SPRING DECLUTTERING AND 12 THINGS TO DECLUTTER THIS SPRING

Spring is a great time to declutter your home and life. In this article I explain the benefits of spring decluttering and offer a list of 12 things to declutter this spring for a simpler, easier life.

WHAT IS SPRING DECLUTTERING?

Decluttering is the act of clearing out and getting rid of stuff that you don’t use, doesn’t add value, have meaning or that you appreciate in some way.

It’s not just about getting rid of physical clutter. There are many different types of clutter and we’re all affected by clutter in different ways. Did you know that we also have different clutter thresholds too?!

Clutter isn’t good for our physical or mental health so perhaps it’s time to clear your clutter and create space, time and freedom for you and what really matters to you, and have a home that you enjoy more too!

WHY IS SPRING A GOOD TIME TO DECLUTTER?

Decluttering has many benefits and a decluttered home is certainly an easier, less stressful and more inviting place to be. You can declutter at any time of the year and still simplify your space and life, but spring is a particularly good time to declutter.

Spring is the season of growth and regeneration. We come out of winter hibernation, the busy festive holidays and hype of new year and look forward to the first blooms in the garden and longer, warmer days (for some parts of the world at least!).

Spring is also the season for spring cleaning. Clearing the dust and grime and giving our homes a good deep clean. Cleaning is, of course, easier when you have less stuff so decluttering as well as cleaning could be even more helpful.

There are some great mental health benefits to spring cleaning so why not enjoy these in tandem with the positive feel-good effects of decluttering. Not only might you get a clutter-free and clean home, but you’ll also improve your health too!

A HELPFUL LIST OF WHAT TO DECLUTTER THIS SPRING

So, if decluttering sounds good and you’re keen to dive in, here’s a helpful list of 12 things to declutter this spring. I hope you find it useful!

1. Cleaning products

I don’t particularly enjoy cleaning but I do like a clean home, so cleaning is something I do pretty regularly!

To save myself time and effort, I’ve found that reducing the number of cleaning products I use really helps. Having less bottles and sprays means I save space in my cupboards, as well as saving money and I can clean the different areas of my home without having to go back and forth swapping cleaning products.

If you’re also doing some spring cleaning then decluttering your cleaning products and organising what’s left is a great decluttering project to get started with.

2. Excess and out of season décor

In winter I have more blankets, throws and cushions around my home. I have more candles because I enjoy the scent and gentle glow of candlelight in the dark evenings. These all help hygge my home and make it feel cosy and warm when it’s cold outside. I’ve even found a few decorations left over from Christmas and the holidays which I no longer need out.

As a result, come spring, my home is a little more cluttered with décor and accessories than I need it to be so decluttering the excess of these is a great spring decluttering project.

Spring decluttering also gives you a chance to shop your home and refresh rooms by moving items from one room to another. You can change the look and feel of a room just by removing or switching ornaments, artwork, cushions or even furniture from room to room – maybe without even needing to buy anything new!

3. Tables and countertops

Clutter creeps around our homes and builds on flat surfaces. Tables, countertops and shelves are notorious clutter hotspots. Your home will instantly feel less cluttered if you can remove stuff from these surfaces and give yourself a clear line of sight. Not only this, but spring cleaning is infinitely easier, more enjoyable and effective when you don’t have to move stuff to clean first.

4. Makeup and beauty products

Some of us change our makeup and beauty products as the year goes by. Lighter colours in summer, darker in winter, tanning products and sun protection are just a few examples.

Start the new season by assessing what products you’re going to be using and discarding or storing the others. Keep in mind that makeup doesn’t last indefinitely as it becomes dry and unhygienic.

5. Purse or wallet

This decluttering project isn’t specifically for spring, but I’m including it here as a reminder that some items need regular, ongoing decluttering. That’s why it’s important to build good decluttering habits.

Pull everything out of your purse or wallet including all the receipts, cards, vouchers etc. Only put back what you need and use regularly.

Go through your receipts, match them up against bank statements then file/shred them as appropriate.

Look at how many credit cards or store cards you have. Do you use them? Do you need them all? Are they just tempting you to spend more and run up more debt? Consider getting rid of any that you don’t need or have really bad interest rates and cost you lots to pay off.

You can find more tips in this article on simplifying your finances.

6. Fridge and freezer

Spring decluttering is all about doing the deep-dive decluttering projects that we don’t have time or motivation to do at other times of the year.

When was the last time you really looked inside your fridge or freezer? We probably look inside frequently to pull something out or put something back. But, what about really looking inside and exploring what’s in there?

Do you have food hiding that’s past its expiry date, pushed to the back or fallen to the bottom? What about all the jars and bottles in the door of the fridge? Is the drainage hole nearly blocked, when did you last clean it thoroughly (shelves, containers and all)?

Take everything out, give it a proper clean (this is a great project to start your spring cleaning) and only put back what’s in date and what you’re likely to use. Get rid of the rest!

Think about different space-saving ideas, storage solutions and other ways of maximising the useable space.

7. Clothes and shoes

The start of a new season is always a good time to do a seasonal clothes declutter.

