20 Ways to Kickstart Your 2023 Spring Cleaning
22
Feb 2023
Spring is just around the corner and how much more helpful is it to get it started now before the allergies start kicking in. Keeping your home clean and tidy can be a daunting task, but we’ve compiled 20 ways to easily declutter your house and get ahead of your spring cleaning! Check out the printable checklist, at the end of this post.
1. Clean out your refrigerator and freezer
Spend a few minutes checking dates on all items in your refrigerator and freezer and toss any expired or close to expiring items that won’t be used. Then, re-organize some items to make accessing them easier.
2. Go through your closet
Go through your closet and purge any items you no longer wear or don’t fit. A good rule of thumb is getting rid of any items that haven’t been worn in 2+ years. There’s no need to keep things around that aren’t being worn. Bag any of these items and donate them to your local clothes donation spot!
3. Throw away receipts, bills and papers
Any old receipts, bills or papers you no longer need – throw away! Clean out drawers, purses, desks, etc. If you don’t need physical copies, try downloading a scanner application on your cell phone and keep your important documentation stored there instead of cluttered around the house.
4. Sell unused electronics
Have an old video game console you haven’t used in years? Or how about a digital camera? There’s bound to be tons of old electronics around the home. Some of the best places to sell electronics online are Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Craigslist or Gazelle.
5. Throw out old toiletries
It’s easy to stock up on lotions, shampoos, shower gels, etc. Unfortunately, most of these items only have a 1-3 year shelf life. If you think it’s been sitting for a while, it’s probably best to toss it.
6. Clean out your sock drawer
How many socks of yours are missing their matching pair? Go through your and your family’s sock drawers. Any socks that are missing their mate- throw away (or re-use for cleaning purposes or crafts).
7. Go through your e-mails
This may be somewhat of an exhausting task; but go through your e-mails and delete any unnecessary ones you don’t need. This will help clear up some free space on your cell phone or computer. If there’s any that don’t pertain to you anymore, unsubscribe from them, or use a service like Unroll.Me to unsubscribe from multiple e-mails at a time.
8. Sort your CD’s and DVD’s
Take some time to go through any CD’s or DVD’s you have. There may be multiple ones you forgot about that you haven’t listened to or watched in years. If you’re keeping them to collect- look into storing them in an attic, or think about renting a storage unit to hold your collection.
9. Clean out the medicine cabinet
Many medicines have expiration dates that you may not be unaware of. Check dates on all medicines you own, and get rid of anything that is past it’s date. Try to sort your products so you’ll know exactly where everything when needed.
10. Toss the Tupperware
How frustrating is it looking for a Tupperware not finding the matching lid? Time to get rid of those! Go through your Tupperware container drawer and toss any lids or containers that are missing their mate.
11. Organize your bathroom drawers
It’s easy to just toss items like toothbrushes, floss, hair brushes, etc. into a drawer or two in your bathroom. Get an inexpensive drawer organizer to make accessing your bathroom items easier on yourself.
12. Donate old toys
If there’s any items your child isn’t using anymore, the best thing to do is donate them so another child can enjoy the item! While it may be hard to part with some items, your child will move on from some items that end up just taking up a bunch of room.
13. Throw out expired coupons
Collect all the coupons you have- whether they’re in your purse, hanging on the fridge or in a binder- and throw away any expired coupons or coupons expiring soon you know you won’t use. If you find that you have coupons laying around in various places, gather them all together and put them in a binder, organizer or folder in one spot.
14. Finally go through your junk drawer
We all have that dreaded “junk drawer”… it’s time to finally go through it! Many items in there can probably find a ‘home’ somewhere else. Anything else in there not needed- throw away, and set a goal for yourself to keep the drawer not cluttered for the rest of the year.
15. Donate books just sitting on your shelf
Look through your bookshelf and see if there’s any books you really don’t see yourself re-reading. Take those books and pass them along to a family member or friend, or donate to a place like your local library.
16. Straighten up your shoes
Many of us toss our shoes in our closet, front hallways, etc. instead of keeping in one spot. Gather all your shoes and organize them to keep your home looking tidy. A shoe rack or shelf can make this process a lot easier. And if there’s any shoes you haven’t worn in over a year, it may be time to part ways with them.
17. Organize your laundry room
If you feel like your laundry room is a mess, take the plunge and work on organizing that area. Think about installing some shelves or buy baskets to keep your laundry products organized. You can even give yourself a DIY project to do- like this laundry basket dresser.
18. Work on fixing up your garage
One of the most neglected places in a home is the garage. It’s easy for things to pile up and your garage to become overwhelmed with all your extra items. Spend a weekend afternoon, or take a few minutes each day to re-organize the garage, so you have more space to utilize. Look into plastic bins, shelving units or overhead storage to store all your items.
19. Get rid of mysterious/broken cords
Go around your home and gather all the cords you have. Test them out and if they’re broken, or you have no clue what they go to, dispose of them! Any cords you need that aren’t being utilized daily, wrap up together and store in one spot so they aren’t thrown around in random areas.
20. Organize kitchen drawers and cabinets
Kitchen drawers and cabinets can get excessively cluttered, so while you’re working on organizing your house, you’ll need to spend some time focusing on the kitchen. Purchase various organizers to help keep items in your drawers straightened out. Discard of any chipped, missing or broken items you find while going through your kitchen space.
We all dream of having a more orderly home, and these 20 tips are a great way to get a head start into your spring cleaning! Make sure to download our full printable spring cleaning checklist!