Ready for some Summer decluttering? Discover the key areas to focus on, and learn what common mistakes to avoid. Start your summer off right with these clever decluttering tips!
The days are longer, the kids are out of school, and the pace of life slows down for a while.
What better time than to do a little decluttering?
But where do you start? How do you stay motivated? And what should you focus on?
Let’s dive into the ultimate guide for decluttering during the summer, making the most of the season’s unique advantages.
What's In This Article…
7 Key Reasons To Declutter In The Summer
#1 – Longer Days
The fact that you wake up in the sunshine, and often go to bed when it’s light – means that there feels like more hours in the day where you’re active and wanting to do stuff.
Why not make the most of those ‘extra’ hours, and declutter a few areas?
#2 – Out Of Routine
Chances are, the Summer will bring a change to your usual routine.
Maybe you’re at home more because the kids are off school. Maybe you’ve taken time off work just to relax a little – or maybe a lot of your hobbies / classes / groups have stopped over the holidays.
Whatever the reason, a change of routine gives you the easy chance to add in some new stuff for yourself – and that means you have the chance to add in some decluttering more easily!
#3 – Outside Is Available
When you declutter, you need space.
Space to take things out of their usual home, and space to sort things before they go to their final destination (somewhere in your home, charity, the tip etc…).
The Summer makes it much easier to tackle large areas, because you can use the outside space to put everything while you’re working on each space.
TIP: Put a large waterproof sheet on the floor to keep the decluttering area contained and to protect from dirt or water outside.
#4 – Make Use Of Passing Traffic
One of the worst parts of decluttering that makes people squirm is the task of actually getting everything you don’t want out of the house.
The nicer weather than Summer brings can make this almost no work at all…
I love to add a section on the end of my driveway with items that I’m happy to give to charity while I’m decluttering inside.
I simple add a sign saying “Free – take away now!” or something similar. Then, as I go through the house and find things that are good quality that I just don’t want any longer, I add them to the pile.
At the end of the day I’m always surprised at how much has gone! And it saves me the hassle of taking it anywhere.
Anything that’s left is then taken to Charity shops – but usually this is much, much less than I would have had to take had I just taken it all…
TIP: You can also add a donations jar if you want to try and make something from these items. A lot of people are happy to give a few pounds for items they’re getting from you.
TIP: You can also more easily store items that you sell on Facebook groups outside for the day. I add furniture and bulky items to local groups at the start of the day, and then if they haven’t sold by the time I pack up, I simply take them of Facebook and either try again the following day, or give these items to charity too.
#5 – Motivation Can Be High
Whenever I go away, I see holiday homes and space that inspire me to have a clear out or change something in my own home when I get back.
Summer can give you a need to refresh – so what better time than to refresh by clearing all the stuff you don’t really need…?
#6 – Needing Space For New
Again, when I go away, I like to buy something to add to my house, for the memories.
This is a great way to add our personality and story to our home, and make it unique to us.
I don’t like adding things for the sake of it – so I’m not talking fridge magnets or postcards (I personally don’t collect either – so for us, these would be clutter). Rather, I like a new piece of art or a home accessory like a vase or object.
These items make me happy to look at as they remind me of the time away, but I don’t want them to just add to the amount of stuff in the house – so usually I like to declutter a few things to make space for the new…
#7 – The Kids Can Help
If you have kids, then having them at home for the holidays can be tough – as they need to be entertained and busy.
I also never advocate decluttering other peoples stuff without them being involved.
With both in mind – why not do a small amount of decluttering with them?
They can help you go through their toys, or clothes etc… – and see how giving them to others (charity) can be a great thing.
Yes, it can be harder work than doing it yourself – but teaching them that decluttering regularly is a good idea will honestly pay dividends in the long run, and they’re just come to expect it each holiday time.
4 Things That May Affect How Much Summer Decluttering You Can Do (& How To Fix Them)
#1 – The Heat
I am not a Summer person because the heat and the sunshine really affect me in a bad way.
The main frustration is that I lose energy, and can’t get a lot done. Not to mention I hate the idea of getting myself even more hot by working hard around the house.
If the heat affects you in the same way, it can be a real stumbling block for decluttering.
You CAN make it easier though:
- Use a Fan. If you’re lucky enough to have Air conditioning, then great – you won’t even notice the heat. But if you’re in the UK like me and therefore don’t have air con (usually the case for our homes), then a fan can be the next best thing.
- Work in the cooler hours. Try early morning or later in the evening – and you may surprise yourself at how much more you can get done
#2 – Going Away
The fact that you’re probably going to be away for part of this season can completely play havoc with the time you have available.
