Spring de clutter

I have recently completed my spring de clutter.  I like to do a full de clutter about once a year and there is nothing like the nice weather we’ve been having to kick my spring cleaning instinct into high gear.  When doing any major declutter I highly recommend doing in as short a time frame as possible.  I did mine over the course of a long weekend.  I got it all done, start to finish.  Now if you’ve never done something like this it may take you longer but I highly suggest going from start to finish before you lose valuable momentum.  I have compiled a pretty hefty list of things to de clutter.  Don’t feel overwhelmed.  Just take it one step at a time.  It won’t take as long as you think.  I promise.  Please read all the way to the bottom for a few extra notes.

Spring de clutter list

Clothing – Go through all closets and drawers – Discard anything that doesn’t fit, is damaged, or you haven’t worn in 6 months – This includes ties, shoes, belts and underwear

Accessories and jewelry – Go through all your scarves, watches, jewelry and anything else you like to adorn yourself with – Discard anything broken, out of fashion or that you simply don’t like anymore

Makeup, medicine cabinet, body and hair products – All of these products have expiry dates. If you can’t find one then google the company and find out how long you should be using a product for. Bacteria can live on your makeup and can be really bad for your health if you use it to long. – Next discard of anything you don’t like or doesn’t work for you – Discard of any broken hair ties, old nail files, old brushes

Linens – Go through all linen closets and anywhere else you store any type of bedding, towels, napkins and tablecloths etc. – Discard of anything stained, ripped or that you don’t use Dishes, cookware and small appliances – Go through every cupboard, drawer, storage space you have for these items – Make sure your all your plastic/glass containers have lids – Discard any unnecessary doubles – Discard anything cracked, broken, stained – Don’t forget that some plastic containers aren’t meant to be used long-term. If you’ve had them 6 months or more, discard them. – Get rid of that crock pot, blender, sprializer, foreman grille that you never use.

Papers – If you don’t have a filing area for your papers now is the time to get something – Gather all the piles of papers scattered throughout your home and put them all together. Any little scrap you can find – Shred anything irrelevant and old (tax papers need to be kept for 7 years) – Find a filing system and file your papers into categories – This is probably a good time to make sure you have a file or fireproof box for all of the really important stuff like passports, birth certificates and I.D

Electronics – Gather all extension cords, chargers, camera cables, usb sticks etc. – Make sure they all work and arent damaged in any way – Discard of anything that you no longer need or is irrelevant – Make sure you discard of any old computers, phones, tablets etc that are lying around not being used

Media – Go through all your movies, CD’s, video games etc. – Discard any doubles or things you are no longer interested in. Keep in mind that you may have digital copies of some items as well. – Discard of any gaming systems or media players (dvd player etc) that is no longer relevant or interesting to you. This is a hard one for some.

Hobby and craft supplies – Go through any hobby and craft supplies. Discard of anything you no longer are interested in, anything that is old or broken. – Get rid of those soccer cleats or scrapbook supplies that you haven’t used in ages

Photographs and home movies – I recommend gathering all your physical photos and videos and paying someone to digitize them for you. That way they are more accessible and you can store away all the physical copies and not have them all over the place.

Sentimental items – Leave this till absolutely last. I know it’s hard to think of discarding certain things. But if you go through item by item you may find there are some things you are ready to let go of or don’t even remember what they are from. – If it is an item you just like to look at from time to time just to bring back certain memories, try taking a picture of the item. This way you can still look at it without it taking up space – This all being said, if you are not ready to discard of an item of sentimental value than don’t. It’s that simple.

Whew! You got all that?  I will try to upload this into a printable format once I figure out a few things on my computer.  Now when I say “discard” I don’t necessarily mean throw away.  I would love you see you recycle as much as you can by donating and straight up taking certain things to the recycling center.  Like batteries, paint and electronics.  Also If there are things worth value, by all means try to sell them!  There are many great sites that you can post your items on. Varage sale  is one of my personal favorites, the app is easy to use and the community is generally friendly.  The only thing I would say is to put a time limit on how long you are going to try to sell something.  If it hasn’t sold in a month, then give it away.  I know that is a hard pill to swallow but if you really want to de clutter then having a whole bunch of stuff sitting around that isn’t selling isn’t helping you meet your goal.

There you have it!! Please, please, please feel free to ask any questions or if you see a gap in my list please let me know!  Getting things organized is a passion of mine and I would love to help you find some calm in the chaos.