Summer is busy, with vacations and social events taking up a lot of time. That’s why it’s the perfect season to focus on decluttering just the items linked to your outdoor and summer activities.
This, say professional organizers, is the key to streamlining your home without feeling like you’re wasting precious summer hours and days you could be spending outside, doing something much more fun with your friends and loved ones.
In fact, this decluttering tip will help you spend more time doing what you love, while simultaneously streamlining clutter from all over your home to help you make the most of your summer straight away.
Why an ‘outdoors’ themed summer declutter works so well
Meghan Cocchiaro, professional organizer and owner of Organized by Meg, says, ‘People tend to be busier in the summertime and not at home as much. Since it's the summer months, focus strictly on purging the outdoor categories only.’
This might include:
- Jackets, hoodies, and other outerwear that’s now out of season.
- Towels. There is a formula for calculating how many towels you need.
- Sunscreen and bug sprays.
- Swim toys and accessories, including life vests and pool floats.
- Outdoor furniture, such as folding chairs, waterproof storage bins, and loungers.
- Picnic items such as coolers, blankets, and plastic serveware.
- Seasonal clothes such as bathing suits, shorts, coverups, and sandals.
Clearing out space in vital areas you use a lot in summer will make it easier to pack up and get out of the door for a day of summer fun.
Meghan adds, ‘Pulling from these categories, which can end up spread across your home and garage, that are relevant to the current summer season, will make a big difference in this moment. You’ll get a quick win and sense of accomplishment.’
This will help you avoid that resentful feeling that you’re inside the house sorting things out, instead of outside making memories. It will also help you rediscover the seasonal goodies you bought previously and help you plan some summer fun to make use of them.
If the seasonal items you have stashed all over the house are no longer relevant, for instance, a canoe that you’re never going to use again, sell or donate it, and watch your cluttered spaces shrink back to manageable volumes of belongings once more.
This five piece sturdy wall rack is perfect for organizing large outdoor items in the garage. Use it to store folding chairs, bikes, buckets and more to clear floor space but still remain accessible. Using wall space for storing large summer items will also free up racks and shelves for smaller items.
Why this is easier than traditional decluttering
When you want to spent time outside, streamlining outdoors items in a summer decluttering session means you won't feel like you're wasting your time.
‘In today's modern world, people are busier than ever,’ says Meghan. ‘However, some wear "busy" like a badge of honor, whilst others are begrudgingly busy. No matter the reason, busy people have this in common: No time to stay on top of the "stuff" in their homes, but seemingly endless time to keep bringing it in, because that's the easy part.’
This is why resentment can build if you’re spending your summer downtime, which may be limited and hard to come by, decluttering. ‘People will often choose to do any other activity that is not decluttering because for most people it's not a fun task.’
Trying to declutter for summer ahead of the season, or after it, can also feel like a waste of time to many, and that’s understandable.
That’s why focusing on an outdoors-themed summer decluttering session, right when you will be using or needing those specialized items the most, will feel like a great use of your limited time and help banish procrastination, resentment, whilst staying focused during the task.
Meghan explains, ‘Decluttering in the current season not only aligns the task with the appropriate time of use, but it will directly improve the efficiency and functionality of that particular space.’
How to do it
Summer decluttering focuses your energy and time on areas that are immediately useful.
‘With summertime approaching, your decluttering efforts should be focused on the areas of your home that store items related to the activities you enjoy outside during the summer, including traveling,’ Meghan says. ‘This season in particular has people at home the least amount of time compared to the other months of the year.’
Decluttering your mudroom, garage, outdoor shed, travel storage, and organizing your closet will leave you feeling good about the activities coming up because you are streamlining the stuff you'll need most this season.
Pro organizer Meghan advises storing clothes for the longer term and making sensible swaps around the home will free up lots of physical space, but mental space too, as it will be ‘easier to prepare and leave the house daily, enjoy hanging out outdoors, and packing for vacation.’
Once your pared-down summer-specific items have been allocated a suitable and accessible home for the current season, for instance in your mud room, entryway or closet, you’ll be able to find what you need, when you need it, saving your time in the long run.
To do this, Meghan advises some specific summer swaps and checks:
- The seasonality of coats and shoes in the mudroom: Store away the big bulky winter coats and make room for light jackets or hoodies. Using vacuum bags, available at Walmart, that compress bulky soft items down is a great space-saver.
- Pack away hand warmers: Either in the mudroom or garage, and have sunscreen and bug spray within easy reach instead. A set of six plastic organizing bins from Amazon will be easy to wipe down after any sticky spills and corral needed summer items together, where they are needed.
