How to Spring Clean Like a Minimalist — 5 Things to Remove

A living room with a black storage case featuring colorful books and ceramics, with a vase of green stems and a gold and white table lamp on top, by a large hanging painting flanked by a pair of teal chairs. Also in the room is a white couch with patterned cushions, a wood coffee table, and a brown armchair on a cream area rug — Removing these items from your home will make the rest of your spring cleaning so much easier.

(Image credit: Roger Davies. Design: Studio Emblem & Co.)

Take it from me, spring cleaning isn't always the easiest. It feels like a much-anticipated yet slightly overwhelming benchmark that gives your home a new lease of life — one that's free from the clutter that's built up over the year.

So, to make things easier for your decluttering schedule, without wasting time figuring out what to keep and what to remove, here's a list of five areas to focus on: from finally tackling sentimental items, to getting rid of overcomplicated organizers, and more.

You'll be surprised at how much free space you'll uncover, as well as the number of things that have just been making your daily life a tad harder. Here's where to start.

1. Sentimental Items

A living room with a tiled wall, a space for logs, a woven magazine rack, an arched doorway with a pop of color, and a deep mustard conversation pit with a bowl — As much as it hurts to let go of your collection of sentimental items, take this as a chance to cut down.

Starting off strong, professional organizer Di Ter Avest tells me that spring cleaning provides a brilliant opportunity to declutter your sentimental items. It's a category that we often make excuses for, but now's the time to face the clutter.

"Not all sentimental items are equal. Instead of keeping 25 school papers, choose three that truly capture the memory. And rather than holding on to every baby outfit, keep one meaningful piece."

Di's advice is to curate your memories, not store all of them. And as a guilty sentimentalist, I'm keen to tackle this avenue with a touch of ruthless decluttering.

Di Ter Avest

Di Ter Avest is a professional home and lifestyle organizer and the owner of Di is Organized, in Baltimore, MD (USA). Her accountability program and book Organize Yourself Healthy help women across the globe to get their lives and homes organized, leading to lower levels of stress and overwhelm. Her expertise has been featured in Forbes, Today, ApartmentTherapy, Real Homes, Livingetc, Homes & Gardens, and Kitchn. She has also given workshops at IKEA, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma.

2. Decision-Delaying Items

A bedroom with a floating bench with a textured ceramic, a hanging painting, a textured rug, an ochre pillow with tassels and a pair of clothes cupboards — Anything in your home that is consistently slowing your roll needs to go.

"Spring cleaning is a good time to let go of the items you said you would do one day, but that day never comes. The clothes that need mending. The picture frames are waiting for photos. The lamp you meant to fix," says Di.

"If it’s been sitting undone for months, it's now time to decide. You can either fix it this week or release it from your space. Delayed decisions create both mental and physical clutter."

With intentional ownership being one of the key home organization trends this year, this is a great category of items to cull.

3. Ill-Used Furniture and Decor

A living room with a glass door leading to an outdoor dining space with translucent blue chairs. In the living room is a textured area rug, a glass coffee table with books, a statue, and a beige sofa bench — Removing items that are used as makeshift storage and swapping in actual organizers is ideal.

Aside from ridding your home of smaller clutter-causing items, spring cleaning is also a nifty time to remove big-ticket items that are contributing to the chaos in your home.

"Think of that desk that became a dumping ground and the treadmill holding laundry," Di says. "If something isn’t serving its intended purpose, it may be time to rethink it."

You can also swap these ill-used items for features that actually play into the design and organization of your home. For example, replace the chair that you never sit on, but always throw your clothes on, with a valet stand. Or, remove your bedside stool with no storage for something like this floating bedside table.

4. Overcomplicated Organizers

A kitchen with white cupboards, stone marble counter, and wood drawers by a white and black stone kitchen island with a gold tap — More often that not, less is more when it comes to organizational systems.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as overcomplicating your organizational system. You might think that the more intricate you get, the better it is for the smooth running of your home. However, that's not always true.

"Too many bins, too many categories, and too many labels are not the way to go," Di warns. "Sometimes minimalism means removing organizers rather than adding more. Simpler systems are easier to maintain."

Instead of relying on systems that don't serve your space, it's better to amend it by introducing basic organizers no home should go without. These items will get the job done without adding to the clutter.

5. Energy-Draining Items

A minimalist dining room with off-white walls, textural overhead lighting, a wood dining table, leather armchairs, and a sideboard with a vase and a statue — Release any items that no longer align with you and your living spaces.

"This one is a subtle category, but think of the gift you never liked but feel obligated to display, the art that doesn’t feel like you, and the chair that’s uncomfortable but expensive," says Di.

"If something quietly annoys you every day, that’s a sign." And I agree wholeheartedly. Spring cleaning is the perfect time to renew the energy in your home by holding onto only things that truly add to the space.

Part of stepping into new phases of life is shedding the chapters of the past. And since these chapters are woven into certain belongings, perhaps it's time to let go of them, too. I'm certain it'll do wonders for the Feng Shui of your home.

Books on Minimalism

Shira Gill

Minimalista: Your Step-by-Step Guide to a Better Home, Wardrobe and Life

Format: Hardcover

In this book, Shira Gill explains how to embrace minimalism in interior design and organization.

Fumio Sasaki

Goodbye, Things: On Minimalist Living

Format: Paperback

'Goodbye, Things: On Minimalist Living' by Fumio Sasaki offers insight into how living a capsule lifestyle can bring peace into your home.

Cate St Hill

The Japandi Home: Nordic Minimalism Meets Japanese Zen

Format: Hardcover

Since Japandi interiors hold plenty of inspiration for minimalism, this read by Cate St Hill is worth flipping through.

FAQs

When Should I Start My Spring Cleaning?

Ideally, you should start your spring cleaning towards the end of February and you can continue to tackle your list until March 20th. This is when the vernal equinox begins and spring officially begins, astrologically speaking.

If you want to make more intentional decisions on what stays and what goes throughout the year, I recommend scrolling through our guide to things minimalists throw out every day for a tidier home. And for more advice to help you cut back on the chaos of clutter to help your interior design shine, our newsletter is the place to be.

Amiya is a Home Wellness Writer at Livingetc. She recently graduated with a Masters Degree in Magazine Journalism from City, University of London, and has lent her words to beauty, fashion, and health sections of lifestyle publications including Harper’s Bazaar and Women’s Health. Her experience as a research analyst has equipped her with an eye for emerging trends. When she’s off the clock, she can be found reading, listening to music, or overanalyzing her latest Co-Star update.