Ah, spring cleaning. We all know that struggle. You know, the one where we are surrounded by all the clutter and do not know where to start or what to do with it all.
The struggle where it seems impossible and daunting, especially since, as moms, we are always short on time and definitely short on energy.
I totally get it. It’s hard enough finding the time to maintain a clean home, much less finding the extra time for spring cleaning to declutter your home.
However, the truth is, decluttering doesn’t have to be that difficult if we just break things down into steps and develop a plan on how to get things done.
With a few simple tips, you can get started spring cleaning today and see results in no time. Here are my top steps on how to declutter your home.
1. Make a plan
I know, I know… this seems like such an obvious and basic step to include here, but yet its definitely an important step to mention. Before you start the daunting task of decluttering, first and foremost, make a plan. Make a plan to figure out what you want to accomplish and how long you want to take.
A great way to start making a plan is to use a planner. Start by using a monthly planner so that you can get an overall idea of what you want to declutter. For example, maybe your goal for one month is to declutter the living room closet and go through all your clothes. With a monthly planner, you can get an overall idea of the tasks you want to accomplish.
Then, you can plan using a weekly planner to schedule all your weekly tasks within that week. By doing this, you’ll be able to see what all you have to accomplish within that one week and you’ll be able to adjust as necessary.
A planner can help you stay organized and on track in so many ways. By doing this, you will stay focused and motivated. You can get my free printable weekly planner, month planner and daily planner for free to get started.
2. Start Small
It’s very easy to get overwhelmed looking at, what seems to be an endless amount of stuff that needs to be cleaned, organized and sorted.
Spring cleaning and decluttering your home isn’t easy; however, it’s important to break it down and start small.
Don’t try to declutter your entire home in one day…that can be recipe for a nightmare. Start small with one room or area at a time and move on from there. You’ll be surprised how much a little can go a long way.
3. Create Categories
When spring cleaning, make categories for each type of item. This will make it so much easier to know where to put each item after it’s been sorted. You can also create zones in your home for specific items. For example, create a toy zone, a craft zone, and a storage zone.
4. Sort Everything Into Piles
Sort items in each category into 3 piles: keep, donate or throw away. I find it helpful to go ahead and put donated items in a box and take out as soon as possible.
This way it prevents me, or my toddler, from going through the box and being back to square one again. And, who has time for that?!
The same goes for trash. When sorting, put what will be tossed in a trash bag and take out when you’re finished. It seems so obvious and simple, but you’d be surprised how often donated piles hangs around trying to declutter.
5. Ask Yourself Some Questions When Decluttering
When deciding whether or not to keep an item, ask yourself these questions:
- Do I use this often?
- Does this item bring me joy and happiness?
- Is this item practical?
- Will I need this someday soon?
If any of these answers are no, chances are you don’t need them and it’s just taking up space and cluttering your house.
These questions are key in how to declutter your home. Really think about these questions and reflect on the answers. You definitely don’t want to toss anything useful away, but also don’t want to keep anything that is not practical for you.
6. Be Ruthless
This is probably the hardest step, especially for me, but is one of the most important ones in how to declutter your home. If you don’t use it, don’t need it, or don’t love it, then get rid of it! Don’t keep duplicates of things that aren’t necessary.
7. Take Your Time
Don’t try to do everything all at once. Spring cleaning and decluttering can be so overwhelming, so take your time and work gradually until your home is clutter-free. All these items weren’t accumulated in a day or even in a week, so take your time when sorting through it. Give yourself permission to take breaks. Every bit is progress. A helpful tip to declutter your home is to use planners to organize your tasks.
8. Get Organized Once You’re Finished
Once everything is sorted and put away in it’s rightful place, take some time and organize your storage spaces so that they’re not only easy to access but to use as well. This will also help you visualize your progress and keep you inspired to do more.
Recently we just moved to a new house with a huge yard and had so much landscaping to do that it seemed daunting and nearly impossible to accomplish. While, we are not completely finished yet, we’ve worked on it that past 3 days and you can definitely notice a big difference. A little bit definitely goes a long way, and the progress so far is inspiring to keep going.
9. Label Everything
Labeling helps keep everything in its place, so label all your storage containers, drawers, shelves, etc.
If you don’t label and do not know where to place items in a quick manner, when it comes time to clean, where does it go? Hello, void drawer!
I can’t tell you how many pencils, crayons, spare change, papers, and various miscellaneous stuff always found its way to the void drawer. And, then the void drawer just gets bigger and bigger. Learn from my mistakes…labeling can help prevent that.
10. Use Basket and Bins
Baskets and bins are great for organizing smaller items and keeping them together. Basket and bins are also easy to move around if needed as well, especially if you’re not sure of a designated location. Repurpose old baskets and bins to use or buy bins from Dollar Tree.
11. Make Use Of Vertical Space
Another tip on how to declutter your home is to utilize every inch of your home by using shelves, and storage containers.
When stacking vertically though, make sure to be aware of safety and how high you stack. Be mindful of little ones being around the area. The last thing you want is for objects to fall. Heavier objects should always be on the bottom and lighter objects up higher.
12. Follow A Routine
A regular decluttering routine will help keep your home organized and clutter free over time.
Use a weekly or monthly planner to help you schedule time to organize. This way it will help keep you on track.
Setting aside 10-15 minutes at a time can work wonders and you’ll progress without feeling stressed out. Using a daily planner can help you schedule these tasks. Click below to get 5 FREE planner printables to help get you started.
13. Utilize The Attic and Basement If You can
Store unused items in boxes or bins in the attic or basement. If you don’t have any use for an item, store it in a box or bin until you do have a use for it. However be mindful of the saying “out of sight, out of mind”. You don’t want to declutter your other rooms to just move it and clutter up your attic or basement. You also don’t want to forget what you have stored away and then buy a duplicate item.
14. Sell or Donate Items
Obvious, I know; however, this is a great way to get rid of unused items, while making money in the process. You can use Facebook Marketplace to sell items or just a good old fashioned garage sale.
If you don’t want the hassle of selling, and holding onto the items until they’re sold, you can donate it.
If you’re like me and have, what seems like an endless collection of crafts such as yarn, tote bags, vinyl etc, get creative and start selling these crafts. Create an account on Etsy or sell in person at a farmers market or yard sale. Alternatively, repurpose these and give as gifts.
15. Get Creative
If you have items you want to keep but have no other use for them, get creative. Here are 3 different ways:
- Take pictures of the items that are sentimental to you and create an album. An album takes up far less space than a tote of sentimental things, but you still retain the memory.
- Another idea is is to take a piece of the item and scrapbook that with a picture of it. This as well will help you keep part of the item that brings you joy but in a minimalistic way. For example, instead of keeping every…single…baby onesie… cut some of the baby clothes and create a baby scrapbook, and include the fabric in the pages. You can have a 0-3 months page, 3-6 months, 6-9 months, etc.
Conclusion
There’s no need to feel overwhelmed when it comes to spring cleaning and decluttering your home. By taking things one day at a time, you’ll be on your way to living in a clutter free space in no time.
Decluttering is healthy for the mind and soul. When you eliminate the unnecessary things in your home, your house will not only be lighter, but your mind will be as well. Decluttering simplifies your life.
So, which of these tips do you like the most? Let me know in the comments below what you think.
Sign up for my email list below to gain access to the free printables to help keep you organized. Follow me on Pinterest!