Spring Decluttering

MARCH 1, 2021

Spring Decluttering

It is finally (consistently) above 5 degrees outside! Hopefully this has made you feel motivated to clean out old clutter and get to organizing some of those previously neglected spaces. Let’s get you ready for spring with these 7 spring decluttering tips.

Declutter First

The less clutter there is, the easier it will be to clean and organize your space. Because of this, the first thing you want to do is sweep the house with a recycling bin and garbage bag. Remove any trash or broken things. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and hopefully motivate you to keep going! If you come across something you know quickly you are not going to keep, go ahead and toss it in the donation pile.

Identify Clutter Hot-Spots

For spring decluttering and keeping things organized throughout the year, see where all the stuff tends to build up. Where does clutter collect around your home? The kitchen counter, nightstand, and mudroom are common places. Look at each area that seems to be a dumping ground. What items do you toss here? Once you know the main purpose of the area, you can set up organizational systems to keep that area tidy!

Sort Clutter into Categories with Similar Items Together

Start with broad and obvious categories. If one specific category gets too big, you can always break it into two! By starting with a fewer number of categories to begin with, the task will seem simpler than if you are looking at specifics of each item. I prefer clear containers and temporary labels to keep the groups straight!

Organizing Sentimental Items and Clutter

If you have large, bulky items, take a picture of it and save the photo instead of the item. Did your child have a favorite toy or outfit as a child? Take a picture of them holding or wearing it and save the photo! Likewise, art projects and school work are always a great example of this – take a photo of the project and store all the photos together. You can save the memory without having to find space to store all those bulky stacks of paper! Remember to scan photos to digitize as well – should anything ever happen to physical photos.

Give All Clutter a Home

The most common reasons that items become clutter are because they don’t have a designated space that they should go. Because of this, assign a home to all items when spring decluttering. Make sure that everyone who uses each knows where it goes. Take all items back to their home when done with them — it will serve you in the long run!

Repurpose

Don’t feel like you have to go out and buy all new bins or storage solutions because a lot of time you may already have things that will work! Old dressers are great for linen, dish or paper storage. Use over the door shoe racks for toiletries, toys, or art supplies. By thinking creatively with what you already own, you will save money and time! Find something you know you want to get rid of but don’t know how? There are lots of great resources we can connect you with!

Look Up!

Vertical space is especially important to use if you have a small home or apartment. Tall bookshelves, storage furniture and shelving that goes all the way up to the top of closets are priceless in these areas! Things like off season clothing or rarely used items can go up in these hard to reach areas to make more room for the things you are currently or often need to access. Similarly, you can hang items from the ceiling in your garage to maximize use of vertical space.

Need more help with decluttering? Check out our organizing services and see how we can help you!