January can bring a real urge to clear everything out and start again — but home doesn’t need a dramatic overhaul to feel better.
The January Gentle Reset is a collection of 31 small decluttering steps, each focused on one manageable category. Some may take five minutes, others a little longer.
There’s no pressure to keep up or do every day perfectly. Start where you are, do what feels manageable, and carry on where you left off.
The aim isn’t to complete January perfectly — it’s to make home feel a little easier, one small step at a time.
The January Gentle Reset
Follow along through January
Keep the 31-day checklist somewhere easy to see, and use it as a gentle guide rather than a scorecard.
Week 1
Day 1 — Mugs
Keep the mugs you naturally reach for and enjoy using. Let the cupboard space help set the limit.
If they’re crammed in or stacked precariously, it might simply be a sign that you have more than you comfortably need.
Day 2 — Pens
Test them as you go. Let go of dried-up pens, duplicates and the ones you never choose.
Keep the working pens together in one easy-to-reach place, rather than scattered around the house.
Day 3 — Socks
Remove worn-out pairs, uncomfortable socks and odd ones whose partners have long since disappeared.
Keep a small bag or basket for odd socks in the laundry area and review it once a month.
Day 4 — Reusable shopping bags
Keep the useful ones and let go of damaged bags or the excess that has quietly multiplied.
Give them one designated home, ideally somewhere convenient when you’re heading out — near the door, keys or in the car.
Day 5 — Food storage containers
Match lids and bases, remove cracked or stained containers and question how many you realistically use.
If it suits your space, try storing containers with their lids on. Complete sets are easier to find and the available storage naturally limits how many you keep.
Day 6 — Toiletries
Look at duplicates, old products, samples, travel sizes and things you simply never use.
Keep everyday products where you actually use them, and store genuine backups separately so you can see what you already have.
Rehoming idea: Unopened toiletries or gift sets you won’t use may be useful to women’s refuges or other local charities. Check what your local organisation accepts first.
Day 7 — Cables & chargers
Remove damaged cables, duplicates, old chargers and leads for devices you no longer own.
Label any less-obvious cables and give the useful ones one designated home. Keep only a sensible number of spares.
Disposal note: Check your local electrical-recycling arrangements rather than putting unwanted cables in general rubbish.
Week 2
Day 8 — Books
Let go of books you’ve finished and won’t reread, duplicates, outdated reference books and ones you no longer realistically want to read.
Let the available shelf space help set the limit. Keep the books you genuinely enjoy, use or still want to read.
Day 9 — Towels & bedding
Look at worn towels, excess spares, mismatched bedding and sets for beds you no longer have.
Store each complete bedding set inside one of its matching pillowcases so everything stays together and is easy to grab.
Rehoming idea: Worn but clean towels may be useful to animal rescues or sanctuaries. Check what your local organisation accepts first.
Day 10 — Handbags, purses & everyday bags
Look through the bags themselves, then empty the contents — old receipts, loyalty cards, tissues and loose change.
Keep the bags you genuinely use, and store everyday essentials in one small pouch so they’re easy to move between bags.
Day 11 — Medicines & first-aid supplies
Check expiry dates and remove duplicates, empty packets and anything you no longer use.
Keep medicines and first-aid supplies together in one clear, easy-to-find place.
Disposal note: Take unwanted or expired medicines to a pharmacy for safe disposal. Don’t put them in household rubbish or flush them down the sink or toilet.
Day 12 — Cleaning products
Look for duplicates, products you dislike, nearly empty bottles and anything old, leaking or no longer useful.
Keep the products you actually use together, and simplify where you can — one good multipurpose cleaner may replace several rarely used ones.
Disposal note: Check the label before getting rid of unwanted cleaning products. Some products need special disposal, so follow the packaging instructions or local council guidance rather than pouring them away.
Day 13 — Spices & sauces
Check dates, duplicates, half-used jars and anything bought for one recipe but never used again.
Bring older items to the front and group similar things together so you can see what you already have.
Day 14 — Makeup
Let go of products you don’t use, anything dried out or past its best, duplicates and samples that have been hanging around for ages.
Keep everyday makeup together and store genuine backups separately so you can see what you already have.
Useful check: Look for the little open-jar symbol on makeup packaging — it tells you how long the product is intended to be used after opening. You’ll usually see a number such as 6M, 12M or 24M inside the symbol.
Week 3
Day 15 — Winter accessories & umbrellas
Sort through hats, scarves, gloves and umbrellas. Let go of anything you don’t use, that no longer fits, or is damaged beyond repair.
Keep the things you reach for somewhere easy to grab, and give odd gloves a short grace period before letting them go.
