Printable Signs to Help You Declutter!

Do you feel overwhelmed when you think about decluttering an area of your home?  Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start or what to do.

These free printable signs will help you as you tackle your next decluttering project!

Decluttering Categories

When I declutter around my home or when I work with my clients, I always start by having several boxes, bins, bags, baskets, or other containers handy.

I often use these banker boxes, or these laundry baskets, or these tote bins (affiliate links) when I’m organizing for myself or with my clients, as well as different coloured bags (usually black for garbage, blue for recycling, and clear for donations).

But before you buy anything, take a look around your home and see what you can find!  Most often my clients already have empty boxes or bins they can use and they find more as we declutter 🙂

Once we have our containers, I set up one for each of these categories:

• Donate
• Garbage
• Recycle
• Sell
• Relocate
• Return
• Keep

If I’m tackling a small project, like a junk drawer, I may just have small piles on the counter for each of these categories.  But even then I almost always have some items that fit into each category.

And for a larger project like a basement or a garage, some of these categories will have multiple bags or boxes by the end!

I used to just use sticky notes to label where each category went, but those can get buried under stuff, mixed up, or lost quite easily.

So I decided to make myself some printable signs.  I printed mine on cardstock and even laminated them so I can use them over and over with my clients or in my own home.

Printable Decluttering Signs

Here are a couple of my signs in action 🙂

These small baskets are right by my door with items to donate and return.  If you’re working on a decluttering project, you’ll want your bins and signs right where you’re working.  But the rest of the time, having a donation station and a returns basket somewhere near the door you use most often for coming and going is really helpful.

I use binder clips to attach these signs to whatever containers I’m using.  You could also use double-sided tape (affiliate links).

You can attach the signs to the front of your container or the back… whichever will help you see them the best when you’re decluttering!

How These Signs Can Help You Declutter

These really help my clients and I stay focused on what we’re doing.

• If the goal is to declutter a certain amount and the “Keep” bin is filling faster than the “Donate” bin, we take a minute to reflect on the established goals so the client can make more choices that will help them achieve their goals.
• We don’t take time away from what we’re doing when we find items that belong in another room… they just go in the “Relocate” bin and everything can be relocated all at once later!
• We aren’t distracted with items we find that need to be returned to someone or someplace… they just go in the “Return” basket and everything can be added to an errands list or taken to the car at once!
• We don’t stop to look up the value of items that could be sold… they all go in the “Sell” box and the research can be done all at once later. 
• And as we see the “Garbage” and “Recycle” bags filling, we’re motivated to keep going!

See how these signs can help you declutter?

How You Can Get These Decluttering Signs For Yourself

If you’d like to download a copy of these decluttering signs to help you with your next decluttering project, click the picture below!

Please note, these printables are for personal use only.  Thanks 🙂

If you’re ready to declutter but you need some tips, you can check out my Decluttering / Purging Tips & Ideas board on Pinterest.

If you need help decluttering, contact me for in-person organizing services in the Mississauga area, or virtual organizing services anywhere else.

I hope these printable decluttering signs will help you as you declutter!  Which project are you going to tackle first with these printable signs?

Happy organizing!