Spring is here! It’s a time when many of us yearn for a home declutter and clean out. A calm and organized environment is a great way to start the new season.
So what is a clutter audit? It’s a process of identifying and evaluating the items in a space to determine what is truly needed and what can be decluttered or organized.
The steps are simple: choose a space and collect all the items in that space. For each item ask yourself, have I used this recently, and do I truly need and love it? Then divide the items into categories - trash, recycle, keep, donate, or rehome to another space.
When you do this, start small. Don't try to declutter everything at once. Often we recommend you start with one smaller area and gradually work your way through your home.
To get the declutter train moving and to kick off your spring clutter audit, we’d like to propose six tiny clutter busting moves you can do as part of your daily (or weekly) activities:
Next time you give Fido a toy to distract him, purge all those squeaky toys that have been chewed to death.
While getting dressed in the morning, identify at least one thing you no longer think represents you or quite simply, you no longer like. This can include anything from covid-era yoga pants you have worn out, to an outdated statement necklace, or an item of clothing you bought for an event but never felt comfortable in.
When putting your children’s clean clothes away, identify at least one piece that they have outgrown or is not in the best shape.
When grabbing cleaning supplies to wipe down the bathroom, see if there are any bottles or products that you no longer use or are almost empty.
While unloading the dishwasher - is there a sippy cup your child has outgrown? Tupperware that has seen better days? A plate with a crack? Make a goal to toss or declutter it.
When you come in for the day, do a sweep of the entrance for items that don’t deserve to take up valuable real estate, like mittens without a match, last summer’s sunscreen bottles, too small soccer cleats or baseball caps that have seen better days.
Helpful hint: having donation bins in different spaces (e.g. kids closets), or at least in an “outgoing area” like a garage, will make the process of getting these items out of the house that much easier.