Day 16 — Shoes & boots
Let go of pairs that pinch, rub, no longer fit or are too worn to be comfortable. If something needs repairing, decide whether you’re genuinely going to do it.
If shoes gather near the door, try a simple basket or bin for each person so everyday pairs have an easy home.
Day 17 — Kitchen utensils & gadgets
Look for duplicate spoons, spatulas and peelers, along with single-purpose gadgets you rarely use.
Keep the tools you reach for most where you use them. If a gadget saves time in theory but is a faff to find, assemble or clean, it may not actually be helping.
Day 18 — Coats & jackets
Look for coats you no longer wear, ones that don’t fit, duplicates, damaged pieces and children’s coats that have been outgrown.
Keep the current season easiest to reach, and move genuinely off-season coats elsewhere if that makes your hallway or wardrobe work better.
Rehoming idea: Good-quality coats may be useful to homeless charities or local winter coat appeals. Check what your local organisation is accepting first.
Day 19 — Jewellery
Look for pieces you never wear, broken items, tarnished jewellery, duplicates and single earrings you’ve been keeping “just in case”.
Keep the pieces you wear most somewhere easy to see and reach. Sentimental jewellery can stay simply because it matters.
Day 20 — Paperwork
Clear the obvious paper clutter — old receipts, expired vouchers, duplicate copies, envelopes and inserts you no longer need.
Keep anything that needs action in one place. Today is about reducing the paper noise, not reorganising every file you own.
Want to go a little further? The Paper Reset in the Willow & Home Library gives you a simple, gentle way to tackle paperwork in more depth.
Day 21 — Fridge & freezer
Clear out expired food, forgotten leftovers, duplicate condiments and anything in the freezer you can no longer identify.
Group similar foods together and create a small “use first” area so older items don’t keep getting pushed to the back.
Week 4
Day 22 — Toys & games
Look for toys, board games, puzzles or card games that are incomplete, outgrown or simply no longer used.
Keep the favourites easy to reach, and give them a simple home — baskets, low shelves or picture labels can make tidying much easier.
Day 23 — Craft & hobby supplies
Look for dried-up pens, old paint or glue, scraps you won’t use, duplicate tools and kits or projects you’ve quietly lost interest in.
Focus on the hobbies you enjoy now. An unfinished project doesn’t have to become a lifelong commitment.
Rehoming idea: Usable wool, fabric and craft supplies may be welcome at schools, community groups or care homes. Check what your local organisation is accepting first.
Day 24 — Junk drawer
Empty it out and remove anything that clearly belongs somewhere else — old batteries, mystery keys, loose stationery, screws, vouchers and random odds and ends.
Declutter first, organise second. Simple dividers can help, but only after you know what genuinely needs to live there.
Day 25 — Photos & keepsakes
Start with the easier decisions — duplicates, blurry photos, old screenshots, downloaded images and keepsakes that no longer feel meaningful.
Give the things that genuinely matter a defined home, such as a memory box or album, rather than letting them stay scattered.
Day 26 — Underwear & nightwear
Let go of anything uncomfortable, worn out, no longer fitting or constantly passed over.
If your laundry was completely up to date, would you actually choose to wear it? Use simple drawer dividers or small containers if they help keep everyday pieces easy to see and reach.
Day 27 — Crockery & glassware
Look for chipped pieces, odd sets, serving dishes you never use and glasses or mugs that always get passed over.
Notice what you naturally reach for first, and let the available cupboard space help set the limit.
Day 28 — Everyday clothes
Look for clothes you continually pass over, pieces that no longer fit, need repairing or belong to a version of your life you’ve moved on from.
If everything were clean and ready to wear tomorrow, would you actually choose it?
Final days
Day 29 — Candles & decor
Look for candles you don’t enjoy, nearly finished ones you never light, ornaments you no longer notice and gifts you’ve kept out of obligation.
Clear the surface first, then put back only what you genuinely want to see there.
Day 30 — Bags & boxes ready to leave
Gather the charity bags, returns, recycling, borrowed items and things waiting to go to family or friends.
Decluttering isn’t really finished until things leave the house. Choose one realistic route out and get them moving.
Want to make this easier? A simple “one small basket” can give outgoing items one temporary home — donations, returns and things to pass on — until they’re ready to leave the house.
Day 31 — Your choice
Choose one small thing that would make home feel easier — a drawer, shelf, basket, surface or little category that’s been bothering you.
Decide what “done” looks like before you start, and keep it small. This isn’t a whole-house finale.
A gentle ending: Look at what has changed, not just what remains. Thirty-one small decisions can add up to a home that feels calmer, lighter and easier to live in.