My Spring Cleaning and Decluttering Tips & Tricks

I have been in the MOOD to clean and declutter lately. I don’t know if it’s the weather or just the desire to freshen up our home for the new season, but no room or dark corner of our house is safe.

I realized I haven’t dedicated an entire post to spring cleaning & decluttering, so today I’m sharing some of my tips and tricks just in time for spring cleaning season.

The Everyday Clean

It may sound silly, but it bears at least saying once: Spring cleaning and decluttering seasonally is great, but your everyday cleaning routine is more important and deserves a special shoutout. As much as I love a clean and organized house, I know that it takes work to keep it that way. Here are a few things I do every day to make sure my deep cleaning & decluttering doesn’t go to waste:

  1. Whenever possible, I never leave a room empty-handed. There is sure to be an empty coffee mug, a full trash can, or a dog toy that needs to be returned to its rightful spot. Tidying as I go helps the clutter in each room not pile up.

  2. Throw away mail on the spot. Catalogs, junk mail, coupons, and more can easily stay for weeks if you’re not careful. I tend to sort through our mail right next to the trashcan so I can declutter as I go.

  3. The empty sink rule. As often as I can, I do not go to bed unless the kitchen sink is empty. It’s a small but mighty task that Future Keri is always grateful for in the morning.

  4. The 5-minute speed tidy. I mostly work from home, but you can do this whenever you find yourself with a few minutes to spare. Instead of using a 5-10 minute break between meetings as a coffee break or a walk around the office like I usually would, I sometimes use this time to speed tidy. Whether that’s throwing a few dishes in the dishwasher, starting the dishwasher, making our bed, or folding a bit of laundry, it’s helpful for making me not sit for hours on end and be productive around the house simultaneously. Check out my previous post for more inspo: 30 things you can do in 5 minutes or less.

The Main Culprits

There are several places around your home that I’d identify as the main culprits. AKA, the places that tend to be dumping grounds for clutter, overstuffed, or pile collectors. You may automatically think of a place (or places) in your home that fit this description. In our house, the main culprits are:

  1. Our kitchen table - We don’t have a mudroom or formal entryway so the kitchen table ends up being a catch-all.

  2. The top of our microwave (again, a catch-all)

  3. A bin by the piano

  4. My desk

  5. Luke’s desk

  6. My closet (Our house is 100 years old, so my excuse is that our closets are small!)

Decluttering Questions to Ask

Now that the main culprits are identified, let’s focus on actually decluttering. Decluttering can be a pretty overwhelming feat if you’re not used to doing it on the reg. You may look at a cluttered closed or an overstuffed drawer and think, “This is stressful. Where do I even begin?”

One item at a time.

Instead of doing a decluttering scan (when you scan the cluttered spot and declutter from a distance), I recommend taking everything out of that space and only putting back what you want to keep. Here are the questions to ask yourself to decide what to do with each item:

  1. When was the last time I wore or used this item? Have I used it within the last 6 months?

  2. Is it expired or old? (Especially makeup!) If so, trash it!

  3. Is it worn out in any way (stains, holes, falling apart)?

  4. Do I have multiples of this item?

  5. If I can’t use it, is it in good enough condition to donate or sell?

  6. Am I only holding onto this because it was a gift and I feel bad for getting rid of it?

Spring Cleaning Pro Tips

Search the internet and a quick Google search will unveil thousands of spring cleaning pro tips. I’m by no means a spring cleaning and decluttering expert, but here are a few of the pro tips that have helped me get it done.

  1. Pop on an audiobook or podcast. Cleaning and decluttering are way more fun with music or some sort of entertainment to assist you.

  2. Make a list as you go. Lists could include a grocery list, a list of things to replace, or a list of places around your home to tackle.

  3. Consolidate. Group like items together so it’s easier to find and take stock of what you have. For example, put all of your batteries in one place, all your towels together, etc. It sounds obvious, but it’s a game-changer.

  4. Carry at least three trash bags when decluttering: one for trash, one for donations, one for reselling/giving away.

  5. Keep a basket or trashcan by your closet. That way, when you’re getting ready in the morning and find out something doesn’t fit or isn’t your style anymore, you can declutter as you go.

  6. Clean out your fridge before you go grocery shopping, so you return without the moldy leftovers taking up precious shelf space.

  7. Relax. This isn’t a competition and there’s no right or wrong way to clean and declutter. You’ve got this!

ProductivityKeri Papilispring cleaning, productivity tips, productive days, productive week, productivity, productivity hacks, productive tips, declutter your home, declutter your digital life, declutter, decluttering, declutter ideas, digital declutter, spring cleaning and decluttering, tips and tricks, cleaning tips, declutter tricks, coffee blog, coffee with kalyn, coffee with keri organization, coffee with keri office, coffee with keri blog, coffee with keri home, organize, organization, organization system, organization tips, organized neat, organization hacks, home organization, home organization ideas, get organized, keep organized, stay organized, ways to get organized, 10 daily habits to stay organized1 Comment