You may feel like you’re preparing beforehand, actually away during, and then unpacking and getting back to routine after you get back. All of which take time.
Some ways to combat this would be to take on smaller decluttering tasks that won’t overwhelm you.
Tackle a drawer, a hanging rail, one shelf etc…. ANY progress is still progress!
#3 – The Kids
In the last section I talked about kids being useful to have around so that you can declutter with them – but equally they can be a distraction when you’re trying to declutter other things and they’re around.
As such, I would suggest only decluttering areas that they can be involved in (their stuff, their rooms etc…), and areas that you’ll be spending time in while with them (such as the garden or the kitchen).
If you can get into the right mindset of just doing a few items a day, then you won’t get stressed and you’ll still make progress.
#4 – Lack Of Motivation
Summer is downtime for most of us, and so the mindset isn’t going towards tackling decluttering and adding to our workload.
But it can be a brilliant time to get things done if you spin it another way.
Think of the downtime as a gift of space for you to help your future self. In the winter you’ll be thankful you don’t have to clean as much stuff in the house, or struggle to find things etc…
12 Of The Best Things To Declutter This Summer
You can of course decluttering anything you like, whenever you like. I always say YOU DO YOU.
But, there are some things that are much, much easier to tackle when it’s warm outside.
And why not make life easier if you can? Here are my recommendations:
- Outdoor Areas – I’d much rather tackle outdoors when I’m outside anyway, and when I don’t have to motivate myself to wrap up and go out when it’s cold!
- Garage – Yes, this is an inside space – but it tends to have no heating, and so can be horrible to work in when the weather gets cooler. It’s also much easier to take everything out of the garage to outside space when it’s dry out.
- School Related Items – During the school summer holidays and between their school years it’s worth sorting out the items that still have some life in them but that your kid(s) don’t need any longer. This is the time that other parents will want to buy your old things like uniform and kit etc…. so you may well make a little cash for the things you need to replace for the new school year.
- Freezer and fridge – I really dislike trying to sort these cold areas when I’m cold already. By tackling them in the Summer it’s more of a treat to get myself cool!
- Toys – The kids will be outside more in the warm weather, and so tackling their inside items will be easier for them as they’re a little more removed from things.
- Cooler Rooms In Your House – Again – why be cold when it’s cold outside? Treat yourself to the cooler rooms when you naturally want to be cooler.
- Your Phone – While away you can declutter your apps, photos etc… you’re bound to have some time to spare while sitting by the pool or in the airport.
- Your Schedule – While away from routine you can do some thinking. What would you like your week to be like when you get back to things? Now is a great time to mix things up a little.
- Items Making Your Home Hot – Just as I want to stay cool in the Summer, and so want to stay in the cooler rooms – why not try and declutter items making other rooms hotter than they need to be? Think about letting go of anything stopping air flowing well (heavy curtains, etc…). You can either replace completely, or think about swapping over when the weather changes – and have home decor for all seasons that you bring in.
- Spring Items – Now that Spring is over, you may well have items that you’re ready to pack away and bring out again next year. Think: Easter items etc… If there are any items you know you won’t want or need next year – why not let them go now and avoid having to store them again.
- Summer Items – Late Spring / Early Summer is the best time to sort through your summer stuff. You can sell items that you won’t be needing any longer, at a time when people are looking to get them.
- Autumn Items – Why not start to look at your Autumn clothes and household décor items ready ahead of time? That way you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes to swapping things over – and if you have items that are Autumn-appropriate that you know you won’t use yourself, late Summer is a great time to try and sell them on.
Want a checklist for your Summer decluttering? I’ve created a simple (and FREE!) monthly sheet for every month of the year, that will help you make small progress each day. You can grab them all HERE
The Worst Thing To Declutter This Summer – Steer Clear!
Having worked in a lot of my clients homes over the years, I’ve decluttered more than my fair share of lofts.
The one big takeaway from these clients is that Summer is the worst time possible to be stuck in the roof space!
It collects heat more than anywhere – which makes it infinitely more work than it needs to be.
You’ve been warned!
And it’s not just the loft. It can be any room in your home that’s way too hot in the Summer, or any items that make you sweat more than necessary (large furniture, for example).
Make it easier, and wait for the cooler months to tackle anything that gets you warmer than absolutely necessary.
And there you have it – everything you need for easier and effective Summer decluttering.
I hope it helps you to make the most of the warmer months – without draining you or becoming overwhelming.
And if you’re ready for a more detailed declutter, why not check out the free monthly decluttering checklists, and get started on June / July or August right now!
