Spring is the perfect time to declutter, organize, and refresh your space. As the weather warms up, your energy soars to tidy up your home and simplify your life. It is time to let go of stuff and refresh your space for the season. You can best manage your organizing by focusing on areas of organization, such as decluttering by room, thinking about smart storage, and creating a schedule for routines and maintenance. Here are 25 tips to help you get started on your spring organizing journey.

Declutter First

The first step in any organizing project is to declutter.

1. Start Small.  This is always the best way to start your organizing, regardless of the season. It is also the best way to manage stress. Choose one drawer or shelf to organize before tackling larger spaces. Set a timer for 15 minutes and get going.
2. Use the 12-Month Rule. Decision making is easier if you have a “rule” to follow about what to keep and how long to keep it. If you haven’t used it in a year, donate or discard it.
3. Gather items together by category to see what you have. As visual people, that makes it easier to make a decision. Declutter by Category. Sort through clothes, books, kitchen gadgets, and papers separately.
4. Be proactive about what you bring into your space. As you declutter, make an inventory of what you have. When you know what you have and where it is located, you prevent overshopping.
5. Check out this record retention schedule for paper work. Too often paper clutter builds up because we need to know how long to keep that information. Be brutal about paperwork from the winter, shred and recycle what you don’t need.

Organize Your Home Room-by-Room

Know what each space is used for and keep your stuff where it is used most. Take the time for a reset of the most frequently used spaces in your home.

6. Do a landing strip makeover. Empty bags that have collected, move returns along, and get jackets back to closets. Freshening up this space gives you energy as you enter your home.
7. Refresh your pantry. Spring and summer are the best times for fresh vegetables. Dispose of expired food, organize pantry items, and use clear containers to organize for easy visibility.
8. Cut the closet clutter. Donate unworn winter attire, rotate seasonal clothing, and use slim hangers to save space.
9. Make a medicine cabinet overhaul. Toss expired toiletries, arrange daily essentials on the countertop, and update cabinet bins.
10. Review your nightstand storage. Throw out trash, move books, and refresh your hand cream next to your bed. Review where you charge your devices and move these to a common charging space in the kitchen.

Smart Storage Solutions

Storage solutions can make your space more functional. Review what is not working and how you can improve access and function in your home.

11. Take a look at your use of vertical space.  See where you can install shelves, hooks, and wall-mounted organizers to maximize storage.
12. Label for function. Use a label maker, which makes it easier for people to put things away, like the pantry or dresser. Choose a label maker you love, or choose labels purchased by sets on Amazon.
13. A basket can make a difference. Choose a simple solution like this to store baskets, toys, or magazines stylishly.
14. Even a small space can be improved with drawer dividers. See where you can subdivide a small space with an organizer to keep it tidy.
15. If you have a “black hole” under stair storage, choose functional organizers to make this area more accessible. You can add tiered shelving or large stackable totes with labels to store large items in an organized way.

Bring in a team

No one wants to work alone. There are so many ways to work as a team and add help.

16. Mobilize the family to help with organizing. Set a timer and add an incentive like an ice cream sundae party at the conclusion of your work.
17. If house cleaning is a constant struggle, ask friends and neighbors who are also on their cleaning team. A once a month cleaning can be an affordable addition if you budget for it.
18. Automate your meal prep with the addition of curbside pick up or auto ship.
19. Set up apps on your devices for spring organizing and cleaning lists. You don’t have to reinvent anything when you add a recurring event.
20. Refresh your connections by sending a card for Passover, Easter or just because. Look in the stock you have at home, pick up your cards from the grocery store or purchase on Amazon. Sit in the sunshine in your yard and write out a few cards at a time. Receiving a card in the mail is a wonderful and thoughtful gift.

Maintain Your Progress

You have come so far! Keep it up with a maintenance plan.

21. Set up your Sunday reset to ensure you keep your home tidy. With your family, spend 30 minutes each Sunday putting things away.
22. Set monthly organizing goals to keep your home clutter-free. If you work one hour, once a month, in one area, you keep clutter from creeping back.
23. Implement a family cleaning schedule with assignments for trash, refrigerator clean out, and other routine tasks.
24. Be proactive about what you bring into your home. Now that you have started your Spring organizing, you see what you did not need. Take that perspective to the next level as you shop.
25. Celebrate Your Success! Reward yourself for achieving organizing milestones!

 

Spring organizing can be easy to accomplish by breaking these steps into manageable time slots throughout April.  Keep it simple by setting a time to work with a timer. Make it fun with music. By taking small, manageable steps and implementing practical storage solutions, you can create a tidy and refreshing home environment. Happy organizing!