It’s that time of year again! Spring is such a wonderful time to go after your long overdue organizing projects, and it can feel very cathartic to clean and organize your home after the long winter.
It can be hard to get started, so we recommend making a list of to do’s and checking them off one by one, to avoid feeling overwhelmed by all of the things you want to do.
Here is a Handy List of Our Top Ten Spring Organizing To Do’s
In case you need help getting started, we’ve put together some of our favorite Spring organizing to do’s. Many of these are easy and can be done in an hour our two, and will help to get the ball rolling.
- Kitchen: Review all Tupperware, match lids and throw out extras. Better yet? Donate and start fresh with a new matching set. Check out our post on organizing Tupperware for ideas on how to store it.
- Living Room: Review magazines, books, DVDs and games. Purge accordingly. Unsubscribe from unwanted magazines. For steps on how to do this, check out our organizing post on the topic.
- Front / Back Entryway: Set up mail sorting station with recycling bins right where you handle the mail. Create a landing place to organize “action” items coming into the home.
- Bathrooms: Review all bottles and products for donations to a local shelter. To throw away expired drugs, first check to see if your area hosts a drug take-back event. This is the best way to safely get rid of unwanted drugs, and most police departments will take them. If that is not possible, the FDA recommends mixing them with coffee grounds and placing them in a sealed plastic bag and throwing them in the trash.
- Bedroom: Look around for items that don’t belong here. Your bedroom is for sleeping and relaxing (learn more about our stance on that in our Room-by-Room Organizing Challenge post on the Master Bedroom.) Remove office or work related items and keep it serene.
- Master Closet: Swap out winter clothes for spring and summer and store in a different location to create space and stay organized, or in the closet on high shelves.
- Kid’s Rooms: Get kids involved by asking them to help review toys that they no longer play with. Explain that by donating, they are giving to another kid in need.
- Linen Closet: Match all sheet sets and donate unneeded or incomplete sets. Store entire sets in a pillowcase from that set.
- Hall Closet: Take out all coats, boots, hats and scarves. Do a full review and donate anything you didn’t wear this winter. Put the rest away in storage.
- Garage: Start with the big stuff. What large items can be donated or consigned today to create space? Make a list.
To print this list, click on the handy graphic below.
Happy Organizing!
Click to Download
What a great list to get us going in the right direction. Thanks!
Thank you Barbara! We’re happy to help. 🙂
Thank you for a very useful list.
I really wish authorities did not recommend to throw drugs in the trash. To me, the safest option is to bringing them to a take-back location.
If you have any interest in it, I created a Portland Zero Waste Guide which notably features the places where one can donate & recycle unwanted items: http://consciousbychloe.com/zero-waste-pdx/
Thank you!
– Chloe
http://consciousbychloe.com
Hi Chloe,
Thank you so much for catching that! Yes, our policy is also to take advantage of drug take-back events, which we try to post about when they come up in our area. Thank you again for the reminder, and for sharing your site as a resource!