It’s high time to declutter, and after a year that forced the world to spend more time than ever at home, many discovered what items in their surroundings were actually useful versus merely taking up space. Employ these three spring cleaning rituals to make your dwelling place a dream.
1. Turn your closet into an at-home boutique.
Your closet is home base: It’s where you start every day by assembling a wardrobe to take on the world. Instead of piles of disorganized clutter, you should be met with a space that inspires you—where all your items are on display in a practical and aesthetically pleasing way.
Start with a closet purge—if you haven’t touched an item in over a year or wouldn’t buy it if you saw it in a store today, you won’t miss it—and then employ a whole new approach to closet organization, one that prioritizes both style and functionality.
In an Instagram post, Korinne Kubena Belock of New York-and-Palm Beach-based professional organization company Urban Simplicity recommends, “Your closet should be organized like your favorite boutique, so you can truly showcase and ‘shop’ your clothing.”
She suggests hanging clothing on matching hangers organized by type then color. And who doesn’t want to begin each morning with a shopping spree?
2. Clear off countertops and other surfaces.
Counters, desks, furniture, and shelving areas that collect clutter make a home feel cramped and small. (In case you forgot, your dining room table is a place to gather with family, not a staging area.) Instead of storing items in plain view, get them put away into cabinets and closets to keep readily visible surfaces free and clear. This opens up a space dramatically, making your home feel clean and breathable.
But don’t just shove everything behind closed doors: bins and storage containers are your friend! Shop for the right receptacles for each area and categorize items accordingly; there are containers available in every size and configuration imaginable. Use clear bins so you don’t have to go too crazy with a label-maker (though it wouldn’t hurt anything if you did).
3. Make cleaning day a family affair.
Instead of a chore, turn cleaning day into a challenge and get the whole household involved.
Who can clean out the most clutter? Start a time clock, set out a lot of boxes—more than you think you’ll be able to fill—and tackle the pain points you’ve long avoided, whether that’s the garage, the kitchen cabinets, or the office closet. Organize items into four different categories: keep, trash, pass along to friends or family, and donate.
By the end of the cleaning spree, whoever purged the most unused items gets to choose where you grab takeout from—which you can pick up together after you haul out the boxes headed to Goodwill and do a massive drop-off.
You’ll return home to more space—and a happier home.