FALL DECLUTTERING & PREPARATION
ADDING A FALL CLEAN UP ROUTINE TO YOUR YEAR IS A GREAT WAY TO GET THE HOUSE READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS WITH LESS STRESS!
Spring cleaning gets all the attention, but I don’t know anyone that has time to declutter, organize, and deep clean their entire home each spring. Fall is a great time split the workload into something more manageable! You don’t have to worry about making any of these areas perfect, just grab a trash bag and donation box and try to get rid of as much as you can from each of these areas.
1. Patio Furniture / Outdoor Equipment
It’s almost time to put your patio furniture into hibernation for the winter. Now’s a good time for a quality check. If furniture is not in the best shape, it may be time to donate or get rid of it. Check your patio furniture for rust, ripped seams, cracks, or breaks.
Along with your patio furniture, take an assessment of your outdoor equipment. This includes everything from pool toys to grills to camping gear. Donate anything you’ve outgrown, toss or repair items that are broken, and put everything else into storage. Now is also the perfect time to take stock of what you may need for next summer and catch them on an “end of summer” clearance sale.
2. Garage
Garages tend to become a dumping ground for every miscellaneous item you don't want to keep in the house. Now is a great time to make space in your garage for your cars! So, take an hour or two and declutter the garage before it gets too cold. This can include getting rid of unused sports equipment, bicycles, gardening tools & products, toys the kids have outgrown, and old or broken holiday decor you won’t be using during the upcoming holiday season. Any big toys the kids have outgrown should be cleared out in the fall, before the holidays. It’s the perfect time to donate them, and you don’t need to store them all winter if the kiddos will never use them again. Clean up, repair, and purge your garden supplies so they’ll be ready for you in the spring.
3. Swimwear
Unless you’re planning a tropical vacation sometime soon, you can go ahead and put your swimwear and beach accessories into a storage bin until spring. Evaluate what you own and donate your swimwear that no longer fits your body or your style. Old beach towels can be donated to local animal shelters.
4. Summer Clothes & Shoes
In addition to going through your swimwear stockpile, purge your summer clothes that are ripped, torn, or stained. Donate any items you didn’t wear all season.
Sort through your shoes and sandals and be honest about which ones were REALLY worn this summer. Now is the time to donate or sell the others. The most effective way to tackle this is to remove ALL the shoes from the closet and then put back the ones that you wear. That also gives you a chance to wipe down the shelves or shoe organizer.
5. Winter Apparel
Might as well tackle both sides of the closet and take inventory of what you have now so you won’t be scrambling once the first snow hits. Make room in your closet for new purchases and discard those items you do not love or need.
Peek at the family’s winter coats and donate any that have been outgrown or are no longer needed now before winter hits. Someone will be so grateful that you did this one!
Donation option: Salvation Army: Coats for Kids:
While a winter coat may seem like a small gift, the Coats for Kids program makes a big impact on local families who are struggling to put food on the table and keep the heat on through the winter. By providing coats for their children, parents are able to use their limited funds to pay for necessities like school supplies, food, gas, utility bills, and rent. Thanks to Coats for Kids, they don’t have to choose between equipping their kids for the cold weather and paying the light bill.
Winter the prime time for baking? It’s time to check those expirations dates. Take all the spices, seasonings, and condiments out of the cabinet and give the shelves a quick cleaning. Before putting everything back, discard expired items and keep a list of what needs to be replaced so you will be all set for holiday baking! If you only cook during the holidays, it may also be time to replace your flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder.
If you tend to drink more warm/hot drinks, lattes, etc. during the colder months, check expiration dates on all beverages and discard those that are expired. Toss any mugs that are chipped and donate any that aren’t your favorites.
7. Freezer / Refrigerator
Sometimes our freezer and refrigerator becomes a black hole where things go in and never come out. The fall is the perfect time to get it cleared out and ready for winter. Take everything out or go shelf by shelf. Purge expired items and open containers. Wipe it down before putting things back in. Consider labelling the shelves if more than 1 person lives in your household to keep things where they need to go. If you have a little extra time, purge the pantry/food cabinet as well!
8. Kid’s Playroom
Now is also the perfect time for a playroom purge. If your family celebrates Christmas, remind your kids that Santa’s on his way and he’s got lots of fun new things in store. Discard anything that's broken or has missing pieces and donate any toys your children have aged out of. This allows space for new toys gifted over the holidays.
9. Medicine
We hate to jinx things, but the colder months often mean cold and flu season. Look through your medicine cabinet and throw away anything that’s expired, or you don’t use. This includes lozenges, pain medications, liquids, and pills. Create a list of items to buy so you’re prepared for the upcoming season (just in case).
10. Magazines & Books
Do a quick sweep and lighten the clutter by purging outdated magazines. You can tear out any pages or articles you are interested in to read later and dispose of the magazine. Look for books you know you’ll never read again and pass them along to a new home. Fall is a great time to free up some space for new books or magazines.
11. Throw Blankets
Keep only the blankets you need and use and donate the rest to a shelter or someone less fortunate.
12. Bedroom
Everyone gathers different kinds of clutter in the bedroom, but that doesn’t mean we can’t address it. Set a timer on your cell phone or microwave for 15 minutes and try to find as many things as you can that can be removed. Depending on the state of your bedroom, start with the floor, the flat surfaces (dresser top), or inside the drawers. Don’t worry about organizing during the 15 minutes. Only focus on things that are easy decisions and keep moving!
13. Bathroom
Here are some items to consider when decluttering the bathroom: towels, cosmetics. makeup brushes, hair accessories, hair products, skin care products, nail products, medications and first aid supplies, (ideally medications should NOT be stored in the bathroom due to the temperature fluctuations and steam caused from the bath and showers), beauty appliances, hair brushes/combs, décor items, shower curtain (if it needs replaced), trial sized bottles, shaving/hair removal products, bathroom cleaning supplies, counter clutter (keep the counter space for items you use often and limit other items and décor), perfumes/cologne, and bath toys. Don’t feel like you have to keep something just because the bottle is ¾ full or you spent money on it.
EZ Declutter Solutions is here to support you with any decluttering needs & more!
Visit our website: https://www.ezdecluttersolutions.com to learn more ways our team can help!
Follow Us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EZdeclutterSolutions and Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ezdecluttersolutions for Decluttering and Organizing Tips & More
Call for a FREE Consultation Today! 812-350-0029
