Declutter for Summer: 7 Spaces to Simplify Right Now

Let me just be honest with you — my house is a mess right now. The kind of mess where socks are hiding under the couch, school papers from April are still on the kitchen counter, and the laundry? Let’s not even talk about the laundry. I’m a married mom with a full-time job, a to-do list that multiplies while I sleep, and a home that reflects every season of chaos we’ve survived this year.

So when I say, “Let’s declutter for summer,” I don’t mean it in a Pinterest-perfect, minimalism-or-bust kind of way. I mean it in a let’s take a breath, simplify a little, and make room for peace kind of way. Because I know how it feels to be drowning in stuff and expectations — and I also know how good it feels when just one small space feels calm again.

This post isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress. It’s about reclaiming your space, one drawer, one basket, one surface at a time — so you can breathe a little easier this summer.

Let’s Start Where You Spend the Most Time

I always feel like I should start decluttering with the biggest space in the house, but that usually leads to me getting overwhelmed, tired, and abandoning the project halfway through. What I’ve learned is that the best place to start is where I spend the most time. For me, that’s the kitchen.

It’s not just the place where food happens — it’s the heart of our home. It’s where school lunch is prepped at 6:30 AM, where homework gets done at the table, and where everyone seems to gather like moths to a flame (or maybe just to the snack drawer).

So I start there. I open the “junk drawer” that hasn’t closed properly since 2019 and pull out expired coupons, batteries that may or may not work, and five different sets of measuring spoons. I toss or donate what we don’t need. I wipe it out. I put back only what we actually use.

And just like that, it feels like I have one little pocket of peace. One drawer that closes the first time. One less thing yelling at me when I walk into the room.

Focus on Surfaces, Not Spaces

I used to try to tackle entire rooms in one go — the whole bedroom, the whole living room, the whole playroom. But what’s worked better lately is simply focusing on surfaces.

Clear the nightstand. Wipe the kitchen counter. Reset the coffee table. Clean off the top of the dresser.

These spaces are small enough to finish in one burst of energy and visible enough to give you an instant sense of relief. You don’t have to dig through deep drawers or rearrange furniture. Just clear the clutter you can see, and feel that instant dopamine rush of, “Hey, look — I did something.”

These little resets create mental space. And when you’re a mom who already has a hundred tabs open in her brain, even a little bit of breathing room matters.

Create a Launch Pad for Mornings

If you’re juggling school runs, summer camp schedules, or just trying to get out the door in one piece, you know how chaotic mornings can be. One of the best decluttering wins I’ve had was creating a “launch pad” near the front door.

It’s not fancy — just a small bench, a basket for shoes, a few hooks for bags, and a tray for keys and sunglasses. But it keeps the essentials from getting scattered all over the house. No more yelling, “Where’s your water bottle?” at 7:58 AM.

When everything has a home, even just a temporary one, the energy in the house shifts. We start the day feeling just a little more in control — and that trickles into everything else.

Simplify the Kids’ Spaces (With Their Help)

I used to try to declutter the kids’ toys and books while they weren’t home. Let me save you some heartache: don’t do that. It backfires every time. What I’ve learned is that even small kids can be part of the process — especially if you frame it as an act of love.

We sit down together, grab a donation box, and say something like, “Let’s make room for your favorite things. What are you ready to pass on to another kid who’ll love it?”

Sometimes they surprise me by being totally ready to let go of things I thought they were still attached to. Sometimes they cling to things I wish we could part with. Either way, they’re learning that we don’t have to keep everything to be happy — and that decluttering isn’t about loss, it’s about making space.

Tame the Paper Piles (A Little at a Time)

Paper clutter is a beast. Between school papers, mail, receipts, flyers, and mystery drawings that may or may not be important — it multiplies overnight.

Instead of trying to file or toss everything in one marathon session, I now use what I call the “5-minute paper purge.” I grab a laundry basket (yes, really), dump all the random paper into it, and take 5 minutes to sort it.

Some gets tossed. Some gets filed. Some gets scanned with an app and then recycled. And slowly but surely, the piles shrink.

Even if it takes a week, it’s better than letting it all sit there for months, silently stressing you out every time you see it.

Reclaim the Bedroom as a Resting Place

This one’s hard. I don’t know about you, but our bedroom often becomes the dumping ground. Clean laundry waiting to be folded, bags from errands I didn’t unpack, Amazon boxes, random toys — it all ends up there.

But I crave rest. Deep, nourishing, soul-level rest. And it’s hard to rest in a space that feels chaotic.

So I start small. I make the bed. I clear off one nightstand. I gather the random things into a basket and commit to dealing with it by the weekend.

It doesn’t have to be a bedroom makeover. It just has to be a place that feels like it’s for me — not just for catching the overflow from the rest of the house.

Give Yourself Grace (And a Trash Bag)

If you take nothing else from this post, take this: you’re doing great.

Truly. If you’re a mom who works hard, shows up, loves her family, and is trying her best to find moments of peace in the mess — you are already winning.

Decluttering for summer isn’t about creating a magazine-worthy home. It’s about making room for the life you actually want to live. A life with more space to breathe. More time to play. More moments of ease.

So yes, grab a trash bag and toss what you’re ready to release. Clear one drawer. Wipe one counter. Ask for help. Let the kids be part of the process. And then pause to notice how it feels.

Because you don’t need to do it all in a weekend. You just need to start.

And that’s more than enough.

If you found this post helpful, save it or share it with a friend who needs the reminder: she’s not alone, and she doesn’t have to do it all.