decluttering might work for some but they're certainly not a recipe for success to all. Each home runs differently, which is why there are so many varied approaches to these typical tasks.

When it comes down to decluttering your home, if you have trouble keeping track of your to-do list and would much rather prefer a detailed once-and-for-all approach to an organized space, this 52 week challenge might just be the perfect fit.

So let's find out how this challenge works and how to take it on for yourself.

What Is the 52 Week Challenge?

The 52 week challenge takes charge of your calendar by systematically splitting up your home chores over each week of every month until the end of the year. By doing so, you have a clear, well-thought-out blueprint for the tidy-focused tasks worth paying attention to each week.

While the thought of 52 weeks of tasks might seem overwhelming at first, the fact of the matter is that you will likely take on most of the same tasks in a less planned way over the same amount of time.

Professional organizer Meaghan Kessman explains that it's all about breaking down the big job of organizing your home into smaller, more doable weekly tasks. "Each week you focus on a different area," she notes. "And this will make it feel a lot more manageable and less exhausting.

"I love this approach because it helps build momentum without burning out. Plus, by spreading it out over the year, it really helps create lasting habits and keeps your home running smoothly long term."

This challenge takes easy home organization ideas to the next level, guaranteeing an immaculate living environment that works in your favor.

Meaghan Kessman

Meaghan is a professional organizer and the founder of a full-service organizing firm based in Los Angeles. As a Southern California native, Meaghan has been passionate about organization since childhood. After a 20+ year career as a Digital Media Executive for companies such as Pandora Media and People Magazine, and three years living abroad with her family in London, she now has the opportunity to do what she's always wanted to do: create beautiful spaces through organization.

January

Starting the year off strong, I find that this is the best time to get your core living spaces in order. That will in turn lay the foundation for organization in the other areas of your home.

Week 1: Take this time to declutter your living room.

Week 2: Then, follow through by organizing your living room.

Week 3: Next, you can get help from living room organization hacks.

Week 4: I also recommend taking on smaller tasks like decluttering your books.

Week 5: And end the first month by tackling book collection organization too.

February

In February, you can take a more personal approach to organizing your home by prioritizing the spaces that work best when streamlined. Personally, I find this to be my bedroom and closet.

Week 6: Learning how to declutter your bedroom is sure to come in handy here.

Week 7: Then complete this two-part task by organizing your bedroom as well.

Week 8: Next, focus your efforts on decluttering your closet.

Week 9: And as you can tell by now, the best next step is to action some closet organization ideas.

March

If you have kids, cater this month's to-do list to their play and sleep zones. These spaces do need regular seeing to but a deep clean and sort can go a long way.

Week 10: Your first task of the month should be decluttering your kid's rooms.

Week 11: Then take the following week to organize your kid's room.

Week 12: If you're looking to go one step further, you can also introduce some clever children's room storage solutions.

Week 13: Also, don't forget to organize your children's closets for easy dressing.

April

Now, you can move on to sorting through the areas of your home that are often overlooked. And this exemplifies the true beauty of the 52 week challenge, whereby no room gets left behind.

Week 14: Begin by getting rid of clutter in your laundry room.

Week 15: Then organize your laundry room and assign a space to the items you've held onto.

Week 16: You can also use this month to identify backyard items to declutter.

Week 17: Speaking of spaces that are neglected, take this chance to pencil in garage organization.

May

I recommend taking May to dedicate your time to properly servicing your culinary space. Kitchens are tough to tackle, so splitting your tasks over the course of five weeks will do just the trick.

Week 18: Firstly, pare back the space by decluttering your kitchen.

Week 19: Then, attack the hidden storage spaces by decluttering your kitchen cabinets.

Week 20: Next, learn how to organize your kitchen appliances for an efficient cooking zone.

Week 21: Follow this by organizing your kitchen cabinets.

Week 22: And complete your cooking zone focus month by making your pantry more functional.

