DIY's & Tutorials, Lifestyle

The 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge

This 40 day challenge (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) is an easy and fool-proof way to rid your house of clutter and mess.


Decluttering and organizing is a goal our culture is obsessed with. The Hoarders television show. The popularity of Marie Kondo and her Konmari method. The recent minimalist lifestyle movement. All of these have one thing in common: get rid of the “extra stuff” that has accumulated in your house. Personally, I love challenges. Something about reaching a defined goal in a limited amount of time always calls to me. So when I first saw this 40 Bags in 40 Days idea on Facebook five or six years ago I knew I had to get involved. And I did. Each day, for 40 days, I cleaned out a small area of my home and the end result was fantastic. This year I am doing the 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge again and I would love to have you join me.


What You Need

The beauty of this challenge is that you need NOTHING (well, maybe a few trash bags to put all that “extra stuff” in)! All it takes is 10-15 minutes of your time per day, for 40 days.


What to Get Rid Of

If you need a few ideas of where to start, here are some of my suggestions.

  • kitchen “junk” drawer
  • linen closet
  • kitchen cabinets
  • laundry cabinets
  • toy storage
  • pantry
  • tupperware and food storage drawer
  • media storage
  • your purse
  • make-up
  • cleaning supplies
  • spice rack
  • craft & art supplies

Because I am an avid list maker, I made myself a printable to use everyday to keep me on track.

40 Bags in 40 Days Printable

Why Do this Challenge?

For me, clutter brings stress. It is hard to relax with my kids and family when my house is a mess. But I don’t have the time, energy, or patience to a do deep reorganization and decluttering of my house in a single day. This 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge is realistic, doable and easy. And whether you stick with it for just a few days or last the entire Lenten season, your house gets decluttered and that is something to be proud of.


I am beginning this challenge the first day of Lent (Feb 26, 2020) and will be posting my decluttering adventures on Instagram and Facebook. I would love to have you follow along and join me in this 40 Bags in 40 Days challenge. Let me know in the comments below if you will. Happy de-cluttering!