Updated March 29, 2021

Spring is just around the corner, and it is the perfect time for a fresh start. Many of us are thinking about spring cleaning and home decluttering. Follow these 5 helpful steps to ensure that you get the job done successfully:

1. Declutter Strategically To Avoid Overwhelm

If you have a large amount of decluttering to do, don’t try and take on the whole house at one time. This will not only be overwhelming, but it will be less rewarding at the end of the day.  If you do a little decluttering here and there, it’s hard to see tangible results.  Instead, focus on one small area at a time such as your pantry or your hall closet.  Move onto another area only after you have completed the first.  At the end of the day, you will reap the rewards of your labor every time you open your pantry door and see an organized and decluttered space.

2. Don’t Shop Before you Start Decluttering 

Because shopping for organizing products is fun, most people make the mistake of shopping too early.  First, sort what you have into groups of like items.   Once you have everything sorted, it is easier to make decisions about what to keep, and what to toss out, recycle or donate.  If you complete these 2 steps first, you will then have a much better idea of what kind of organizing products to shop for.  You will also likely discover that you need to purchase less than you expected. 

By waiting to shop until later, you will avoid buying too many or the wrong size products.  Waiting to shop can also be also a great incentive to get the job done; then you can reward yourself for getting the hard work of sorting and purging done first.   

3. Establish a Donation Box 

Keep a donation box in a designated location in your home year-round, this will allow you and your family to toss no longer used items in the box as they come across them.  This is a simple trick that will prevent unwanted items from getting shoved back into drawers or closets. If everyone in your family knows about the box, you will be surprised at how fast it fills up. This box becomes an automatic decluttering tool!

4. If Your Goal is to Lighten Up – Less Is More

Look around your home and evaluate everything you have.  If you have a surplus of items in your home that you have not used and/or they no longer make you happy when you look at them, perhaps it is time to say goodbye.  A peaceful and welcoming home is one that includes plenty of open space. Consider the fact that too much stuff or furniture in a home creates stress on the eyes and makes spaces look smaller.  Open space allows energy into your home and creates a more peaceful, uncluttered environment.

5. Do Not Wait, Donate

If you have things you are holding onto because you want to have a garage sale or sell by another means, evaluate whether or not the money you will make selling these items is really worth the time and effort.  A garage sale takes a lot of time and planning.

By choosing to donate, you immediately free up precious space in your home, get rid of the clutter, and save yourself the headache of selling the items.  You also come away with knowing that you made a difference by helping those in need.