June

Chances are there are a couple of other spaces in your kitchen that could do with a touch of intentional organization. So continue with last month's trend by carrying on with the following tasks.

Week 23: Now that your larder is more practically laid out, test out some pantry organization ideas.

Week 24: You can also set aside some time to organize your fridge.

Week 25: And if you have a vast collection of cookware, it might be time to introduce some pan organization tactics.

Week 26: Now before we can rightfully knock the kitchen off our list, it's important to also organize your kitchen drawers for a space that's totally organized from top to bottom.

July

With the first of the year behind, you'll now be halfway through the 52 week challenge. And as it happens, this is also around the time of year that hosting season begins to pick up pace. So here are a couple of tasks to make your guest bedroom look expensive, that don't solely focus on design.

Week 27: In order to prepare your home for guests, begin by decluttering your guest bedroom.

Week 28: The best next step is to organize your guest bedroom and set it up for the lucky visitors to be.

Week 29: You can also carve out some time to declutter your guest bathroom.

Week 30: Also, treat them to a resort vibe by making sure the guest bathroom is organized and stocked with mini products for extra host points.

Week 31: And you can complete the guest living experience by organizing the closet and making sure that none of your personal belongings are taking up space.

August

As summer slowly drifts away, August marks the start of the cooler months. So here are some tasks I recommend working through over these four weeks.

Week 32: Get decluttering your entryway off your list within the first week of the month.

Week 33: Then focus your time on organizing your entryway, so you make a great first impression with your home.

Week 34: If you still feel like there's room for improvement, try introducing some of Marie Kondo's entryway organization ideas for a space that sparks joy.

Week 35: On a different note, you can take this final slot in the month to declutter and organize your powder room.

September

With spooky season in session and crisp autumn leaves all around, this month can cater to further making your home guest-ready.

Week 36: Now that autumn is in full swing, you can focus your efforts on fall decluttering.

Week 37: Next, I find that now's the best time to organize your hosting closet.

Week 38: In turn, you can also spend some time organizing your caffeine station and making sure your coffee nook is complete.

Week 39: And if you prefer your espresso in a martini, you can also add organizing your home bar to your task list.

October

As the year inches closer to the last few months, it's important to account for the smaller, more intricate spaces of your home. Here are some ideas that could help.

Week 40: Considering they make for a dedicated space to your morning and night routines, decluttering your vanity is key.

Week 41: If you're not a morning person (guilty!), it's also worth organizing your vanity for a smoother wake-up call.

Week 42: If a clutter-free desk is what you're after, consider decluttering your home office.

Week 43: Plus, you can double up on productivity by organizing your home office while you're at it.

Week 44: And leave your WFH space perfectly prepared by adopting some desk organization ideas too.

November

With only two months to go and Thanksgiving hosting soon approaching, here are some tasks you'll want to lend your time to in November.

Week 45: Since this space will see an increased amount of foot traffic around the holidays, it's worth assigning some time to decluttering your dining room.

Week 46: And of course, follow this by organizing your dining room for a hearty restaurant-style ambiance.

Week 47: You can then move on to organizing your entertainment center.

Week 48: Clinch the month by utilizing some CD storage or vinyl storage ideas, depending on your musical preference.

December

Now, you're almost at the finish line so don't give up yet. Here's what you can do to finish off the year with a bang.

Week 49: A pre-Christmas declutter is a must for any home that's in the season's spirit.

Week 50: You can also engage in linen closet organization in the lead-up to the last few weeks.

Week 51: This is the perfect time to learn how to declutter before the new year.

Week 52: Finally, you can take the final week to sort any miscellaneous organization tasks or outline your decluttering New Year resolutions.

And there you have it — the 52 week challenge that'll make sure your home looks and feels good throughout the year.

Now, it's worth mentioning that some of these tips may not apply to your home. So feel free to take inspiration from these ideas and improvise where necessary.

After all, the most important part is that you stick to your calendar and enjoy the ease that comes with a completely outlined tidying plan.