Spring clean: The pros' secrets to organising and decluttering your space

We consult home organisers Terri O'Callaghan of Decluttered by Terri, Ann Teehan of Neatly.ie, and Jenny Douglas of A Good Moment

Tue, 04 Mar, 2025 - 07:01

Carol O’Callaghan

It's a vain effort searching for missing socks to match loners in the drawer, although occasionally a forage behind the washing machine locates a cobweb-covered oddment, and even the drain trap has been known to offer up a stray.

By and large, you’re better off just purging rather than holding onto singletons whose partners are long gone, never to return.

It’s also worth a purge when you find yourself looking at the number of dismantle cardboard boxes you have. It’s part of being an adult: debating whether to keep them because they’re good boxes.

As we’re approaching the season of spring cleaning and decluttering, we don’t need to sling rugs over the clothes line to beat out smoke and dust from open fires as previous generations did, but we have obvious areas in the home that need sorting annually.

If you don’t know where to start, the wardrobe is always in need of slimming down, or at least being brought to better order with the bonus of rediscovering things you forgot you had. Being ruthless is the way to go, according to Terri O’Callaghan, professional organiser at Decluttered by Terri. “To create a wardrobe that you will love, ruthlessly declutter and only keep what you love and wear,” she says. “Having the right clothes plays such a big part in our lives; clothes that fit and flatter make us feel so much better about ourselves.”

An open wardrobe arrangement like the Zaira with everything visible helps to keep unsightly disorder at bay; €144.73, Wayfair.ie.

Being really disciplined, Terri also suggests one in, one out. “Before buying something new, ask yourself if you really need it,” she says. “Then for anything new, remove an old item. This prevents impulse buying items that you don't need and keeps your wardrobe fresh.”

If you’ve ever had something in your wardrobe you don’t want to part with, like the jeans you know deep down you’ll never fit into again, but you’re holding onto hope, Terri says to introduce the one-year rule. If you haven’t worn something for over a year, it’s time to go. “Seasonal exceptions can apply but if you’re keeping something just in case, ask yourself if you will use it again. If not, place it in the donation bag and give it a new lease of life," she says.

The kitchen is another area where clutter lurks behind closed doors with the most important thing to look at being food clutter.

“Start by going through your cupboards, fridge, and freezer, checking expiry dates and removing anything you no longer use or is gone off,” says Ann Teehan, owner of Neatly.ie. I can attest to a few things in need of despatch: A tin of star anise bought years ago for a one-off recipe and some black pasta which made the journey from Italy but turned an unappetising grey when cooked.

The Melody Maison storage closet; €964.90, www.melodymaison.co.uk.

“It’s vital that you can see everything you have easily or things will go out of date and you will end up buying duplicates,” says Ann.

That’s me, again, with my two tins of mixed spice and allspice, the legacy of a pre-Christmas shop without making a list.

“Use drawer dividers, shelf risers, lazy Susans, and clear containers to create designated spaces for everything. Group similar items together so they’re easy to find and put back," says Ann. "Only keep out appliances you use regularly and store away the ones you rarely need. If an appliance is bulky and takes up valuable counter or cupboard space, consider whether it’s worth keeping.”

Baskets bring order to smaller household items. Orthex basket sets also add continuity in style for an attractive visual in the kitchen and utility; from €9, Next.ie.

Regular declutterers might have little to do come spring, just keeping maintenance levels up, but that doesn’t mean the garage, shed or utility room is in the same great shape. “Overflow areas like the utility room, attic and garage are often the spaces where we put things down just for now, only for them to be forgotten about,” says Jenny Douglas, professional organiser and founder of A Good Moment. “Overflow areas don’t have to be dumping grounds — just a few simple changes can help them work for you instead of against you, causing unnecessary stress and anxiety.

Wooden containers by iDesign are an attractive option for storing on open shelving; from €15, Organisedstore.ie.

“Be realistic about what stays and schedule time to declutter. If something has been gathering dust for years, you probably don’t need it. There’s no sense in turning the attic into a dumping ground and creating more work for yourself later. Once something goes up there, it’s even harder to bring back down.”