July is here, summer is well underway and the weather is hot! In the midst of the intense heatwaves that we’ve been experiencing across the UK, alongside our general busy lives, schools breaking-up, and holidays being taken - this midway point of the year can often end up feeling all too chaotic, so it’s time we took a moment to bring back some order.
Decluttering may not be at the top of your to-do list when the sun is shining, but I’m sure your home is in desperate need of it. Between chaotic packing, garden hosting and general incapacitation from high temperatures - clutter tends to build up.
But no worries, I’ve got the top items to declutter this July that will make the biggest impact on the look and feel of your home this summer - and they all take mere minutes to tackle.
Cooling devices
You won’t need me to tell you that getting a hold of a fan right now is next to impossible, thanks to our new frequent heatwaves clearing the shelves, and yet now is the time we need them more than ever. So, it’s time to head into the attic, rummage in the utility cupboard and track down all of your various cooling devices.
From manual hand fans lurking in handbags, to neck-fans you impulse bought in the middle of the night, to your old reliable oscillating tower that’s been spitting out lukewarm air for over a decade - all of these need an assessment. Throw out anything ripped or broken, recycling big bulky materials properly by taking it to your local waste management centre, or many large retailers also accept old electricals for free recycling such as Currys or B&Q. These cooling devices like fans and portable AC’s can be large and bulky, so streamline your collection, keeping only the essentials and most efficient for cooling your home and person to prevent your home feeling crowded.
You can donate the rest to help keep those who really need it chugging along this summer. Pulling out and assessing your stock should also show you the devices you forgot about, but which still work, therefore improving your chances of keeping the sweat away this month.
Car doors
Summer is a great time for a road-trip. Cruising along the coast or boarding a ferry for adventures overseas, we tend to spend a lot of time in our cars - which is when we start to notice how grubby they are.
Take 10 minutes to go check your car. Checking the car door pockets, backseat pockets, cup holders and glove box. Anywhere where rubbish can fit, will likely have rubbish in it - especially if you have kids. And remember, those places might be useful for storage - but only if what you’re storing in there is useful.
Keep it simple, remove rubbish, old paperwork, broken umbrellas, unused sports gear, excess shopping bags and anything else you haven't used in months. It's also worth checking emergency supplies regularly, throwing away expired items and securing or removing heavy loose objects from the boot that could become dangerous in a sudden stop.
The notes section on your phone
Decluttering is not only limited to our physical space, but also our digital. Decluttering certain areas on our phones can seriously improve our mental clarity, storage space allowance and the general operation of your device. Find things are running slowly? Taking ages to download or update? Battery running low far too quickly? You might need to free up some space.
A great place to start for a digital declutter is your notes section, especially at this time of the year. We tend to make a lot of lists, to-do lists, packing lists, reminders for all your upcoming summery events, holiday ideas or recommendations from friends - the digital papers start to stack up. Set yourself a timer and take 10 or even just 5 minutes to sift through, you’ll be shocked to find how many documents you made, and then immediately forgot about.
Foreign currency
Before you head off on your next holiday, you should deal with some of the forgotten clutter of the last one. Most of us will come back with some leftover cash from our last holiday. Seeing as it’s in a different currency, it’s not really useful to us for 90% of the year. So it often ends up stowed away in some drawer or tucked away in a holiday box with the intention of “I’m sure it’ll come in handy again next year” - and then we swiftly forget all about it.
Taking 10 minutes to track down all the loose change and notes of previous holidays will not only free up some space in your drawers, but it could also give you a nice little bit of pocket money for your trip, saving you from getting out more cash than you need. Cleaner drawers and ice cream money, win win!
Beach towels
This idea came to me recently based on personal experience. After a trip to the lido with friends in an attempt to escape the heatwave. I found myself judging my friends towel. I’m sure she won’t mind me saying this, but it was hideous. Weird strange sun-bleached colour and riddled with holes, its condition was distracting. When I asked her what it was all about she said she keeps meaning to get a new one, but since they only get used two months of the year - she keeps forgetting! So I’d venture a guess she’s not the only one.
Beach towels can take up a surprising amount of cupboard space, so donate or recycle any that are threadbare, stained, musty or no longer absorb water properly. Keep only the ones you actually use, and aren’t embarrassed to be seen with. You can repurpose older towels as cleaning rags, pet bedding or picnic blankets if they're still in reasonable condition.
Outdoor candles
If you’re an avid reader of household advice and general decluttering content you’ll be aware that as lovely as candles are, they tend to be a great source of clutter. From ones we keep on the shelf despite hating their scent, to the collection of candle jars we hold onto hoping they’ll come in handy one day, these are a classic culprit of shelf clutter - but this month we turn our attention outside and realise this issue actually extends to our gardens.
Outdoor candles can lose their scent, become damaged by the weather, lose their bug repellent properties or simply pile up after summer. So recycle or dispose of any that are cracked, badly melted or no longer burn properly. Keep only the ones you'll realistically use and store them somewhere cool and dry to help them last longer.
Beach bags
Beach bags can quickly pile up over the years. Along with wash bags, they're one of the most common free gifts we receive with beauty purchases, or maybe you’re like me and have a nasty habit of buying a new one for every holiday; forgetting the growing collection I already have in my wardrobe. Either way, it's worth sorting through your collection before summer. Donate any that are worn, torn, mouldy or no longer suit your needs, recycle those beyond repair where possible, and keep only the bags you genuinely use, as this will free up storage space and make packing for your next beach trip much easier.
