The weather is warming up, the birds are singing, and it’s time to let go of what doesn’t serve us to make space for what does!
Decluttering categories for springtime.
Here are five categories you can focus on as we melt into spring.
1. Winter gear and outerwear
Now’s the PERFECT time to declutter your winter gear, because you still remember what you actually used.
If you have hats, coats, scarves, boots, and gloves that you didn’t wear this past season, pass them on to someone who will use them.
Clear out the mismatched or holey socks, winter bedding that wasn’t used, and holiday-specific items like decor that you either didn’t use or didn’t enjoy.
If you have things to wash, repair, or donate, do it now! Don’t pack clutter away for “next winter”. Get it dealt with so you don’t have to worry about it later.
2. Cleaning supplies
Clearing out the unused and unwanted cleaning supplies will make for an easier spring cleaning and an easier life!
Get rid of any products you don’t use or love. If they’re full or mostly full, check with local shelters and transitional housing programs to see if they accept donations. If not, your friends and neighbors might be interested!
It might be time to swap out some mop heads, sponges, and brushes, so check on those.
You can also use this time to clean and repair your vacuum and other big tools.
3. Laundry area
Minimize your laundry products down to the ones you use regularly. This might look like one detergent/powder, a couple of wool dryer balls, and a stain remover. Any “chore” area that has way more than the items that you actually use for that chore will just make it more of a slog to get through.
If you have a pile of mending, either get it all mended ASAP or scrap it. Sometimes we need to just toss in the towel (or torn up jeans) and move on with our lives. If you’re not going to mend it, don’t lie to yourself. Set yourself free of the mending pile!
4. Garden and outdoor area
Let’s dig into the shed and get things ready for growing season!
Do sharpening and maintenance on your tools (and declutter the duplicates).
Clear out expired seed packets (I like to dump them into my compost bin and wish them luck), and dump any soil bags that are unusable (again, compost bin).
If you have a teetering tower of cheap plastic plant pots that you never use, drop them off at a local plant nursery. They usually love to receive them.
Brush off the outdoor furniture, repair or replace parts as needed, and set them out where they can be used again.
5. Emotional clutter
As the flowers and trees are shaking awake from their winter’s rest, is there anything you need to shake off of yourself?
Think about obligations that drain your energy, projects that don’t align with your priorities, and routines that just don’t serve you anymore. What can you let go of?
Spring is a natural time to cut away commitments that don’t serve us and make more room for joy to bloom.
Need help with the physical clutter?
Try this 100 item checklist:
Love the practical approach here. Decluttering physical stuff is such a good starting point, but I think a lot of people also overlook simplifying the admin side of life too. Things like consolidating your legal address or setting up a simple mail forwarding system can free up just as much mental space as clearing out a closet.
Sometimes the sneaky linking is just done really well, so I let y’all comments through. 😂