When it comes to an effective ‘Spring Clean’, instead of trying to do deep cleaning and reorganization all in one go, break it down and start by using these tips to declutter your home.

We’ve broken down our top tips for decluttering into a handy guide by room categories.

Kitchen

Take control back over paper clutter – designate one specific area of the kitchen to collect mail, school work, and any other papers before it sprawls its way across your counters.

Perfect the pantry – toss out any expired foods, and check the spices while you’re at it. The general rule with spices is that, if you can’t smell them, it’s unlikely you will be able to taste them either.

Pack up the holiday serve ware – take stock of anything that has been left out since the holidays. If your kitchen is still harboring large seasonal platters, serving bowls, and linens, pack them up and find somewhere to store them out of sight until the next holiday season.

Take it low – don’t forget to clear out the cabinets under the sink and clean and sort your pots and pans. Match up any plastic-ware lids and recycle that have been left alone.

Give the fridge some love – toss out any leftover holiday jams, etc that are not being used, as well as anything else past its prime or otherwise being neglected. 

Bathroom

Sort through your medicine cabinet – it’s time to get rid of any lingering expired medicines (ensuring you do so safely). If you can’t find a date of expiry and you can’t remember the last time you used it, toss it out –

it’s just not worth the risk.

Makeup makeover – a spring clean, bathroom reorganization is the perfect opportunity to assess your cosmetic collection, as you may find that you are already switching some products out for lighter hues.

As you do,

Also check for anything that has either expired, seen better days, or never gets used.

Lighten your linen closet – Take some time to see exactly what has been shoved inside your linen closet over the year!

If sheets are missing their matching pillowcases etc. pair things back up or take an inventory of what you need to replace.

It can help to organize your linen closet by folding sheets and keeping them inside their matching pillowcases to store them together.

Closet

Switch your wardrobe up – This is the perfect time of year to switch out your clothing items according to the weather. As you’re packing away boots and sweaters, consider if it’s actually time to let any of them go.

A good rule to work by is simply this – if you haven’t worn something in over three months, it’s probably time to donate it to someone who will!

Improve your storage – stationary shelving typically leads to a lot of wasted space.

You can pick up adjustable shelving and various other options for improving the efficiency of the way you store items in your closet. Stackable shelving, boxes etc.

Take some time to consider how you could make better use of your space to stay more organized.

Aesthetics still count – simple changes such as adding matching hangers can make you feel like your closet has had an instant makeover, and adds to your sense of organization. 

One in, one out – once you have given your closet a spring clean, be sure to stick to the ‘one in, one out rule.

This means that whenever you buy something new, you must choose one item to donate. T

his helps to keep your closet tidy and fresh. 

 

Garage

Sorting and removing – remove every item in your garage one at a time, while sorting them into piles such as trash, automotive, tools, charity, etc. Afterward (or instead), you could plan a garage sale – perhaps with your neighbors – it’s social, fun, and can motivate everyone to clear their clutter!

Assign some zones – for anything you decide to keep, plan some separate garage ‘zones’ when it comes to sports equipment, tools, lawn supplies, etc.

As you do,

Keep convenience in mind when it comes to making things easily accessible.

Say goodbye to old paint – Paint that has been tightly sealed should last for about two years. Open up any old paint tins and give them a good stir to see if they are really worth keeping. Anything lumpy or stringy needs to be tossed. 

Final thoughts

Spring is the ideal time to give your home a deep clean, and starting with deep decluttering is the best way to thoroughly tackle each room! 

Depending on how much stuff you have accumulated, it can be a daunting task, but so long as you approach it systematically and in bite-sized pieces.

You’ll have your home looking spick and span in no time!