Pull everything out of your wardrobe and drawers, clean the inside, declutter anything you don’t wear, doesn’t fit or feel comfortable and create a simple collection of clothes for the coming season.

For more ideas, follow the steps in this article for spring wardrobe tips and how to get your closet ready for spring.

8. Photos

I take loads of photos of my kids and lots of photos in general, but it’s easy for them to build up and take up space on my phone. If you’re like me, you end up with so many photos that trying to save them and file them in any sense of order is just so time-consuming and daunting a task that you put it off and it only gets more daunting as time goes by!

Spring-declutter your phone and photos this month. Go through the photos on your phone, delete the duplicates which are fuzzy or poor quality and only keep what you absolutely love (you’ll still have loads to keep so don’t worry!).

Come up with a way of saving them on your pc or using Google Drive, for example, so that they’re in separate folders for different categories (by year, by child, by holiday etc etc) and clearly labelled so you can find what you’re looking for when you want to find them.

9. Reset your life

You can declutter your life just like you declutter your home. For more ideas, you might enjoy this article on 32 practical ways to declutter your life. Or, if you just feel in need of a spring reset, here’s an article on how to reset your life (and you can get a helpful download too to help you get started!).

10. Garden, shed and outdoor equipment

Spring is a great time to get your shed, garden and outdoor equipment ready for the warmer months. Pick a day when the weather is nice and head out into the garden.

Pull everything out of the shed. Check through everything and discard or donate anything that you no longer need or use. This could be outdoor toys that your kids have grown out of, tools that are broken or you no longer use, for example. Give the shed a clean inside and out, paint the outside if it needs a coat of protective paint (or you fancy painting it another colour). Only put back what you know you’re going to use and really want to keep!

Clear away any leaves and weeds from the garden, flower pots and outdoor furniture you don’t want. A decluttered garden for a decluttered home.

11. Instruction manuals

How many instruction manuals do you have in your home? Do you have all the items that they relate to? Or, do you still have instruction manuals for items that you no longer own?

Collate all the manuals together. Identify any manuals for which you don’t have the items any longer and throw them away. With the remainder, take some time to take photos or scan each of the pages and save them digitally on your computer. Also, consider these days that it’s possible to find just about every instruction manual under the sun if you Google it, so do you really need to keep or save many of the manuals anyway?!

This is another useful spring decluttering project that we often put off during the rest of the year.

12 . Your mind

Here’s a fun little challenge to close with! Every day for a month can you do these three things every morning to declutter your mind?

1. Write down the top 3 most important things to get done that day.

2. Write down 3 things that you are most grateful for in your life.

3. Write down the top 3 things that you like about yourself or are proud of yourself for.

Try this exercise every day for the whole month. It’ll take you about 5-10 minutes and it’ll encourage you to think positively and focus on 3 aspects that clutter up our minds with negative thoughts. These 3 aspects are:

1. All the things we have to do which clutter and overwhelm our minds.

2. The thoughts of comparison, envy, dissatisfaction that cause us to put unnecessary pressure on ourselves to over-achieve and strive for unrealistic expectations.

3. We forget that we’re ok just as we are and we don’t give ourselves enough credit.

TIPS TO MAKE SPRING DECLUTTERING EASIER

Here some ways to make your spring decluttering easier.

• Use windows of time: Set a timer for 5, 10, 20 minutes or however long you have to declutter and keep decluttering until the timer goes off.
• Deal with your unwanted stuff: Decide what you’re going to do with your decluttered, unwanted stuff before you even start decluttering. Deal with your unwanted items as part of the decluttering process and don’t leave your stuff lying around to deal with later.
• Make decluttering fun: Have a drink and some music ready. Get a friend or family member to help you!
• Know your time: Some of the decluttering projects on this list will take longer than others. Be realistic what you can achieve in the time you have available.
• Be aware of your mindset: If you’re having a tough day or feeling particularly tired or emotional, it may not be the day to tackle the big garden decluttering or sort through hundreds of photos. Choose an easier win like cleaning products or your makeup.
• There’s no rush: You don’t have to declutter everything on this list right away. Plan when you’re going to do each project and mark it in your diary. Block out the time and stick to it as much as possible.
• Use a checklist: Why not take a look at my complete home decluttering guide, Simplify Your Home? It comes with some handy checklists to help you stay focused and motivated.

MORE RESOURCES ON DECLUTTERING

I hope you enjoyed these spring decluttering projects. If you’ve tried decluttering before, you might have found that decluttering isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Here are some articles to help you declutter with more ease.

• How to Declutter When You Feel Overwhelmed by Stuff
• Why Declutter Instead of Organise if You’re Struggling With Stuff
• Decluttering Questions: Questions to Help You Declutter More Effectively
• Decluttering Regret: 12 Ways to Declutter Without Regret or Fear

DON’T MISS OUT!

I’m Antonia and on this blog I share practical inspiration to simplify your home, time and life. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest! You can also subscribe to Balance Through Simplicity and receive regular simplicity tips straight to your inbox for free. Make sure you never miss an article plus you’ll get a copy of my free Declutter Starter Kit as a welcome gift!