Declutter while you spring clean

Reading Time: 6 minutes

Spring has sprung, daffodils are rearing their heads and the days are becoming warmer. There is something about the change in the season that inspires the great spring clean.

A spring clean is a deep clean of your home, tackling those areas you might not get to during your regular cleaning sessions. Such as cleaning behind bookcases, deep cleaning carpets or wiping down the top of kitchen cabinets. Typically, it would mean cleaning your home from the floor to ceiling and everywhere in between.

Now I’m not claiming to be some clean queen like Mrs Hinch, but on an annual basis, I like to have a good de-clutter before I tackle the spring clean. If like me you have pets it can add additional challenges to your cleaning routine.

Why declutter before a spring clean?

Decluttering is a great way to bring peace and calm to your home. It helps give you more space, not only for your home but also for your mind. A tidy house = a tidy mind! Clutter can cause us to lose focus. I don’t know about you but I work far better when I have a clear desk free of clutter and paperwork. I can be found every now and then having a very brutal sort out of the papers on my desk, either filing away or shredding.

By decluttering you’ll know where everything is. Your stuff will have a place, and if you get into the habit of putting things back in their place, it makes the act of the daily tidy up much easier.

Also, a declutter before your spring clean will mean you are utilising your time better. Yes, you may be decluttering then cleaning, but in the long run, you’ll have less stuff to clean! You’ll be able to see areas that need that extra attention.

Decluttering tips

Prepare!

The idea of the declutter is not to overwhelm yourself. By tackling too much in one go you are likely to give up. Set yourself a time slot to complete each area and do it in waves. It can be very easy to get stuck in to decluttering, and if that’s the case and you can work methodically then carry on. Just don’t get stuck trying to sort out lots of different areas as you’ll just end up in more of a muddle.

Before you start, dedicate an area where you can sort stuff into different sections such as recycle, donate and sell. Don’t shut this area off and leave it! Schedule in some time to visit charity shops or the recycling centres as soon as you’re done with each area.

Take a look at one room at a time. By looking at it objectively you can see what you no longer need or want. Remove the items you no longer wish to keep immediately from the room. Once you’ve identified those immediate items, start to take a closer look at each room.

If you aspire to have neatly stacked shelves of jars or containers you can work out what you need and purchase from a variety of places. Thanks to various Netflix TV shows on organising your home, everywhere now sells containers and storage boxes of a variety of shapes and sizes to suit any budget.

Below are some key areas to tackle which will make a huge difference and will lead to a more peaceful, content home.

Tidy the kitchen cupboards

The kitchen is the area where herbs, spices and condiments go to die! Start by emptying all your cupboards putting everything on the countertop or tables. By having everything out you’ll be able to easily establish what you have duplicates of. Throw out of date products and establish a system that you know you’ll be able to keep on top of.

For example, I have baskets in my pantry cupboard. Each basket is categorised by condiments, sauces, tea/coffee/hot chocolate, herbs & spices, pasta etc. This means I can keep a tally of stock levels. I also decant into jars which I have on open shelves (which by the way are a pain in the arse to keep clean!).

I didn’t spend loads on jars, I have a variety of different sizes and shapes, some are recycled jars from elsewhere, others have been bought in places like Home Bargains.

Apply the same method to your fridge and freezer. Give it a good wipe down, check seals are intact and restock.

As for appliances, pots and pans evaluate what you use regularly, what you don’t or what might be broken and decide whether you need/want to keep it. This will provide you with more space. Your desire may be to have clear counters, but if like me you simply haven’t got the space then be clever with your organisation. Keep out what you use on a regular basis. If you want to put it away then do it! Whatever works for you 🙂

Before putting everything away, clean out your cupboards so they are fresh. I use liner on my shelves that can be easily replaced for the next stock check!

Tackle the closets!

The close it is a very easy place to hide things away, and if like me you are spoiled for space, it’s very easy to stash other items there which don’t belong. It can very quickly become very cramped and messy!

Apply the same method as with your kitchen cupboards. Take everything out and split it into piles.

Only put back what you want to keep. These should be pieces that you love and that are in good condition. Take the other piles and donate/recycle as soon as possible. Don’t get caught in a trap like I have in the past, and put them back in or leave them hanging around for months.

If you have the space, you can split into seasons. Vacuum bags are really handy to store clothing compactly and protected from dust. Don’t forget to make sure everything is washed and fresh before putting it away. Again, think about how you wish to store your clothes for easy access and to encourage you to put things back.

Clear your bedroom space

We spend a lot of time in our bedrooms so they should be a place of calm and relaxation.

As we’ve established, clutter can make us feel anxious and stressed. That means putting away clothes rather than throwing them “on the chair” (guilty!).

If you have space under the bed or under-bed storage, these are areas that can very easily get cluttered and stashed with items you very rarely use. Be ruthless with items under the bed. Don’t be tempted to just stash things away because you have the storage. What you store there should be items that you do use but perhaps seasonally, spare duvets, throws and blankets or even your seasonal wardrobe items.

If you utilise storage boxes under the bed, then make sure to dust them regularly. And as we know there’s nothing quite like fresh bedding and luxury duvet covers to spark joy in our bedrooms

Do a cleanse of your make-up and perfumes too. Clean makeup brushes, discard old products and get rid of any items you don’t use.

Sort your living room

The living room is an area where things can very easily stack up, such as magazines, newspapers, books or DVDs. Get rid of magazines you no longer want, rehome the books you’ve read, clean out and reuse candle jars.

A rejig of furniture in your living room can also give a renewed sense of space. Put away the winter throws and blankets (wash them first!) and really think about the items in the room. Do you use them, are they useful, do they take up unnecessary space?

Have a wood burner or fireplace? Get them cleaned ready for the next usable season.

Tidy up the hallway

The hallway is the first place people entering your home will see. And it’s very easy to become a dumping ground for shoes, coats, hats, scarves, keys, junk mail – you name it, it gets dumped here!

Sort the shoes out by putting away what you’re unlikely to need for that season. Winter – you’re not going to need those sandals out! Same with coats, keep back what you’re likely to use on a regular basis. Get rid of junk mail as soon as it arrives. If you need hooks, boxes or shelving, then think about where those would be useful to get the best use of your space.

How do you like to organise your home?

Do you have any failsafe hints or tips for decluttering your home? Share them in the comments below. We’d love to know!

Enjoy your spring clean.

Peace out!

Jangles x

Like this? Please share for others to enjoy too!