The August Decluttering Challenge: Put Your Stuff on Trial

Want to Get Organized?


Okay, real talk: somewhere in your house right now, there’s something that hasn’t earned its keep in, oh about eleven months. It’s just… there. Taking up a whole shelf. Living its best life rent-free while you step over it every single day. And if we’re being honest with each other, it’s probably going to survive another year too — unless we put it on trial.

So that’s what we’re doing this week. Grab your coffee and let’s do the August Trial together: five days, five small zones, and a super simple way to actually decide what stays and what goes – instead of just staring at a drawer and closing it again.

Okay But How Does This Actually Work

Here’s the whole thing, no fluff: for five days, you tackle one small zone – a drawer, a shelf, one cabinet, that’s it. Instead of the usual “should I keep this… I don’t know, maybe?” spiral, every item gets put on trial and has to walk away with one of three verdicts. That’s genuinely it. No new bins to buy, no losing your whole Saturday to it, just five short sessions where you actually make a call instead of shoving the drawer shut again.

The Vibe

Forget “does this spark joy” – that’s a nice thought but it doesn’t actually help you decide anything. This week, every item in your zone gets “charged” with one crime: taking up space without doing anything for you. Your job is just to hear it out and give it a verdict, like you’re the judge on your favorite trashy court show.

Every item gets one of three verdicts:

•     Acquitted: you use it, you love it, it stays, no discussion needed.

•     Guilty: be honest, you know it’s guilty. Bag it up and it’s gone today.

•     Case continued: you’re just not ready to decide yet, and that’s fine but it gets an actual deadline (write it right on there) and one more shot before we revisit.

Your Five Days

Pick one tiny zone a day, nothing bigger than a drawer or a shelf. Small enough that you’ll actually finish it on your lunch break, which, let’s be real, is the only way this stuff gets done.

•     Day 1 — The Junk Drawer. We all have one. You know exactly where it is without even thinking. Today it’s going on trial.

•     Day 2 — The Bathroom Cabinet. Exhibit A: every product you bought for a skincare routine you gave up on by week two.

•     Day 3 — The Coat Closet. Anything that hasn’t touched an actual human body in more than one season is getting some tough questions.

•     Day 4 — The Charger Graveyard. That tangle of cords for devices you’re honestly not sure you still own. Time to figure it out.

•     Day 5 — Wild Card Day. You already know the one drawer or shelf you’ve been avoiding all week. Yeah, that one. Let’s go.

A Few Ground Rules

•     Give yourself 60 seconds per item, max. If it’s not obvious, it’s a “case continued” – don’t overthink it, just move on.

•     “I might need this” only counts if you can actually say when. “Might need it for the move in the spring”? Fair. “Might need it someday”? Girl. No.

•     If you give something a “case continued,” it needs a real deadline or it’s just a slow goodbye you’re putting off.

By Friday you’ll have five small spots in your house that are actually working for you – not because you did some massive weekend overhaul, but because you finally stopped letting stuff get away with it.

Every house has a few of these repeat offenders hiding in plain sight. Sometimes all it takes is finally calling them out.

Got a whole house that needs its day in court, not just five drawers? DDH is always happy to be the judge, jury, or just a friend who tells you it’s okay to let go of the air fryer box. Contact us today to get on the docket.

If You’re the Friend Who Loves This Stuff…If reading this made you want to run your best friend’s junk drawer through a trial too, we should talk. DDH organizers get to make these calls for a living, every single day — and we’re growing into new cities through franchising.As a DDH franchisee, you’re not figuring it out solo — you get a proven playbook, hiring support, and a whole brand behind you from day one. Learn more about franchise opportunities with DDH, click on the link below.