Declutter | 10 day spring cleaning challenge

There’s nothing like a few fine sunny days to kick off a spring cleaning challenge. I’m talking about the kind that brings a smile to a friend’s face, that gets the kids outside climbing trees, and that gets clutter out of a home at lightning speed! You only need visit a thrift shop this week and you will understand the kind of motivation and spring in one’s step that most people are experiencing. It’s so uplifting just to see the sun.

Consider taking the 10-day spring cleaning challenge!

Read on to discover my declutter checklist for spring. Work through this list – one item per day and you’ll have a sparkling home just in time for those summer BBQs!

Here are my rules for decluttering:

1. Perfection is when there’s nothing left to take away
2. Make sure there is a spot for everything
3. Storage, storage and more storage (with doors that close!)
4. As the song goes ‘Let It go’

Note: It is impossible to make a home look clean if you don’t have enough storage. If you have to buy more cupboards, drawers and plastic containers, do it. The more storage you have the better.

Day 1: The Garage

Start with the garage or shed, because this is where you will be storing want-to-keep items that you’d rather not keep in the house. It’s a great idea to organise shelving in the garage first, so when you are dragging stuff out you’ll have some great empty shelves on which to sit them. If funds allow also consider installing an automatic mechanism for your garage door. I’ve got one on mine and this makes all our lives much easier. This way we can keep items in the garage secure between times. Checkout Personality Garage Doors for the kind of services garage door companies offer.

Garage Inspiration

Day 2: The Kitchen

For day two of your spring cleaning challenge move to the kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most-used areas of the house and so it makes sense to get the kitchen sorted as soon as possible. Discard old Tupperware lids and containers, organise the pantry, throw away out-dated food and take stock of appliances. Do you really use them all and if not, throw out the old to bring in the new. When I say ‘throw it out’ I mean, take the items to your local thrift shop so someone else can enjoy your old appliance on the cheap. If the item is worth money, place it on Gumtree or auction it on eBay to make some extra cash for Christmas. Also find a spot for cookbooks in the kitchen. This is where you will most likely use them after all.

Kitchen Inspiration

I’m also big on a great tea and coffee station!

Day 3: Kids Bedrooms

Cleaning out toys in a kid’s bedroom is always time consuming. So get to this spring cleaning job next. Throw away anything broken and donate unwanted items to your local toy library. If the items are small, bag little packages up in freezer bags and deliver them to your local charity. For example, place Barbie dolls with Barbie’s clothes and accessories in one bag. This would be such a treasure and find for little girl on the hunt for a great toy. Also many families on tight budgets often look for second-hand items as stocking fillers for Christmas and you can help some kids have a happier Christmas.

Inspiration for a boy’s bedroom

Inspiration for a girl’s bedroom

Day 4: Master Bedroom

Go through all clothing. Put winter items away and bring out your summer clothes. Make a drawer or box specifically for gym and swimming gear. Organise hats, accessories, belts, underwear and shoes using great storage systems. Throw away items you haven’t worn for years. Be ruthless! Otherwise you will have trouble letting in new and inspiring items! My big tip: I never put my clothes and accessories next to hubby’s! That’s just asking for trouble. Try to keep ‘his and hers’ a separate equation! Invest in a new doonah for spring. This will instantly reinvent your master bedroom!

Bedroom Inspiration

Not many people have this kind of room – but the neatness is inspiring!

Dressing table inspiration

Day 5: The Bathroom

Next move to the bathroom. Discard old toiletry items and do an assessment of storage in the bathroom. Put like items together and place items in easy reach. Be sure to give your bathroom a deep clean while you are there, so you can leave the room with a feeling of clarity and rejuvenation.

Here’s some bathroom inspiration

Day 6: The Laundry & Linen Cupboard

The Laundry

The laundry is also quite a hub in the home for a mum. I spend so much time in my laundry (well, due to the renovation – this room is also half my kitchen right now!) I am considering getting a TV in there! A laundry declutter involves finding a spot for everything and putting in some pretty and fresh looking storage systems. I have a cleaning trolley I can take ‘on the go’ in the house with me. It has everything I need to clean my house.

Cleaning trolley inspiration

Laundry Inspiration

Note: The best laundries have bench space and shelving! That way you’ll have lots of area for folding clothes on. Shelving needs to work. You need to have easy access to laundry liquid etc.

Laundry Cupboard Inspiration

The Linen Cupboard

The best thing you can do for your linen cupboard is to learn how to fold towels and fitted sheets properly. Here are some tips and inspiration.

Organised linen cupboard inspiration

How to fold towels properly

How to fold a fitted sheet properly

Day 7: The Home Office

Organising your home office is a very personal thing. You will have different needs in terms of filing and your life situation. My files reflect my family and organising for our annual tax returns. So I have the following sections for our files:

1. Family and Pets
2. Business and Tax
3. Property (Home & Investment)
4. Vehicles

This works well for our situation. Within those folders I place in A-Z format related files and names. E.g Under Family and Pets – I have a folder for each member of the family. Under property I have the names of utility company bills etc related to our home property for example or our renovation project. Make sure your filing system is within reach and handy so you will use it! Try to file as you go rather than allow a stack of files to build up. If you do that – you will be constantly looking for important files you might need.

Filing inspiration

Office Inspiration

The key to office organisation is to get stuff off your desk and away! Also add a pinch of inspiration such in this example. Again – storage is key. Having a minimalist office will help you approach your work with a sense of calm and clarity each day.

Day 8: The Living Room

In a living room make sure there are spots for items like remote controls, kids DVDs, books and the like. If you have little ones, consider a toy box for each child. Teach your child to place their items away in their box each time after use. This way kids items will not clutter up your living areas daily. Make a habit of getting the kids to put all their toys away after dinner or pick a time that suits your schedule.

Living room inspiration

Day 9: The Toilet(s)

People spend a lot of minutes in the toilet, so why not make the space inspiring? Make your toilet the best it can be with a spring spruce up and some inspirational material like a great magazine or self-help book.

Day 10: Books

I have a lot of books in my house. I’m talking an entire floor to wall-to-wall scenario. So decluttering my books is always a task. I’ve got them in categories. For example, savings books, self-help, business. But depending on your genre placing your books in A-Z by title or author is also a great idea. You can also be creative with book storage. See below for some great bookshelf inspiration including creative ways to store your books.

Bookshelf Inspiration

Got some great ways to organise your stuff and declutter your home? Share them in comments below.