Many people talk about spring cleaning, but cleaning and decluttering at any time of the year are great! When summer nears, you might be wanting to get organized before the fun and chaos of the summer months set in. Need some inspiration?

Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to get your home organized, tidied, and decluttered so you’re all set for summer!

The first step to any cleaning project is to sort your stuff. We collect so much stuff, and it can be great to purge things you haven’t thought about in a long time. It can be hard sometimes to let go of things, or even know what to get rid of, though. To make this task easier, try answering these simple questions for each item: When have I used it last? (If it’s been a long while, out it goes); How many like items do I have? (Remember — less is more); and Do I really need it? (If not, donate it because others probably do). 

While donating and throwing things out can be hard, just remember that you’ll feel so much better once you’ve gotten rid of things you don’t need.

Once you know what you’re keeping, you need to find “homes” for them. This means everything that you’re keeping needs to have a specific place where they are always kept. Items without “homes” will continue to be cluttered around your house. So, keep this in mind as you’re looking for places for everything. One great way to organize things and keep them stored safely away is in a garage cabinet. These cabinets can be kept in the garage, a laundry room, or even a basement. It’s a great way to store things in an organized manner! 

If you have bigger items you want to store away, or your garage is just too full, consider getting a backyard shed. My son got one and inside it he put racks, so things don't touch the ground and get damp. Sheds come in different sizes. No matter what your storage needs there are a number of solutions that are sure to help!

Once you’ve organized the big stuff, it’s time to tackle the small things. Your junk drawer is usually where things like pens, office supplies, batteries, and even electronic accessories end up being tossed. The first step is to take everything out of the drawer and sort out the items you don’t want to keep or the items that might need to be stored elsewhere. Then you can reorganize the drawer.

A really good trick for organizing all your smaller items, such as cables, power banks, office supplies, and the like, is to use zip lock bags. Group like items together in zip lock bags. Then, label the bags and place the cords and other accessories in separate, labeled bags and store them in a drawer. This makes it easy to grab items as you need them and put them away. That way, the drawer is much more likely to stay organized! 

Next, think about all the surfaces in your house. Cluttered surfaces can make an otherwise clean house look messy. Think about your desktop, bathroom counter, kitchen counter, and coffee table. Go around to all the surfaces and collect everything in a laundry basket. Then dust/clean each surface. Once you have all of the items in one basket, take them out and sort them. Then find them all places to go so they stay off the surfaces in the future. If needed, add new storage units where you can hide the items you use daily and leave only a few things on display.

While you’re decluttering inside, consider your backyard as well. If, for example, your pool deck is always littered with pool toys, outdoor cushions, and towels, consider getting an outdoor bench. This provides beautiful seating with storage inside! That way, you can store everything out of sight, while still being accessible.

The laundry room always seems to be the dumping ground for everything, especially during the summer. Dirty clothes, shoes, hats, lost socks, and more. To declutter your laundry room, take everything out. Then get a sturdy storage unit to store everything away.

Neatly place your laundry detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, and other relevant items in the unit. Also, to make life easier, use two laundry baskets — one for your delicates and one for your regular laundry. This will save you precious sorting time on laundry day.

There are so many nooks and crannies around your home, and they might be going unused. They are great storage spaces so utilize them! Use baskets to store regularly used items such as books and toys, and boxes for winter items such as boots and blankets. You’ll be grateful to have more room to store things, and your items will be more accessible than ever.

No matter what time of the year you’re decluttering, good for you! There’s nothing quite like a clean and organized space for you and your family to enjoy!

Declutter Deck® and Hack Decks™

Declutter Deck® minimizes your need to continuously reevaluate and reorganize parts of your home because they are never “quite right.” While hiring professional organizers can be a financial investment, this inexpensive box of organizing prompt cards provides tips and tricks like only professional organizers can. Although the KonMari® Method is one style of organization, we include other decluttering and organizing styles. All prompts are method-based. Each prompt card is self-paced, easy to implement, and fun to do.

To use Declutter Deck®, simply draw a card and perform the decluttering or organization task. Once you have completed the deck, shuffle and start again. This allows you to declutter and organize the most frequently used parts of your home and keep them organized. (As you are decluttering and organizing, we suggest you reduce what you own by twenty percent. Reduce more if you can!) Declutter Deck® motivates you to clear your space, alleviating stress that accompanies owning too much or more than you need. You can do more with less!