Winter has come and gone, and with the start of the spring season comes a great opportunity to bring fresh energy into your home — in the form of spring cleaning! There’s no better time to refresh and declutter your space, and we’ve got some great ideas to help you maximize your spring cleaning routine on top of the usual deep cleaning tasks. Let’s get to it!

Eliminate the junk drawer

We all have a drawer (or drawers) filled with random stuff that keeps accumulating throughout the year. If it’s “junk,” is it really worth an entire drawer? Probably not. If you’re looking to declutter, eliminating the junk drawer once and for all is a great project. Start by taking everything out of your junk drawers and sorting through what’s actually useful. Then, find a permanent place for each item, grouped with other similar items.

Sort through your mail

Remember that stack of mail, bills, and old paperwork you promised you would get to later? Well, now’s the perfect time to sort through it. Chances are that you don’t need a lot of them, and they’re simply piling up in a corner creating confusion and clutter. Throw out anything that’s no longer relevant, and make a plan to address any documents that need your attention. File important papers in a file cabinet, or even a simple folder that you can easily access at any time. 

Flipp tip: If you’re still getting paper bills, log into your online accounts and sign up for e-billing to reduce waste and clutter.

Declutter your workspace

Whether you work from home, have a desk at an office, or travel around for work, decluttering your workspace is very important for your wellbeing and productivity. It’s way too easy to let papers, documents, food wrappers, and other random items accumulate on your desk, in your car, or in your work bag. Take this time to clear out anything you don’t need, get organized, and wipe down any surfaces. 

Organize your pantry

Picture this: you’re out of something, so you go to the grocery store and buy more of it. Days later, you’re shuffling through your pantry and come across a barely opened package of that original ingredient you already restocked. Sound familiar? This is the result of a cluttered, unorganized pantry. Take this time to completely empty your pantry and sort through what you have. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Consolidate several open packages of the same food into one.
• Group like items together: canned goods, cereal, condiments, dried grains, etc.
• Add raised platforms to the back of your pantry shelves to make items at the back more visible.
• Bring items that are closer to expiring to the front and newer items to the back.

For more pantry organization tips check out our post, 6 Pantry Organization Tips on a Budget.

Deep clean the fridge

It’s good to clean your fridge once a month, but if you haven’t been doing that, don’t worry — there is no time like the present to start. Take everything out of your fridge and freezer and wipe the interior with a solution of baking soda and hot water or your disinfectant cleaner of choice. Take advantage of this opportunity to level-up your fridge cleaning:

• Sort through all your food and throw out any expired or spoiled items.
• Think front to back: send new ingredients to the back and move older ones forward.
• Label your leftovers and open containers by date to eliminate the guessing game when you’re ready to eat them.

For more fridge organization tips check out our post, 6 Fridge Organization Hacks to Help Minimize Food Waste.

Take advantage of cheap storage solutions

This tip gets its own category because it applies to many areas of the home. Take advantage of cheap (or free) storage containers to organize anything — from makeup brushes, jewelry, food, office supplies, cleaning products, and basically any small items that are easy to misplace. You don’t necessarily have to buy new storage containers. Reuse empty glass jars or even plastic takeout containers to store small items. If you’re going for a specific look, your local dollar store is a great option for finding inexpensive shelf organizers, boxes, and baskets.

Donate, sell, or toss unused items

You don’t have to wait until you move houses or apartments to go through this exercise. Set aside some time to sort through every item you own and go in phases. Maybe start with your main closet this weekend, the following weekend move to the hall closet, and so on. Start making three piles: donate, sell, or toss. Letting go of items that no longer serve a purpose can be a very freeing experience. You’ll feel lighter and will appreciate the extra space to live and breathe — and you can make a few extra bucks while you’re at it!

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a daunting task. If you focus on one task at a time, you’ll accomplish the goal of refreshing your space without getting overwhelmed.