There is a simple way to keep your home tidy and organised. All you have to do is go through some basic steps of home decluttering at the beginning of each season to make sure that unnecessary things are piling up all over the place. These tips will help guide you through home decluttering for each season.
Spring
Clear-outs for kitchen
When it comes to clearing out the kitchen area, start by throwing out food that has expired and disposing of any outdated medicine that you might have. It’s easy to forget about checking these things, especially during the winter holiday season when everyone is busy with gift shopping and getting everything ready for Christmas. Try to get rid of some unused gadgets as well. You can find charity shops where they will be more than happy to accept new items. Cut out your favourite recipes and store them in a separate box. Consider throwing out plastic bags and replacing them with reusable bags. They will save you so much space and money and are much more eco-friendly. Lastly, stocktake your freezer and get rid of anything that’s been in there for too long.
Decluttering tips for your living area
You can clear out so much space in the living area by reorganising your bookshelf and getting rid of the old CDs and videos you don’t use anymore. You can also add more storage space by putting up hooks on doors or the back of cupboards. Try hiding away the marked storage boxes in decorated cupboards. Also, make sure to create enough space for moving around. Make sure that at least some surfaces are clean such as the dining table.
Decluttering tips for your bedroom
The first thing you can do to declutter your bedroom is to put out season clothing in one separate storage space. Throw away or recycle any clothes that don’t fit you anymore. Buy compartmentalised boxes to store your jewellery in one place. You can also invest in attractive baskets for storage that you can divide with drawer compartments too.
Summer
Organise your clothes
Store your winter coats and jumpers somewhere where they won’t be blocking the space and creating an unnecessary mess. Once you bring out the summer clothes make sure to see which clothing pieces you are actually going to wear and which ones are there just because you kept them for too long or no reason. If you have any old clothes that you won’t be wearing anymore, recycle them or give them to charity. There are many charity organisations in Australia that will gladly take anything you don’t need anymore. Bring out the bathing suits and see which ones suit you best and you can give away the rest of them.
Pool and beach accessories
If you have a collection of pool accessories such as floats, noodles, goggles, and diving toys, make sure to go through them and see what is still in good shape. Throw away any broken accessories and the ones you don’t use anymore you can give away to someone who will be happy to have them. Also, go through the buckets, shovel, and crab moulds that your kids love using at the beach. Keep only the ones they use. You will save yourself from lugging all of them to the beach and back.
Clean room by room
When you start a project, you need to also make sure you’re going to finish it. The summer decluttering process can get very messy and chaotic, especially if you have several different projects that you need to take care of at once. Prioritising your cleanups can be very difficult when you have multiple spaces that need decluttering. The best way to go about it is to pick one room at the time and only start decluttering the next one once you are finished with the room you are cleaning right now. Also, make sure that every corner of the room is taken care of equally. As a Sydney resident, consider getting the professional ac repair in Sydney to get rid of all the dirt that has piled up over the past few months. The dust and dirt that’s been piling up during winter might prevent your ac from working properly.
Autumn
Rinse and recycle expired bottles of sunscreen
After a long and hot summer, you might end up having to deal with all the sunscreens that have been piling up for the last few months. Most sunscreens are made to last up to three years at best. Make sure to check the expiration dates on the packaging. If any of them are past their expiration date, rinse them out and toss the packaging in the recycling bin. Or you can simply reuse them for storing something else.
Upcycle the jars from your burned out summer-scented candles
Another tip for the autumn home decluttering is to go through all the candles you’ve been using lately. You need to stop using the candle once there’s only half an inch of wax left at the bottom. This will help you avoid causing heat damage to the jar and its surface. When you get to that point, make sure to freeze the jar for a bit. Then, pop out any remaining wax that you can either reuse or recycle.
Let go of any houseplants that didn’t survive the season
Even though it’s sad to throw something you’ve been taking care of for months, but when it’s time, it’s time. Let go of houseplants that didn’t survive the summer. However, don’t throw the plant and its soil in the garbage. You can always use them to create the compost or somewhere in the garden to decompose. This way you will be able to use the compost for growing new plants.
Winter
Organise your wardrobe
Go through your wardrobe and store away your summer clothes that you won’t be wearing for the next few months. Make room for your coats, jumpers, and scarves. Now that you’ve dug up your winter accessories you need to find storage for them. Get rid of any old gloves and scarves you might not be wearing anymore. You can give them to charity or recycle them. This way you will free up space you need for your favourite clothing pieces.
Take care of the expired lotions
Cold and dry weather has us all reaching for hand lotions 24/7. Go through your favourite cosmetic items and see if they have passed their expiration dates. This will help you declutter your vanity. Discard any lotions that have a weird smell. You can clean out the packaging and throw it in the recycle bin. You can also get storage baskets to sort out your lotions and other skincare product. This will help you free more space in the bathroom.
Get rid of the paper clutter
Winter is a great time to recycle any leftover flyers and unnecessary papers that are lying stacked on your desk. This way you will be freeing up space for other important things while being eco-friendly. Also, make sure to go through any unopened emails. You can set a timer for about 10 or 15 and make it a priority to go through them at that time. You will not only clear up your working space but your mind as well.
Conclusion
All things considered, the decluttering process doesn’t have to be complicated. In the end, it all comes down to paying attention to details and finding creative ways to free up some space on time so that things you don’t use don’t end up piling up and taking up space.