5 Days of Spring Cleaning: Day 2 – Pick a Closet, Cupboard or Drawer

I love uncluttering but it can be incredibly overwhelming. I have had many times where I empty out multiple closets and cupboards in one swoop resulting in days upon days of items just sitting out making my house look even more of a disaster. Learning the hard way, I now aim to stick to one thing at a time.

Focus on one closet, one cupboard or one drawer. Not multiple. Unless you want to feel immediately overwhelmed and unaccomplished.

Here are the steps I take when decluttering these areas:

Look at the space prior to taking anything out. If you think you will need new organizing bins, measure and plan. I have wasted so much money on wrong sized bins and containers. Even if purchasing at the Dollar Store, I still hate spending money that I later realize I didn’t need to. I currently am loving the Target Brightroom brand organizers. Very nice looking and super affordable.

Grab a garbage bag, recycle bag and donate bag. If you are starting with a small drawer, you won’t have a ton to trash/donate/recycle most likely but good to have all the options available.

Take everything out. Everything.
>>> If tackling a closet, this can be overwhelming so make sure you have ample time. If not, start with something smaller.

Dust buster and wipe down any surface areas.

Put everything into categorized piles. I suggest they consist of donate, trash, keep in this place, keep but belongs somewhere else. Just because an item was in the junk drawer or closet doesn’t mean that is where it belongs so make a point to ensure things don’t end up back there if that isn’t where their home should be.

If you don’t use it, get rid of it. This is a hard step for me. Too small clothes that I still love but am not fitting into again anytime soon or likely ever, items I bought with the best intent of using but just never did; it’s hard to part with stuff, I get it. But I promise you just days after you give yourself the gift of less clutter that you won’t even remember what items you got rid of.

Put back items intentionally. This way you don’t end up putting back things just because you don’t know where else to put them. Make sure every single thing that goes back into that space is because you think it should and it has a purpose. I recently organized our junk drawer and had been holding onto little cards with cute messages to put into my kids’ lunches. The problem being that my kids don’t want me to put them in their lunches. But I kept hanging onto them because they were so cute. Away they finally went this round, and I am happy about that decision.

Donate items as soon as possible. I know you have let garbage bags of donations roll around in your car for weeks just like I have. Try to get them to donation soon so they can be out of sight out of mind.