Declutter Your Home Before Fall: 6 Things Pro Organizers Say to Toss Now

It’s time to declutter! Summer’s wild ride is coming to an end, and if your house looks like a tornado hit it, you’re not alone. Between the pool parties, beach trips, and keeping the kids entertained for three months straight, our homes tend to collect more junk than a hoarder’s garage sale! 

But here’s the thing: fall is breathing down our necks, and with it comes back-to-school chaos, holiday prep, and the general madness that is the final quarter of the year. Professional organizers know that August is the secret weapon for getting your house back in fighting shape before life gets even crazier.

So, ready to declutter and transform your disaster zone back into a livable space? Here are the six categories of stuff that need to get the boot before September shows up! Let’s get to decluttering!

Summer Gear That’s Seen Better Days

Let’s be real about that pile of pool floats deflating sadly in your garage. If that unicorn float spent the entire summer looking more like a sad, wrinkled horse, it’s time to say goodbye. The same goes for those beach chairs held together by sheer willpower and duct tape. Take a hard look at your summer arsenal. Faded beach umbrellas, towels that have seen more action than a soap opera, and flip-flops held together by prayer need to find a new home. Preferably, the trash can.

Pantry Items Playing Hide and Seek

Your pantry probably looks like a crime scene right now. All those impulse buys for summer entertaining, the random condiments from that one barbecue, and let’s not even talk about whatever’s lurking behind the cereal boxes. Pro organizers like to joke that “Expired pantry items are like that friend who overstays their welcome.”

Go through everything with the ruthlessness of a reality TV judge. Check expiration dates, toss anything that looks suspicious, and for the love of all that’s holy, get rid of those condiment packets you’ve been hoarding since 2019.

Last Year’s School Supplies (Yes, Really)

Those dried-up markers from last school year? The broken crayons that look like they went through a blender? The backpack that’s held together with hope and staples? Time to declutter these academic casualties before the new school year starts! Be brutal here. If it doesn’t work, looks like it survived a natural disaster, or makes your kid groan when they see it, into the donation pile it goes.

Beauty Products Living on Borrowed Time

Your bathroom counter probably looks like a cosmetics graveyard right now. That sunscreen from two summers ago, the mascara that’s been open since the Clinton administration, and whatever that mysterious tube is hiding behind your moisturizer all need to go. Organizers warn that “Expired beauty products aren’t just useless, they’re actually gross,” and that “Mascara should be replaced every three months, but people act like it’s liquid gold and hold onto it forever.” Check those expiration dates like you’re defusing a bomb. If it’s expired, crusty, or makes you question your life choices, toss it without mercy! This is something important to remember even when it’s not time to declutter.

Summer Clothes That Didn’t Make the Cut

We all have those summer clothes that we bought with the best intentions, but never actually wore. That bikini that still has tags, the sundress that makes you look like a walking fruit salad, or those shorts that seemed like a good idea at 2 AM while online shopping. Sort through your summer wardrobe like you’re Marie Kondo’s slightly less patient sister. If it doesn’t fit, doesn’t flatter, or doesn’t make you feel fabulous, send it packing to someone who might actually wear it.

Random Junk That Somehow Multiplied

Every summer, our homes seem to attract random stuff like a magnet attracts metal shavings. Broken toys from the county fair, promotional water bottles from every event you attended, and those impulse purchases that seemed brilliant at the time but now just take up space. Walk through your house with fresh eyes and ask yourself the hard questions: Do you really need that inflatable flamingo that’s been deflated since July? What about those souvenir shot glasses from that weekend trip? If the answer is no, you know what to do.

Final Thoughts: Your Future Self Will Thank You

Look, nobody enjoys spending their weekend playing the world’s most boring game of “keep, donate, or trash” when it comes time to declutter their space. But trust me, your September self will send you a thank-you card when your house isn’t drowning in summer debris!

The key to decluttering is to be honest about what actually serves your life versus what’s just taking up valuable real estate in your home. Every item you keep should earn its place, not just exist because you feel guilty about getting rid of it. So grab some trash bags, put on your favorite playlist, and show that summer clutter who’s boss. Your house (and your sanity) will be ready to tackle whatever fall throws your way!