Clear the Clutter Storage Giveaway!!

If your home feels like it should come with a warning label that reads “Enter at your own risk,” you’re not alone. Between kids, hobbies, Amazon packages, and that mysterious stack of mail that keeps regenerating on the kitchen counter, clutter has a way of sneaking into every corner of the house.

A “Clear the Clutter Storage Giveaway”–style event, like the fun giveaways and organizing challenges you’ll often see on home improvement blogs such as Remodelaholic, can be the perfect excuse to finally reclaim your space. Think of it as a makeover for both your home and your habits: you clear out what’s not working, add smart storage, and enjoy rooms that actually function for real life.

In this guide, we’ll walk through a complete decluttering and storage makeover plan inspired by expert advice from organizing pros, real-life small-space families, and closet and garage specialists across the U.S. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to clear the clutter, choose the right storage, and keep your home feeling calm long after the “giveaway” excitement is over.

Why Clearing Clutter Matters Before You Add Storage

Clutter quietly steals your time and money

We tend to think clutter is just “mess,” but it’s more expensive than it looks. Lost receipts, late fees, duplicate purchases because you can’t find the originalthose little annoyances add up. Real estate and organizing experts point out that clutter can even hurt home value and make it harder to sell, especially when garages, closets, and storage areas are packed to the brim.

Before you dream about shiny new bins and perfectly labeled baskets, you need one key mindset shift: storage should serve the stuff you truly use and love, not enable you to keep everything you’ve ever owned. Decluttering first means your storage systems stay lean and easy to maintain.

In small spaces, clutter is amplified

If you live in a small house, condo, or apartment, you already know this truth: one laundry basket in the wrong spot can make the whole place feel chaotic. Bloggers who specialize in small-home living emphasize that the secret isn’t a giant walk-in closetit’s ruthless editing plus intentional storage.

That’s exactly where a “clear the clutter” event or storage giveaway challenge shines. It gives you a deadline and a theme (yay, prizes and pretty baskets!) so you finally tackle the stuff that’s been sitting on your mental to-do list for years.

A Game Plan to Clear the Clutter (Before and During a Storage Giveaway)

You don’t need to empty your entire house into the driveway. In fact, most organizing pros recommend starting small and building momentum with quick wins so you don’t burn out.

Step 1: Start with one tiny, high-impact zone

Instead of declaring “I’m going to organize the whole house this weekend!” (and then taking a nap from sheer overwhelm), pick one small zone that you see every day:

• Entryway drop zone or shoe pile
• Kitchen counter “paper mountain”
• Bathroom drawer you can barely open
• Top of the dresser or nightstand

Set a 15-minute timer and power through. Many organizers recommend this short, focused approach because it’s sustainableespecially if you’re juggling work, kids, and life.

Step 2: Use simple decluttering rules (so you stop overthinking)

Decision fatigue is real. The more questions you ask (“What if I need it one day?”), the slower you go. Decluttering methods like the 5/7 rule, the 90/90 rule, and the classic keep/donate/toss method help you move faster:

• 5/7 rule: If it doesn’t get used at least five days a week, it probably doesn’t deserve permanent space on your countertop or in your most accessible areas.
• 90/90 rule: Haven’t used it in the last 90 days and can’t see yourself using it in the next 90? It’s a strong candidate to donate or let go, especially for everyday household items.
• Four-box or three-pile method: Sort everything into keep, donate, trash, and (optionally) maybe. The “maybe” box keeps you moving without getting stuck on sentimental items.

Keep a donation box parked in your hallway or garage throughout your “storage giveaway” season. When it’s full, it’s time for a donation run.

Step 3: Declutter by category, not just room

It’s tempting to say “Today I’ll do the living room,” but clutter doesn’t respect room boundaries. Decluttering by categorybooks, kids’ toys, craft supplies, cleaning productshelps you see how much you actually own and prevents you from stuffing duplicates in multiple spaces.

As you do a category sweep, challenge yourself: do I really need five nearly empty bottles of glass cleaner, three sets of measuring cups, or twelve almost-identical black T-shirts?

Step 4: Make trash and donations convenient

Clutter hangs around because it’s easier to ignore than to deal with. Remove friction by:

• Keeping heavy-duty trash bags nearby for broken or unusable items
• Leaving a labeled “donate” bin in the garage, closet, or laundry room
• Scheduling a pick-up or donation drop-off date before you start

Think of it like a declutter funnel: items flow out of your home instead of getting re-shelved in a slightly different spot.

Storage Ideas That Actually Keep You Organized

Once you’ve edited down to what you truly use and love, then comes the fun part: choosing storage that fits your home and lifestyle. Home and organizing experts agree that the best systems are simple, repeatable, and easy for the entire household to maintain.

