When you’re already mourning the lack of holiday sunshine, an all-inclusive buffet and someone else cleaning for you, the last thing you want is to return home to a messy, disorganised house. That’s why it’s well worth taking some time to declutter and tidy certain areas of your home before you go on holiday to ensure a seamless, stress-free return.
There are many things to declutter in July, whether you’re going on holiday or not, but there’s no denying that it’s even more important if you’re heading off on an adventure during the summer holidays. And if you set aside just half an hour in between packing, you can pre-emptively keep overwhelm to a minimum when you get home.
But if you’re worried about fitting in a decluttering session in between your packing sessions, I’ve asked professional organisers to share the items you definitely should declutter before you go on holiday. They’re only small tasks, but they’ll have a big impact.
1. Your hallway
Your hallway is the first thing you’ll see when you get home after a holiday, and that first impression sets the tone for the rest of your day - and even the rest of your week. To combat this, take some time to organise your hallway before you jet off on your summer holidays.
Shannon Murphy, Professional Organiser and Founder of Simpl Living Co, echoes this, saying, ‘There's nothing nicer than coming home from holiday to an uncluttered hallway where you have space to bring in suitcases without immediately feeling overwhelmed.’ So, take some time to tidy up any loose shoes, store keys somewhere safe, or finally return that parcel.
It may be that you need to take inspiration from the things that people with tidy hallways always have, in which case I’d recommend investing in affordable shoe storage like this Karee 3 Shelf Shoe Storage Rack (£19 at Argos) and proper storage to house those ugly-but-practical items that don’t have a permanent home.
If you always struggle with hallway clutter, a multi-purpose unit like this can help to give coats, shoes and bags a rightful home.
2. Your fridge
I’ve been on a mission to give my fridge some TLC recently, and I’ve lost count of the number of Fridge Storage Boxes (£2 at Dunelm) that I’ve bought to finally restore order. But even if your fridge is just as organised, you still have to declutter your fridge before you go on holiday.
Kate Dufton, Professional Organiser and Declutter at Ace Your Space, explains, ‘Fridges are often forgotten about in the pre-holiday rush, but it’s worth spending just 15 mins to remove any expired food and give the fridge a quick clean. Any food that will go out of date before you return can always be passed on to family or friends to prevent food waste. It’ll save you from any unpleasant smells with plenty of room for the big shop on your return.’
Decluttering and organising your fridge shouldn’t take long, but there's no point in binning food if you’re not going to empty your bins before going on holiday, too. I’d suggest leaving this task until the last minute, so you don’t accidentally leave any food in there.
This fridge organiser comes with removable compartments to make it extra customisable, and a handy carry handle for good measure.
3. Your worktops and surfaces
As Kate says, ‘Nobody wants to come home from holiday only to be greeted by clutter,’ and this clutter often congregates on surfaces like your kitchen worktops, bedside tables, window sills and more. This is even more common in the run-up to your holiday as you rifle through your drawers and cupboards to find holiday essentials.
But if you can spare ten minutes, it’s well worth clearing the clutter from these areas, getting rid of anything you no longer need and putting everything else back in its rightful home. And if you want to maintain these tidy worktops for as long as possible, utilising all of the space in your cupboards with these Kitchen Cupboard Organisers (£7 at Amazon) can work wonders.
Kate explains, ‘Clearing kitchen worktops and other everyday surfaces before you leave means you'll walk back into a home that feels calm and welcoming, helping you hold onto that holiday feeling for a little longer.’ And who doesn’t want that?
If your bedside table is just too small, opting for a bedside organiser can take some of the stress off it - while still keeping your essentials to hand.
4. Your laundry area
Those piles of post-holiday laundry are equal parts terrifying and satisfying, but you probably don't want to add even more to your plate if you don't have to. That’s why your laundry area is another one of the areas to declutter before you go on holiday.
Hester Van Hien, a Home Decluttering and Organising Consultant from Tidylicious, says, ‘Try to have your laundry basket as empty as possible before going on holiday – and ideally your clean laundry put away in your wardrobe – so that you will only need to deal with your holiday laundry when you return home.’
I swear by this Joseph Joseph Tota 90-litre Laundry Separation Basket (£115 at Amazon) to keep my laundry in check. But if you want to keep that holiday feeling going, Hester also says it’s well worth changing your bed linen before you go on holiday so you can come home to fresh, crisp bedding when you get home.
Don't have time (or the patience) to iron? We've tried this crease releaser spray and can confirm it works wonders.
5. Your paperwork
Whether you need to send a birthday card, pay bills, or book that doctor’s appointment, you should also tick this off your to-do list before you go on holiday. That’s because this paperwork can quickly add up, and leaving it until you get back can add both physical and emotional clutter to your life.
Shannon echoes this, saying, ‘Deal with paperwork before you leave, especially if you're going away for an extended period; deal with any bills or paperwork beforehand so you're not returning to unnecessary stress, emails or demanding letters.’
It might also be worth setting up a family command centre to keep track of this paperwork or any important documents - especially if you have kids or you simply struggle to keep on top of your schedule. Using a calendar like this Magnetic Fridge Whiteboard Calendar (£12.95) can also help with that.
To keep track of letters, keys and other small items, a wall-hung letter rack like this can help - without taking up valuable floor space.
By decluttering these things before going on holiday, all you need to worry about is enjoying yourself! I'm not jealous at all...
If you enjoyed reading this, sign up for the Ideal Home newsletter for all the latest home decor trends and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox
