A few targeted decluttering sessions can make your home feel lighter and more functional before cooler weather sends everyone indoors.
Start With the Spaces You Notice Every Day
August 25, 2026 – The end of summer is a useful time to reset the parts of your home that tend to collect clutter. As the weather cools and you begin spending more time indoors, crowded surfaces and overflowing storage can become much more noticeable.
You do not need to declutter the entire house at once. Focusing on seven high-traffic areas can make the biggest difference while keeping the process manageable.
The goal is not to create a completely minimalist home. Keep the things you use and enjoy, and concentrate on removing items that no longer serve a purpose or have simply accumulated without a clear place.
1. Give Your Entryway a Fresh Start
The entryway is one of the easiest places for clutter to build up because so many things pass through it. Shoes, coats, bags, keys, mail and packages can quickly turn a small entrance into a crowded landing zone.
Begin by removing anything that does not belong there. Summer accessories that will not be needed once temperatures drop can be cleaned and stored, while unwanted shoes, bags or clothing can be donated.
Then create a designated spot for everyday essentials. Hooks for coats and bags, a small tray for keys and a defined place for shoes can prevent the same clutter from returning once fall gets busy.
Credit: Christopher Dibble for Country Living
2. Clear the Kitchen Counters
Kitchen counters often become unofficial storage areas for appliances, shopping bags, paperwork and miscellaneous items. When the workspace becomes crowded, even simple meal preparation can feel more difficult.
Start by looking at which appliances actually earn their counter space. If a blender, juicer or slow cooker has not been used recently, consider moving it into a cabinet or pantry.
You do not need completely empty counters. Keep the items you use regularly within easy reach and relocate everything else.
In a small kitchen, vertical storage can help. A peg rail, magnetic knife strip or floating shelf can free up valuable workspace without requiring a larger kitchen.
Credit: Brent Darby / Country Living
3. Tackle the Junk Drawer
The junk drawer is useful—until it becomes impossible to find anything inside it. Batteries, pens, old receipts, cables, keys and takeout menus can accumulate until the drawer becomes more frustrating than helpful.
Take everything out before deciding what stays. Test pens and batteries, recycle outdated paperwork and identify duplicate or obsolete chargers.
Then group similar items together. Small dividers or repurposed boxes can separate batteries, office supplies, tools and other essentials, making it much easier to find something when you need it.
The goal is not to eliminate the junk drawer. It is to make it functional again.
Credit: Country Living / Nato Welton
4. Reassess Your Wardrobe
Late summer is an ideal time to edit your closet because the seasonal transition gives you a natural reason to look at what you actually wore.
Before packing away lightweight clothes, consider which pieces genuinely earned their place this year. Anything you never reached for deserves another look. If something no longer fits, feels uncomfortable or does not suit your current lifestyle, there is little benefit in storing it for another season.
The same approach works when bringing fall clothing back into rotation. Instead of simply adding sweaters, boots and coats to an already full closet, remove pieces that no longer work.
Editing during the seasonal switch can also reveal what your wardrobe is actually missing, which makes unnecessary shopping less tempting.
Credit: Belle Daughtry / Country Living
5. Empty the Bathroom Cabinet
Bathroom storage can become a collection point for half-used products, expired medication, hotel samples and skincare that did not work for you.
Take everything out so you can see exactly what you have. Check expiration dates carefully, particularly on medication, sunscreen and products that have been open for a long time.
Dispose of medication according to local disposal guidance rather than simply throwing it away without checking the appropriate method. Cosmetic packaging may also have specific recycling instructions depending on your area.
When everything is returned to the cabinet, keep everyday products easiest to access and group occasional items together. That simple change can make busy mornings easier.
Credit: Brian Woodcock
6. Reset Your Bedside Table
Your bedside table is one of the last areas you see at night and one of the first you see in the morning, making it worth keeping relatively calm.
Remove empty glasses, old receipts, finished books and anything else that has gradually migrated onto the surface. Work-related paperwork deserves particular attention because it can make the bedroom feel like an extension of your workday.
Keep only genuine essentials close at hand: perhaps a lamp, your current book and a glass of water.
Do not stop with the tabletop. If your bedside table has drawers, declutter those too. A clean surface means very little if everything has simply been pushed into the drawer underneath.
Credit: ALI HARPER
7. Give the Living Room Some Breathing Room
As evenings become cooler, the living room often becomes the main gathering space. That makes late summer a good time to make sure it is comfortable rather than crowded.
Start with obvious clutter magnets such as coffee tables, sideboards and the area around the sofa. Return cups and plates to the kitchen, recycle old magazines and papers, and gather chargers, remotes and other small electronics.
Then look at the room more broadly. Decorative objects are not automatically clutter simply because they are not practical. If an item makes you happy, it deserves to be there.
Instead, focus on things you no longer notice or enjoy. Removing a few forgotten objects can give the pieces you genuinely love more visual space.
Credit: Rachel Whiting / Country Living
Declutter Slowly Instead of Doing Everything at Once
There is no advantage to spending an entire weekend pulling apart every room in the house. Smaller sessions can make the process less exhausting and may help you make better decisions.
Choose one drawer, shelf or surface at a time. Finish that small area before moving on to another.
This approach is also less likely to create a giant pile of belongings that needs to be sorted before the day is over. A gradual reset can be easier to maintain because you are creating systems as you go.
Make the Reset Work for Your Routine
Decluttering is more effective when it reflects how your household actually operates. If everyone drops keys on the kitchen counter, for example, placing a tray there may work better than insisting they use a storage spot in another room.
The same principle applies everywhere. Keep frequently used items close to where they are needed and store occasional items elsewhere.
A calmer home is not necessarily an empty one. It is a home where the things you use are easy to find and the things you love are not buried beneath things you have forgotten.
Final Thoughts
A fall decluttering session does not need to involve throwing away half your belongings. Concentrating on a few high-use areas—the entryway, kitchen counters, junk drawer, closet, bathroom cabinet, bedside table and living room—can create a noticeable difference.
Start small, keep what is useful or meaningful, and give the remaining essentials a clear home. By the time cooler weather arrives, your house can feel more organized without losing the personality that makes it yours.
FAQs
What should I declutter before fall?
Start with areas that collect everyday clutter, including your entryway, kitchen counters, junk drawer, closet, bathroom cabinet, bedside table and living room.
How do I declutter without getting overwhelmed?
Work on one small area at a time instead of tackling an entire room. Finishing a drawer or surface before moving on keeps the process manageable.
What should I do with clothes I did not wear this summer?
Consider donating or selling pieces that no longer fit, feel comfortable or suit your lifestyle instead of storing them for another year.
How often should I clean out a junk drawer?
There is no fixed schedule, but a seasonal check can prevent it from becoming overcrowded. Removing duplicates and broken items makes the drawer easier to maintain.
Does decluttering mean having a minimalist home?
No. The goal is to remove items that no longer serve a purpose or that you no longer enjoy while keeping the belongings that are useful or meaningful to you.
Published by HOLR Magazine