Three Areas to Declutter This Spring

Spring is just around the corner and I can hardly wait. If you live in a seasonal destination like me, this time of year is a welcome transition from the long, cold, dark, and rainy months that blanket the Pacific Northwest.

In fall and winter, we tend to hibernate in our homes, get cozy, and may even reel back on big house projects, especially outdoors. As spring comes around, we start to see more daylight and may even find more energy and a new motivation to give our homes a good deep clean.

In my world, a good deep clean always comes after I've taken the time to declutter and organize the belongings I need and love.

Just like seasons, our habits, circumstances, likes and dislikes are ever-changing and this means our organizing systems should be evolving with us. Spring is a perfect time to declutter your home and get organized for the lifestyle changes that come with warmer weather.

And while you may be looking around your house and thinking you'd like to declutter everything, I always encourage everyone trying to organize their homes to pick one spot and work it end to end.

If you're having a hard time deciding where that spot should be, this article was written for you. As a professional organizer, I'm sharing my top three areas to declutter this spring and a few of my decluttering tips to get you started.

Pantry Organization

With a change in season, often comes a change in diet. This makes the pantry a great place to refresh in preparation for warmer weather.

During the winter in my house, we tend to crave more "stick to your bones" food, so my kitchen is full of items for stews and soups, like canned beans and chicken stock. In the summer, we love to barbecue and eat more vegetables from the garden so the pantry haul looks different.

Eat Through the Pantry

Having this awareness in my diet changes, I always take the opportunity during season change to review all the items in the pantry and decide what items need to get eaten. This decluttering method is a little different than how I would handle other areas of the home.

While decluttering is the goal, I also am trying to eliminate food waste in my home. So instead of just throwing perfectly good food away, I make a game plan to eat it. I call this exercise "eating through the pantry".

I recommend pulling all of the food out of the pantry. Check expiration dates and get rid of any expired food. Recycle any packaging when possible. Then take note of any food that is approaching its expiration date or that is typically something you eat in the winter.

From there, take note of what needs to get eaten and do some meal planning over the next couple of weeks to make use of the food you have. My husband and I have actually made a game of this, challenging ourselves on how many items we can get through in a week.

Reduce food waste and save money.

If you establish a rhythm of decluttering this area at least twice a year, not only will you free up storage space, you should be able to reduce food waste (also money wasted) from little to none. Win, win!

Closet Organization

What better excuse to declutter our closets, than a season change? With warmer weather comes a whole new array of wardrobe choices.

If you rotate your clothes for the season, you might already declutter as a natural part of your process. Regardless, I recommend editing when moving from warm to cold weather and vice-versa.

Reflect on clothes you didn't wear.

This change gives you a unique opportunity to reflect on the previous season and take note of what clothes you didn't pull for. I always recommend people pull everything out and sort items into like categories - jeans, sweaters, long sleeve tops, etc.

Keep only what makes you feel good.

Keep in mind, this exercise isn't just to get rid of stuff. It's to connect with clothes that make you feel good!

How we choose to dress is an opportunity to express ourselves and feel good in our bodies. Clothes that no longer serve us are only taking up valuable storage space in the closet.

Start by decluttering things that no longer fit your body or your style. A great example would be graphic t-shirts with messages that no longer resonate with you.

Clothes that have rips or stains beyond repair can go in the trash. Be honest here. If you love an item and wish to repair it, make a plan to do so. If you don't have the time or energy to repair it, decide to let it go.

Donate items that make you feel like crap.

Most importantly, declutter stuff that you just never feel good in. We all have an item that we want to love, but every time we put it on it just doesn't feel right - the fit is weird, it's uncomfortable or we just don't feel confident in it.

If they're in good shape, these are great candidates to donate or sell.

Ok, so now you've removed the excess clutter and you've freed up space in your closet, hoorah!

Now try one of my favorite decluttering tips for the closet!

Before you hang everything up again, this decluttering tip will help you get a headstart decluttering in a few months.

Hang all of your clothes with the hanger flipped backward. After you wear and wash an item, hang it back up normally. By the next season's change, any items with the hangers still flipped backward are strong candidates to toss, sell or donate.

Embrace a seasonal decluttering rhythm.

As you get in a rhythm of doing this a couple of times a year, you'll find your closet full of less "stuff" and more clothes that you feel excited to put on every day. Doesn't that sound lovely?

Garage Organization

The last area I recommend you start decluttering in the spring is the garage. The garage is one of those sneaky storage spaces that if non managed can quickly get out of control and become a life-sized junk drawer.

It's often where unwanted items go to die. Over time the clutter accumulates, making it more difficult to access the possessions we actually love and need.

We also tend to spend more time in our garage in the warmer months, so you'll be thanking yourself in the heat of summer for the effort you put in to have an organized garage free of clutter.

Consider asking for help.

Decluttering the garage is no small feat. Depending on the size of the space and the volume of stuff you store there, you might consider asking for help from friends or a family member.

Keep, toss, recycle, donate, or sell.

Try to plan a day (or multiple consecutive dates) with good weather, where you can make some solid progress in the space. You're going to want enough space to pull everything out of the garage, sort it into categories and then roll through the decision-making process. I recommend a driveway or your yard if available.

If your family has possessions in the space, invite them to decide on their stuff. Simply put, items will fall into the following buckets - keep, toss, recycle, donate, or sell.

Be honest - is it valuable or is it clutter?

The garage tends to be a place for items we really don't want or need, but just can't let go of. If you're going to put in the work to declutter this space, show up honestly.

Are you really going to tackle that project this summer? If so, make a plan to do it. If not, get rid of the materials that have been taking up valuable space.

Having fewer things in the garage will make more space for the activities and material possessions you love and need.

Love your organized garage this summer.

Tackling this project in the spring will set you up to enjoy all those outdoor activities you love to do in the summer. Sports, fishing, gardening, woodworking, the list goes on and on. You get the opportunity to create a space that works for you, not against you, so have fun with it!

Need help? Now booking spring organizing sessions.

I hope you found these recommendations helpful! If you're looking to accelerate your home organizing efforts, need help "letting go" or want a partner to collaborate with, I'm booking organizing sessions for this spring. Schedule a free call HERE to get started. I'd love to learn more about your project!