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. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are easy things we could all work on in the fall to split the workload into something manageable!
In another post, we’lltalk about some things to organize in the fall, but today we’ll start out with some quick wins.
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 the 10 spots. If you’re feeling like an over-achiever, tackle the2bonus points!
Fall Kitchen Decluttering
– Take all the spices, seasonings, and condiments out of the cabinet and give the shelves a quick cleaning. Before putting everything back, check the expiration dates. I’m not hard-core about throwing spices out on the marked date, but they lose potency after time, so it’s probably time to replace the pumpkin pie spice from 7 years ago.
Have a piece of paper handy to track what needs to be replaced. You’ll be all set for holiday baking!
Freezer – Sometimes our freezer 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.
BONUS: If you have a little extra time, purge the pantry/food cabinet as well! Here’s a list of things to consider keeping in a well-stocked pantry.
Fall Closet Decluttering
Sandals & Summer Shoes – Be honest about what shoes 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.
Swimwear – Fall is also a great time to purge the swimwear. I seem to add swimsuits and cover-ups, but never get rid of any. Why should I keep the extras around another winter?
BONUS: 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!
Fall Garage Decluttering
Toys – 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.
Garden Tools & Products – Clean up, repair, and purge your garden suppliesso they’ll be ready for you in the spring. Nothing kills my spring planting motivation faster than being ready to plant and finding everything a mess from the prior year.
Fall Living Room Decluttering
Magazines & Books – Do a quick sweep and lighten the clutter by purging outdated magazines. Look for books you know you’ll never read again and pass them along to a new home. We both have books on our Christmas list every year, so fall is a great time to free up some space for them.
Throw Blankets – At one point, I thought you could never have too many blankets around the living room. Then I kept adding new ones through both purchases and gifts and passed the saturation point. I didn’t realize how many there really were because we throw them in the corner behind the sectional. I recently moved the couch to clean the windows and wowsa, so many blankets! I was able to donate three of them andput the rest in a basket so I can keep them under control.
Fall Bedroom Decluttering
Timer Challenge – I feel like everyone gathers different kinds of clutter in the bedroom, but that doesn’t mean we can’t address it. Set the time 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. Our bedroom looks great on the surface, but I’ll be tackling my nightstand drawers. You wouldn’t believe the mess hiding inside!
Fall Bathroom Decluttering
Product Purge – Chances are you’ve got some beauty products that are never touched lurking in the bathroom. I’m definitely guilty of trying out products, not loving them, but not wanting to get rid of them because the bottle is ¾ full and I spent money on it. That is just crazy though! Keeping them around to clutter up the bathroom isn’t doing any good. Get rid of that old make-up too!
Not too bad, right? It shouldn’t take too long to tackle all the spaces on the list, and I bet you and your home will both feel a bit lighter when you are done. For our house, I’m especially excited about the items that feel like I’m getting a head start on the holidays, like the spices.
Don’t forget to add the pin below to your cleaning or organizing board so you can find the list again next year! Next up, check out the 5 Things You Should be Organizing Every Fall.
