7 Simple Tips to Help You Declutter

With the onset of spring, you’re not the only one feeling the itch to clear out and make room. Whether you’re dragging out the old “summer box”, refreshing the mantle with some new blooms, or deciding all your clothes are in serious need of an overhaul, first thing’s first. Declutter and get rid of what isn’t serving you with these 7 quick tips:

1. If you haven’t worn it in 12 months, let it go.

2. If you forget you had it and haven’t missed it, let it go.

3. If it’s broken, let it go.

4. If you haven’t altered it in 12 months, let it go.

5. If it has stains, let it go.

6. If you forgot how it works (then you haven’t used it), let it go.

7. If it’s out of style, let it go.

When in doubt, LET IT GO! The amount of space (mental and physical) it’s taking up in your life isn’t worth it.

Seasonal Switch-Up

With a seasonal switch-up in full bloom (see what we did there?), now’s the time to ready your closets and drawers for spring and summer. It’s hard enough to find the perfect outfit that fits AND makes us feel good, so what we definitely don’t want to do is waste time simply trying to find what’s right for the season.

Bring your sandals, wedges, and flip-flops to the front, while pushing your boots, mules, and Uggs to the back.

While we love a good ROYGBIV color system, make sure you’ve sectioned it — tanks, short-sleeves and shells, longsleeves, cardigans and sweaters, etc. These sections should work for your lifestyle, but at least you know when you go to grab a white tee, you’re not having to weed through a wool sweater to get it.

In the midst of shifting, sectioning, and ROYGBIV-ING, this is the perfect time to purge and donate. If you haven’t worn it in 2 years, it’s lost its shape because of frequent washes, or it just doesn’t speak to you anymore, let that shit go!

Start with One: Quick and Dirty Steps for Spring Cleaning

What do you think when you hear the phrase “spring cleaning”? Does it immediately conjure images of a harried housewife on all fours, scrubbing the baseboards? Or perhaps endless piles of seasonal clothing waiting to be transitioned out and in? Whatever comes to mind, let’s take it ONE step at a time, because progress doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to start! So here’s a few quick and dirty steps to make a big impact on your day-to-day.

1. Pick a junk drawer. Just ONE. How about the one in your kitchen? Yep, that one! It’s got pens, and papers, and hair ties, and gum, and sunglasses, and…apply our method — Assess what you’ve got, Sort and Consolidate, Purge or Donate, and Source (get some drawer organizers, or cardboard jewelry boxes work great too) and Store.

2. Overloaded pantry? Pick ONE shelf (if you don’t get to more, it’s OK, at least you got one done!) and throw out anything expired. If you haven’t touched some of the canned goods in over a year, donate to a food pantry. Old, half-eaten packages, toss. Once you’ve purged, wipe down that shelf and organize what’s left by type (ex. condiments) or use (i.e., dinners).

3. Pick One section of your closet — Example: short-sleeve shirts. If they’re not in their own section, put them together. If it’s too small/big, donate. If you haven’t worn it in a year, donate. If it’s pilling or has holes, toss.

4. Tupperware - In terms of plastic, pick ONE brand (i.e., Ziploc, Rubbermaid, etc.) and toss anything that isn’t that. A one-quart Rubbermaid top will not screw onto a one-quart Ziploc bottom. That is to say, they’re not all built equal, despite looking like a match. So take the guess-work (and clutter) out of it for you.

We could keep going, but these are four quick and dirty ways to get clean! And if four is too overwhelming right now, pick ONE!