5 Easy Decluttering Hacks To Boost Your Spring Cleaning
Amidst a busy family life, learn the 5 top ‘hacks’ to stay ahead of the daily clutter.
These efficient decluttering hacks prioritize speed and ease. Say goodbye to time-consuming spring cleaning!
5 Easiest Decluttering Hacks
Hack #1: Trash Sweep Time!
You might be amazed by how much clutter on your home’s surfaces is just waste.
Grab a trash bag and swiftly walk through your rooms. Scan surfaces and identify items for disposal or recycling, such as
- food and drink waste
- broken toys
- old receipts
- junk mail
- and half-finished art projects.
Pro Tip: Empty smaller trash cans visible in bathrooms and bedrooms. This will instantly make your space feel tidier.
Hack #2: Keep A Donation Box Accessible
Set up a designated donation box in a convenient location at home. Use it to effortlessly discard items you no longer need. This encourages clutter clearing without hesitation.
Pro Tip: Plan ahead for your donations and determine where they will go. Knowing that you’re providing items to those in need can inspire you to release possessions no longer serving you.
Hack #3: One-Touch Rule
Next, target the remaining non-trash items cluttering your home.
Apply the “one-touch” rule to handle each item promptly rather than shuffling them around. Put items away where they belong or in the donation box.
Focus on decluttering key surfaces:
- kitchen countertops
- tables
- entryway benches and floors
- living room floors and furniture
- bedside tables and dressers
Pro Tip: Identify items beyond repair or items that are no longer useful to you. Dispose of them immediately or put useable items right into your donation box.
Hack #4: Give Papers A Place
Designate a daily spot for important papers.
- After school, assess each paper your child brings home. Acknowledge its content, and discreetly recycle what isn’t necessary to keep. Keep necessary papers in that child’s spot.
- Apply the same approach to handling mail. Sort it daily. Designate a spot for bills or mail requiring a response. Then recycle what isn’t necessary.
- Minimize paper by opting for electronic bills whenever possible.
- Use apps like Adobe Scan that works on your mobile device as a photo and document scanner.
Pro Tip: Select 2-4 papers or projects of your child’s to keep each month. Utilize a spacious art organizer for keepsake projects and explore additional organizers for important papers.
Hack #5: Set A Timer
Set a timer and work quickly to accomplish as much as possible. Not only does setting a time frame motivate and challenge you, but it also ensures you have a set limit. Once the time is up, you can stop!
Pro Tip: Harness the power of the time-lapse feature on your phone to capture yourself (or your kids) moving at lightning speed. My kids LOVE watching these videos of themselves moving about so quickly.
Bonus: Become Decluttered For Good
Now that you’ve created space, it’s crucial to be deliberate about what enters your home.
- Take a 24-hour pause before making any new purchase. This ensures thoughtful decision-making.
- Take a No-Spend Challenge to curb unnecessary purchases and minimize incoming items into your home.
- Try a pantry challenge to use up extra items.
- Implement the ‘One In, One Out’ Rule: For every new item brought into your home, donate or discard one item.
- Create a daily decluttering routine. Allocate 10-15 minutes each day to go through your space. Put items back in their designated spots, discard unwanted clutter, and make quick decisions on any new items. Enlist the entire family to help!
- Use a Decluttering checklist for each room for a deeper cleanout.
Find more tips on how to declutter fast to keep your home feeling orderly.
What’s Next?
Feeling motivated to continue? Take on this 30-day challenge to declutter a different space with only a few minutes of effort each day.
