With the warm weather and long days, you might be in the mood for clearing out the clutter. Here are five great categories to tackle this time of year.

Categories To Declutter In Summer

1. Swim gear

When choosing seasonal areas to declutter, think about what you’ll be using and handling the most. In summer, that’s often swim gear.

Here are a few areas to consider:

  • Swimsuits
  • Sunscreens
  • Beach bags
  • Pool toys
  • Coolers
  • Outdoor gear
  • Summer shoes
  • Sunglasses
  • Hats

For effortless and passive decluttering, drop the items you naturally use this summer into a basket or container–anything not in the container by autumn can probably be donated.

2. Garage, shed, outdoor areas

Since it’s warm out and you probably have a lot more daylight after you’ve finished your other tasks, it might be the perfect time to dig into those outdoor storage areas.

Check out my guide on decluttering sheds: How To Organize A Shed In 4 Phases

3. Outdoor furniture and items

Strive to use all of your lounge and outdoor entertainment items this season. Furniture, toys, corn hole set, water slides–if it’s a hassle to use, or you just don’t love the experience, follow that impulse and cull your collection.

It’s MUCH easier to declutter things at their peak use–if you’re not using those summer items in summer, when WILL you use them?

4. School stuff

Summer is the obvious time to go through your/your kids’ school items in preparation for the upcoming year.

  • Books
  • Bags
  • Uniforms
  • School supplies
  • Lunch boxes

If you want to get the kids involved in the decluttering process, summer is also a great opportunity to through their toys and clothes with them.

5. Books

Books are a less obvious category for summer, but think about hauling that donation load to the library. In winter, it’s tough! 🥶 In summer, it can be a nice little walk with a wagon. Or from your house to the car then your car into the library.

Either way, not a load I want to carry in snow!

Read more about decluttering books here: How To Declutter Your Book Collection

Want more decluttering ideas?

Grab our checklist for 100 easy items to declutter. Lighten up your house and get a head start on decluttering. It’s free and a great summer activity:

Happy summer!

Mia Lee

Hi! I'm Mia, a passionate advocate for intentional living in a world of excess. As a professional organizer, homesteader, and anti-consumer, I bring a practical perspective to minimalism that focuses on sustainable choices and meaningful experiences over material accumulation. When I'm not writing or organizing, you can find me knee-deep in the garden or attempting to communicate with my chickens in their native language.

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