Closet storage that works as hard as your wardrobe

Closets are prime “storage giveaway” candidates because a few smart changes can totally transform how you get ready in the morning. Common pro-approved strategies include:​

• Installing double hanging rods for shirts and pants to instantly double usable space
• Using slim, non-slip hangers so clothing takes up less room on the rod
• Adding shelf dividers to keep stacks of jeans, sweaters, or purses from toppling
• Putting over-the-door organizers to work for shoes, accessories, or cleaning supplies
• Storing out-of-season items in labeled bins on upper shelves

If you want your closet to feel like a boutique (on a normal-person budget), think vertically. Use high shelves, add hooks on unused wall space, and bring in baskets or drawers for small items like socks, belts, and workout gear.

Garage and basement storage: from dumping ground to “bonus room”

Garages, basements, and utility rooms are often where clutter goes to hide, but they can also add huge functional square footage to your home if you treat them like real rooms. Storage and organization pros recommend:​

• Wall-mounted shelving and cabinets to keep items off the floor
• Ceiling racks for rarely used items like holiday décor or camping gear
• Clear bins with bold labels to group sports gear, tools, seasonal decor, and household extras
• Zone planning: one area for lawn and garden, one for tools, one for kids’ gear, etc.

When your garage is organized, it not only looks better, it can also boost buyer appeal if you ever sell and make everyday life easierno more tripping over bikes to reach the recycling bin.

Vertical storage solutions for every room

If your home doesn’t have a ton of square footage, you need to think up, not just out. Bloggers who specialize in small-space organization rave about vertical storage as a game changer:​

• Use tall bookcases or cabinets to draw the eye up and create more storage per square foot.
• Install wall hooks and pegboards in entryways, kitchens, craft corners, and garages.
• Hang baskets or wire racks on the inside of closet and pantry doors.
• Add floating shelves above desks, toilets, and laundry machines.

Vertical storage is especially helpful during a storage giveaway or organizing challenge because it often lets you repurpose existing walls instead of buying big new furniture pieces.

Hidden storage in plain sight

One of the easiest ways to “win” at a clutter challenge is to let your furniture multitask. Look for pieces that hide everyday stuff in style:

• Storage ottomans for blankets, games, or toy overflow
• Coffee tables with drawers or shelves
• Benches with cubbies or baskets in the entry or mudroom
• Beds with under-bed drawers or rolling bins

When everything has a homeespecially near where it’s usedyou’re much more likely to put things away instead of starting a new clutter pile.

Turning a Storage Giveaway Into a Whole-Home Reset

Now let’s talk about the “giveaway” part. Whether you’re joining an online challenge, entering to win storage products, or simply treating yourself to a mini storage shopping spree, use that excitement to fuel lasting change.

Step 1: Shop your home before you shop the store

Before you add brand-new bins to your cart, walk through your house and gather:

• Empty shoe boxes or gift boxes
• Unused baskets or decorative boxes
• Old jars, canisters, and tins
• Leftover hooks or wall organizers you never installed

You’ll often discover you already own half the “storage solutions” you needyou just haven’t assigned them a job yet. Save the giveaway prizes or new purchases for the areas that truly need a more durable or custom solution, like heavy garage items or high-traffic closets.

Step 2: Give every storage piece a clear purpose

Random bins = random clutter. Every container should have a specific category and a specific location:

• “Kids’ art supplies – dining room cabinet”
• “Winter accessories – entry bench baskets”
• “Pet gear – laundry room shelf”

Use labels generouslyeven simple masking tape and a marker will do. Labels turn your system into a set of easy instructions for the rest of the family, so you’re not the only one who knows where things live.

Step 3: Involve the whole household

A Clear the Clutter Storage Giveaway–style challenge is way more fun when everyone participates. Let kids “shop” for their favorite storage baskets, choose label icons or colors, or help you decide which toys will be donated so other children can enjoy them.

Teens can tackle their own closets using rules like the 90/90 rule or a four-box method. Partners can be in charge of a zone like the garage, home office, or media cabinet. The more ownership each person has, the less your house will slide right back into chaos.

Keeping Your Home Clutter-Free Long Term

Decluttering once is great. But the real magic happens when you build tiny, repeatable habits that keep stuff from piling up again.

Daily 10-minute reset

Choose one time of dayafter dinner, before bed, or right after you get home from workand do a quick house reset:

• Clear surfaces in the kitchen and living room.
• Return out-of-place items to their “homes.”
• Scan for trash and toss it immediately.

Many professional organizers recommend these bite-sized resets because they prevent the kind of overwhelming mess that requires an entire weekend to fix.

The one-in, one-out rule

To keep closets, cabinets, and storage bins from creeping back into overstuffed territory, adopt a simple rule: every time something new comes in, something old goes out.