- Store away outdoor blankets: Swap for camping gear, swim towels, pool tote bags, picnic hampers, and coolers.
- Store away ski and snow gear: Pop them in the garage to make space for your water hose, gardening items and fun-in-the-sun toys, and outdoor chairs. A garage wall ski rack from Lowe's will keep expensive sports gear securely stored till the winter.
- Pack away winter accessories: This includes hats and gloves in the entryway so you can easily grab ball caps and sunglasses instead.
- Sort travel-sized items: And, clean out your toiletry bag in preparation for your upcoming travels. This is also a good time to get rid of those extra suitcases you stopped using when you got new ones, or because you prefer a certain size or compartment options over the others. Don't forget to clean out things from those suitcases you never unpacked and store your suitcases to free up space.
- Seasonal clothes in your primary closet: Store away any lingering bulky sweaters, winter thermals and boots to make room for bathing suits, shorts, summer dress, cover-ups and sandals.
What to shop
These stackable plastic bins come with latching bins, which will mean they won't pop open because of heat or pressure. Lidded plastic bins also help reduce the risk of mold, and block pests looking for harborage setting up in your hidden storage places.
No drill
Make a makeshift summer grab and go station with this over the door organizer. Stash it full with sun screen, bug sprays, hats, sunglasses and wet wipes, or whatever you typically use daily during the summer heat, to help you get out of the house ASAP.
Not in use? Half empty? No worries, as you won't be wasting vertical space with these height adjustable under bed storage bins.
Meg advises that you’re absolutely ruthless when decluttering these outdoors-related categories. She says, ‘Busy people don't have time to be managing stuff, so let's ensure that the things you keep and store are truly items you need and want so you don't waste space and you can find what you need when you need it, quickly.
‘If it's broken, worn out, or you just plain don't like it anymore, trash it or donate it. Only replace it if you don't have other good options in its place.’
Keeping in mind the 20/20 rule will make it easier to let go of items, too: If you can replace it in 20 minutes, for under $20, don’t hang on to it unnecessarily.
If you haven't used an item in previous summers, accept the fact that its days are done and move on. Also consider the quantity of the things that you do have in each category, and if you didn't know you had it, say goodbye.
Meghan explains, ‘Ask yourself: Does this seem excessive? Do you need 12 swim towels, or is six more than enough? Will you ever need four coolers at one time? Or will two suffice?’
Think of your most used and valued summer belongings and what a sensible "backup" quantity might be, if at all, then clear out the rest. Personifying your possessions, that's imagining your items fulfilling their purpose somewhere else, will make it easier to let go of 'just in case' items you don't really need.
Other areas worth decluttering for the summer
Garages can become a dumping ground for seasonal, or out of season items. Have a garage sale, or get extra ruthless and clear it out.
Barbara Brock, organizing pro, says, ‘Declutter the car, clean the interior, and wipe the exterior or go to a car wash. This is something that can be accomplished in a reasonably short time.’
It will also make a difference if you’re jumping in the car for day trips and make it a more pleasant experience to be on the road during hot, sticky days.
Adding a leakproof car trash can from Amazon, and an air freshener with cool, breezy summer scents, such as Little Tree's Summer Linen, also from Amazon, will take the edge off when you open the door to let all the heat out and are met with a nice scent rather than a stuffy car smell.
Go ahead and declutter the garage during the summer, but don’t spend more than three hours in any one day clearing it out.
Barbara advises, ‘Assess this area for what needs to be kept, tossed, fixed, cleaned, or donated and set aside an area for your donate pile.’
Meet our experts
Meghan is a professional organizer and owner of Organized by Meg, helping save busy people and families time, money, and stress with expert home streamlining services, including decluttering and organizing, moving and unpacking, as well as virtual organizing and coaching sessions.
Meghan is a five-year Golden Circle member of NAPO, the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals
Barbara is a professional organizer at Barbara Brock Inc., a professional organizing and staging company. Barbara was previously the president of the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professionals.
As the founder and President of A Proper Place, which was launched in 2001, Barbara created specialized products to help make organizing easier. This included an address and note-taking system, which was a precursor to the Palm Pilot she sold to the At-A-Glance company.
Getting organized for summer is an act of self-care, helping you free up physical space, mental tolerance, as well as time and opportunity for more fun things in the coming weeks.
Next, delve into what you should clean in June in case you are in the mood for task stacking and whipping through lots of to-dos in one fell swoop.
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