Spring is the season when many of us start opening closets and asking the question: what stays and what goes?
As someone who has thrifted most of my life and built a home around secondhand, I’ve learned that spring cleaning doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, I started referring to it as a spring refresh rather than spring cleaning or decluttering because when we shift the mindset and vocabulary we use, it can change how we approach our homes and wardrobes. Instead of feeling weighed down by what needs to go, we can focus on creating spaces that feel lighter, more intentional, and ready for a new season in our lives.
Start with a “Does this have a purpose and a place?” Test
Ever hear of the “one in one out rule?” I’ve always been a big fan of that philosophy to avoid accumulating clutter, but one of the biggest shifts in my shopping habits happened when I expanded – and perhaps even simplified – that rule to:
Every thrift find must have a place and purpose.
Before I buy something, I ask myself:
Do I know exactly where this will belong in my home?
How often will I use or wear this?
Would I notice if it disappeared tomorrow?
I’ll review these thoughts again when I refresh my spaces and ask:
Has this had a meaningful place in my home or closet in recent years?
How often have I used or worn it?
Did I forget it even existed?!
If I can’t answer these questions honestly with myself, it may be time to let it go.
Donate the “Almosts”
This shirt almost fits. This decor almost works in this space. Many of us hold onto things that are almost right, but what if we filled our homes and closets with things that are totally right for our lives? If you’re not reaching for it, someone else might be excited to find it at Goodwill.
Keep the useful stuff
I’ll never forget the time I did a major decluttering in the wrong mindset. I was overwhelmed and bogged down by too much stuff, so I let far too much go. Months later, I caught myself wishing I still had some of the useful and practical items I had donated in that rushed moment such as a computer keyboard. Thrifting has taught me to appreciate items that can carry value through their use, not just their appearance or uniqueness.
Borrow or share what you don’t need to own
Another mindset shift that helped simplify my home was realizing that not everything needs to live in our house permanently. There are things that can be loaned or shared.
For example, I stopped keeping some children’s books that my kids enjoy but don’t read often. Instead of keeping them, we borrow them from the library when we want to revisit them.
The same idea can apply to other items too:
Tools
Party supplies
Costumes or dress up clothes
Specialty kitchen gadgets
Make Donations Part of Your Weekly Routine
Now that you’ve refreshed your space, make donation a part of your weekly routine.
As intentional as I try to be about what comes into our house, I can still easily fill about one box per week of donated items. These are things that come up in everyday use; a shirt my child outgrew? Straight to the donation box that lives in the hallway. A water tumbler we aren’t using anymore? In the donation box it goes! As soon as the box fills up, it’s off to Goodwill.
A seasonal refresh should be rejuvenating, not overwhelming. Try setting a small goal:
Put one item per day in a box
Fill one box / bag a week
One drawer
One toy bin
Goodwill Akron makes it so easy to donate items regardless of your spring refresh technique.
Donate to a Goodwill Akron retail store the next time you’re out thrifting
Swing by an attended donation center in Akron, Hudson or Fairlawn
Or make an appointment to book the free Goodwill Mobile Donation Center for your home or office.
Bring in the new season by renewing your energy and making room for the things that matter, while keeping items in circulation that can be useful for others.