• New pair of jeans? Donate an older pair you’re not wearing.
• New board game? Pass along one your family has outgrown.
• New kitchen gadget? Let go of the one that never leaves the drawer.

This rule is especially powerful after you’ve invested time and energy into a storage makeover. It protects the peace you’ve created.

Real-Life Experiences from a “Clear the Clutter” Storage Challenge

Tips and checklists are helpful, but sometimes it’s the real-life stories that convince us change is actually possible. Here’s what a Clear the Clutter Storage Giveaway–style experience can look like from the inside.

The entryway that stopped screaming at everyone

Picture a family of four with one tiny entryway. Before the challenge, the front door opened directly into a minefield of shoes, backpacks, mail, and reusable shopping bags. No one could find their keys, and every school morning started with frantic hunting.

During the “clear the clutter” push, they decided the entryway would be their first transformation zone. In one Saturday morning, they:

• Pulled every shoe, bag, and random item out of the space.
• Donated shoes that didn’t fit or were never worn.
• Sorted bags into “daily use,” “sometimes,” and “donate.”
• Hung a simple hook rack for backpacks and keys.
• Added a narrow bench with two baskets underneathone per kid.

They used a couple of storage pieces they already had, plus a giveaway prize basket and a new hook rack as their “treat.” Suddenly, the first impression of their home changed from “chaos” to “welcoming”and mornings got a whole lot calmer.

The garage that turned into a functional workspace

Another family used the challenge as an excuse to finally address their garage. For years it had been a catch-all: sports equipment, leftover renovation materials, boxes from three moves ago, and seasonal décor stacked haphazardly.

Instead of trying to tackle everything in one exhausting day, they used a two-week plan:

• Weeknight 1: Trash and recycling onlyno decisions beyond “obvious garbage.”
• Weeknight 2: Sort sports gear into “current season,” “off-season,” and “no longer used.”
• Weekend: Install a wall-mounted shelving system they’d scored as part of a storage giveaway, plus ceiling racks for rarely used items.
• Weeknight 3: Label bins and create “zones” for tools, lawn care, and décor.

By the end, they could actually park a car in the garage and had a small workbench area for DIY projects. The secret was combining the external motivation of the giveaway with realistic, bite-sized sessions.

The small-house closet makeover that changed mornings

In a small townhouse, closet space is pure gold. One homeowner used the challenge to completely rethink her primary bedroom closet, which had become a jumble of mismatched hangers, off-season clothing, and random storage.

She started with a full declutter using the 90/90 rule. Anything not worn in the last 90 days and unlikely to be worn in the next 90 went into a donate or sell pile, with a few exceptions for special occasion outfits.

Then she invested her giveaway winnings into a few key upgrades:

• Slim velvet hangers to make clothes hang neatly and save space
• Two shelf dividers to keep sweater stacks under control
• Clear bins for handbags and accessories on the top shelf
• Over-the-door organizer for shoes and small items

It wasn’t a magazine-worthy walk-in closetbut to her, it felt luxurious. She could see everything at a glance, outfit planning took minutes instead of half an hour, and her mornings became lighter and less stressful.

The mindset shifts that stuck

Across all these experiences, a few themes show up again and again:

• Clutter is a series of small decisions, not a character flaw. When you switch from shame to strategy (“What’s my next 10-minute task?”), everything gets easier.
• Storage is only helpful when it matches your habits. If you always dump your bag on the chair, put a basket next to the chair instead of trying to force a completely new behavior across the house.
• Events and giveaways can kickstart change, but habits keep it going. The real win is when the systems you created months ago are still working with minimal effort.

Whether your “Clear the Clutter Storage Giveaway!!” is a real contest, a family project, or just the name you give your weekend makeover, the experience can be surprisingly energizing. You don’t just end up with neat shelvesyou end up with a home that supports the way you actually live.

Conclusion: Your Home, But Lighter

You don’t need a bigger house, a giant budget, or a professional organizer to enjoy a clutter-free, well-organized home. What you need is a clear plan: edit first, then store; use simple decluttering rules; choose storage that fits your life; and build small maintenance habits that keep everything on track.

Treat your “Clear the Clutter Storage Giveaway!! | Remodelaholic” moment as a reset button. Celebrate every drawer you empty, every bin you label, and every bag you donate. Little by little, you’ll build a home that feels lighter, calmer, and much easier to live inand that’s the best prize of all.

sapo: Ready to finally tackle those overflowing closets, chaotic counters, and “don’t open that” doors? This Remodelaholic-inspired Clear the Clutter Storage Giveaway guide walks you step by step through decluttering your home, choosing storage that actually works, and turning a simple organizing challenge into a whole-house reset. With real-life examples, expert-backed tips, and easy systems you can start today, you’ll learn how to clear the clutter onceand keep it from creeping back.