10 Clutter Culprits You Should Absolutely Tackle Before Spring

There is often a lot of talk surrounding spring cleaning, but many tips and guides don't mention an important first step: Decluttering. After all, if you fail to declutter your home first, your hard work scrubbing won't be as effective. Too much unnecessary stuff makes it harder to clean around, and can hide dust, dirt, or, worse—mold and mildew. So by letting go of excess junk, you can perform a whole-home cleaning that is much more successful.

While you don’t need an excuse to declutter any time of year, there are a few specific things that you’ll benefit from focusing on ahead of spring. As a professional organizer, there are ten things I recommend going through before the spring season starts. Not only will it make spring cleaning an easier chore, you’ll also be able to enjoy the longer, warmer days without becoming overwhelmed by the clutter that naturally accumulates during the winter months.

1. Cleaning Products

If you plan to polish your home from top to bottom soon, take a few minutes now to declutter your cleaning supplies so you’ll be prepared when the time comes. If products are scattered, corral them together in one spot and sort them by their purpose. You’ll most likely discover half-empty duplicate bottles, so combine what you can to cut down on volume. Take note of which products you’re low on so you can restock before your cleaning spree.

Safely store cleaning supplies back into their respective spaces (whether that be under the sinks or in a designated cleaning closet) and properly dispose of anything you no longer need. According to The American Cleaning Institute, the best way to get rid of cleaning products is to follow the instructions on the label.

2. Expired Allergy Medicine

The fall is a good time to declutter most medications, especially since it signifies the start of cold and flu season. But as spring nears and green pollen begins to cover everything in sight, this is the best time to go through your household stash of allergy meds. Check expiration dates and get rid of bottles and boxes past their prime by dropping them at an FDA-registered drug take back location. Don’t forget to scan eye drops and nasal sprays, as well as replenish what you need before the first sniffle of the season. And although we're mainly focusing on getting rid of excess items, it's not a bad idea to add an air purifier to your living space to help decrease allergens.

3. Expired Sunscreens

Applying expired sunscreen can have damaging effects. While you might wear SPF on your face year-round, spring and summer mean more exposed skin, so your leftover spray and lotion bottles might not have been touched since last year. Search the linen closet, medicine cabinet, and last season's beach bag and gather all the sunscreen you can find—including lip balms and SPF products meant for your scalp or hair. Throw out anything expired, and make a list of the products you'll need to replace before your outdoor spring activities.

It's best to toss half-empty sunscreen bottles, since recycling the containers requires you to rinse them out, and it can be dangerous for sunscreen to enter the water supply. Alternatively, if your town has a waste collection facility, feel free to drop them off there instead.

4. Outdoor Equipment

This is the time of year we find ourselves daydreaming about spending time basking in the backyard sun. Do something to distract from the still-chilly temps by getting your gear ready. You’ll probably want to wait to clean your items until after peak pollen season, but you can go ahead and declutter your outdoor essentials so you have less to wipe down and organize once spring is in full swing.

Furniture: Have your patio cushions or lawn chairs seen better days? If you know you can’t sufficiently clean old outdoor furniture, let it go.

Decor: Whether it’s no longer your style or it’s been too weathered by the elements, be ready to toss (or donate if they’re in good, working condition) garden flags, statues, and string lights.

Toys: Torn pool floats, yard games with missing pieces, and sports equipment that your kids have outgrown are also game for donation or trash.

Outdoor dining essentials: As you look forward to your first BBQ of the season, sort through your outdoor dining sets, cups, tablecloths to weed out the things that are broken, worn out, or you have too many of.

5. Lawn Care and Gardening Supplies

When temperatures warm up enough to tackle items kept in the garage or shed, declutter the garden tools and supplies you use to tend to the yard. Be prepared to get rid of gardening tools that have rusted beyond repair and expired plant seeds or fertilizer. Take a moment to jot down what you need more of so you start planting as soon as the soil is ready.

6. Warm Weather Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories

Regardless of whether they’re stored in your closet year-round or you have to pull them from storage, use this season to sort through and pare down your spring and summer wardrobe. If you know you didn’t wear that floral romper the past few years or it no longer fits but you're holding onto it just in case, this is your sign to surrender it to the donation pile. Plus, it’s best to give away items shortly before they’re in season, because that’s when most people will be looking for them.

7. Lingering Cold Weather Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories

As you’re transitioning your closet for the upcoming seasons, it's also a smart idea to take note of what cold weather pieces you didn't wear this winter. Donate that sweater you didn't reach for, or the snow boots that don't fit quite right. If you didn't wear something during this last fall or winter season, it's a good time to reevaluate whether you need to keep it in your closet.

8. Indoor Plants

As we approach outdoor gardening season, take a look around and see which indoor plants aren’t thriving. We're definitely not suggesting you blindly toss a plant that seems like it’s in its last stage of life, but if your houseplants didn't survive the winter, it might be time to let them go. Either commit to reviving them, or give them to a plant-obsessed friend who is known to bring houseplants back to life. In the future, consider buying low-maintenance houseplants or faux foliage to avoid dying plant clutter.

9. Paperwork

If you’ve already taken care of last year’s taxes, congrats! Use this time to scan, organize, and shred whatever physical paperwork you can. For example, the pile of receipts you used for write-offs can be scanned and shredded, or properly stored in a labeled container. Even if you’re still scrambling to get your taxes filed, now is still an ideal time to declutter mail and files to make things easier to find. You'll head into the spring with a little less worry that you might be forgetting something important or time-sensitive.

10. The Fridge, Freezer, and Pantry

Before cleaning the refrigerator inside and out this spring, toss all expired perishables so you can really make it sparkle and smell its best. Doing so will also make organizing the fridge an easier task once you’re done. Next, go through the pantry and toss expired non-perishables, and then sort the remaining items into zones so you can see what you have on hand. Focus on using up the cold-weather staples, such as soups and slow cooker ingredients, while you’re still in the mood for them.