Thanks to the recent weather we’ve been experiencing, you won’t need me to tell you this, but I think it’s pretty safe to say summer is finally upon us. With brighter, warmer weather firmly on the horizon, it’s time to reign in the new season the best way we here at Good Housekeeping know how – with a decluttering session, of course.
Seasonal resets are essential for keeping our homes running smoothly from month to month, and this is never more true than when welcoming in summer. With wardrobe swaps, temperature changes and seasonal pests , this time of year can have a knack for getting us all hot and bothered, but don’t worry – I’ve simplified things a little.
I’ve laid out the top priorities for decluttering this month, and the good thing is they’re all super quick and easy jobs to tackle. After all, no one wants to be locked inside sorting through boxes and boxes of rubbish when there’s a heatwave going on. So instead these are the quick and easy items to declutter this June for a more efficient, organised, calmer and cooler summer in minutes
Wardrobe
Dare I say this? But I do think it’s finally safe to do the seasonal wardrobe swap. I personally have been holding off doing this, scared my actions might jinx the good weather away. But thanks to this ferocious heatwave I think we’re safe to store away our thick woollen knits and bulky winter coats for the season.
When swapping over your wardrobe for summer, be ruthless about what earned its place last winter. If you didn’t wear it, it no longer fits properly or you kept skipping past it every morning, it’s probably time to donate or sell it rather than storing it for another year. The easiest way to keep wardrobes calm and clutter-free is to only pack away clothes you genuinely love and know you’ll want to wear again next season.
The key to a successful seasonal wardrobe swap is all in the way you store away the winter clothes you’re going to keep. Before packing winter clothes away, make sure everything is freshly washed or dry-cleaned, as moths are attracted to lingering dirt and perfume, and nobody wants to open up their jumpers to a musty mess come autumn. Use breathable storage bags, cedar blocks or lavender sachets to keep clothes fresh over summer. It’s also worth taking a few minutes to repair loose buttons or small tears now, so everything is ready to wear again next season.
Moth control buys
The Cashmere Choice Extra Large Cashmere Sweater Storage Bag
The summer junk box
While this name may not ring any bells, I’d venture a pretty confident guess you definitely have one of these in your homes. Be it a drawer, box or bag, think back to the spot in your home where you store all your summer holiday essentials. Your travel-sized toiletries, suncreams, hay fever tablets, adapters, travel wallets, mini first-aid kits – the list goes on and on. Am I ringing some bells now?
Because we only use these spots a handful of times a year, they can often end up carrying clutter from year to year. For many of us we probably haven’t touched this treasure trove of holiday essentials since last year, meaning the contents are probably incredibly disorganised, or even expired.
Tackle those forgotten tangled charging cables, old travel adapters, half-used sun creams, broken sunglasses, beach toys, expired insect repellent and random holiday paperwork that’s been dumped away since last year. June is the perfect time to sort through it all before holidays, festivals and day trips begin again, so you’re not buying duplicates or dragging unnecessary clutter into another summer.
Fans
You don’t need another article banging on about our country’s obsession with panic buying fans as soon as the temperature hits 20 degrees, so I’m not going to give you one – but I am going to remind you to go check your own temperature controlling collection to ensure you don’t get caught short this year.
Declutter broken, dusty or noisy fans before the next summer heatwave hits (likely to be bigger and badder than the last) and before everyone rushes to replace them. June is a good time to test desk fans, tower fans and portable air coolers that have been sitting in cupboards or lofts all winter, then recycle anything that no longer works properly or is missing parts. It’s also worth clearing out bulky packaging, tangled extension leads and duplicate cooling gadgets you realistically never use, as they can quickly make storage spaces feel chaotic.
Picnic supplies
One of my favourite summer time activities is popping for a great British picnic, so before your first picnic of the season gets met with abject disappointment, now is the perfect time to sort through your gear. If you’re anything like me, you’ve most likely acquired quite the collection over the years: endless blankets, baskets, plastic plates, cutlery and glasses. Enough equipment for a picnic of hundreds, all clogging up your storage.
Sort through picnic baskets, cool boxes and outdoor dining supplies before summer entertaining season gets into full swing. Cull any cracked plastic plates, mismatched cutlery, stained picnic blankets, leaky cool bags and takeaway condiment sachets that have been sitting untouched since last summer. Clearing out duplicates and anything you never actually use will make outdoor gatherings feel far less chaotic and much more organised.
Bug repellent
This comes from recent experience. I was lucky enough to go on my first trip of the year last week. And while I pride myself on being an organised traveller, there was one small item I’d overlooked. On my first evening I went to grab my trusted bug spray, only to realise I’d carried an empty bottle with me for hundreds of miles. It was last year’s bottle – I stupidly assumed there was still some left in it, and what ensued can only be referred to as a mosquito free-for-all. I left my trip looking like I’d gotten a serious case of adult chicken pox.
So, please, learn from my mistakes. Before heading off on your trips this summer, check and, crucially, declutter your bug repellent collection. Look for empty (or almost empty) bottles, as well as checking expiry dates. They do tend to lose effectiveness over time, with most manufacturers recommending you replace your bug spray every two to three years to guarantee maximum protection against biting insects.
Flip-flops
Yet another tip based on recent personal experience, as it turns out flip-flops don’t last forever. A friend of mine popped on her flip-flops on the first day of her holiday last week, only for them to quite literally fall apart beneath her feet. Turns out she hadn’t even looked at them since last August and just chucked them in the suitcase assuming they were fine. They were not.
As you put away your winter shoes and pull out your summertime sandals, give them a once-over. Cast your mind back to last summer and be honest with what you’ll actually wear. Declutter shoes that rub, have worn-down soles, broken straps or no longer feel comfortable, as well as pairs you avoided wearing all last summer. Clearing out tired or impractical styles will free up space, make getting dressed easier and stop shoe racks overflowing just as holiday and event season ramps up.
Festival/camping gear
I myself tackled this one just last weekend, as I’m soon to be heading off for my first of many festivals this year. But whether you’re a music lover or camping enthusiast, now is the time to do a proper survey of all your outdoor gear.
Declutter broken camping chairs, missing tent poles, leaky air beds, tangled fairy lights, old ponchos, empty gas canisters and random festival freebies that have been shoved into storage since last year. Clearing out anything damaged, duplicated or never actually used will make packing for trips far quicker – and stop sheds, cupboards and car boots becoming clutter hotspots all summer long.
