What to declutter before the kids go back to school - professional organisers reveal the spots they target to get back to school ready

The new school year feels in many ways like a fresh start, making it the perfect time to declutter before the kids go back to school. Over the year kids can accumulate a lot of things and the summer is often a little hectic, meaning things generally become unorganised and cluttered.

Now is the perfect time to declutter a kid's room and the home to assess what you need ahead of shopping for the new school term. You never know what you might find at the back of a drawer or lurking under the bed.

Often kids end up with so much stuff, it’s easy to forget what they have. If you have a good clear out now, you might find they don’t need a new pencil case or backpack after all. Get organised now, and you’ll thank yourself later.

Here’s what to declutter before going back to school:

1. Clear out tired and unloved clothing

We all know that kids’ clothing can quickly become tired and unwearable, and of course, they grow out of things so quickly. It’s all too easy to hang onto unloved pieces of clothing, putting them at the back of the wardrobe to sort out another day. But if you only clear out their wardrobe once a year, make it just before they go back to school. It’ll make getting ready in the mornings so much easier.

‘Children grow in bursts and what fits one week is too small the next,’ explains Laura Price, Founder of The Home Organisation. ‘ Don’t fall into the trap of storing too-small clothes in drawers and wardrobes.

'Put a basket or bag in the bottom of a wardrobe and as soon as you notice that something is too small or has worn out, put it straight into the basket. Once it’s full you can take it to the charity shop, and you won’t need to worry about what fits and what doesn’t when you’re rushing to get the kids up and out in the morning.’

2. Reduce mess and clutter in the hallway

An organised entrance hall or boot room is essential to getting out the door on time for the school run. Masses of shoes piled up high will most likely result in the loss of a school shoe several times a week, or a backpack getting buried under coats.

If you have the space, create hallway storage with a dedicated area for hanging coats and storing shoes. Make them easy to access and implement a rule that each family member must only have 1-2 pairs of shoes and coats that they use on a daily basis stored here.

‘The hallway is one of the busiest areas in any home, often becoming a hotspot for clutter,’ explains Sheena Taylor, founder of Your Professional Organiser. ‘Ensuring this space is organised and easy to use is key to making daily comings and goings more manageable and stress-free.’

‘To keep your hallway clutter-free, invest in multifunctional furniture, install hooks for easy hanging, and ensure there's a designated space for shoes to be neatly stored,’ Sheena continues. ‘Incorporating higher shelves is also a smart strategy for stowing away non-seasonal items, freeing up space for the essentials you need every day.’

3. Sort through pens and stationary

While children are often great at being creative, they are less focused on throwing away the pens that don’t work any more or all those loose lids that end up in the bottom of tins and pencil cases. Now that the summer holidays are coming to an end, tip out all of their pens, pencils and notebooks and bin any that aren’t useful anymore. This will help you gain a better idea of what you need to purchase before they go back to school.

‘When it comes to stationary, keep only what’s necessary and organise by category and colour, so your kids can start the year with a clutter-free and efficient workspace,’ suggests Caroline Caron-Dhaouadi, Founder and Director of Homefulness.

‘A well-organised study area sets the tone for a productive school year, helping kids focus on learning instead of searching for supplies,’ she adds.

4. Give the kitchen cupboards a good clear out

When thinking about what to declutter before going back to school, the kitchen cupboards probably aren’t the first thing that springs to mind. However, organised kitchen cupboards are a must when it comes to making packed lunches for school quickly and efficiently.

If you have the space, create a shelf dedicated for packed lunches, storing cereal bars and biscuits in one tray, crisps in another and bread in another. This will make it super easy to grab what you need each morning, and you’ll also be able to see when something is running low.

Sheena of Your Professional Organiser advises: ‘The key to clearing out kitchen cupboards is to tackle it one cupboard at a time.’

‘Start by removing everything from a cupboard, eliminating non-kitchen items that do not belong, and letting go of duplicates, rarely used pieces or anything that’s out of date. With the space empty, take the opportunity to give it a good clean. Finally, organise your items by grouping similar ones together. Following this method for each cupboard will transform your kitchen into a tidy space.’

5. Double check school kit

Backpacks, pencil cases and lunch boxes all most likely need replacing around once a year. Holes can appear, lids can become loose and zips stiff. In advance of the kids going back to school, double check what’s usable for another term, and what needs replacing.

‘Start by checking all current sports kit and shoes to ensure they fit. Create a central place for sports kits to live and keep the kit for each activity separate. This will make it much easier to grab what’s needed for each hobby,’ recommends Jo Jacob, Professional Organiser from Benella.

‘Declutter school books brought home from at the end of the last academic year by only holding onto those that are the most memorable,’ Jo continues. ‘If all books from every year were to be kept for each child then by the end of school there would be hundreds of exercise books taking up space and causing clutter. Academic reference books can also be sold or donated to other younger pupils.’

6. Create a clear workspace

If over the summer your kids have ransacked their desk resulting in stickers, glitter and pens everywhere, have a good clear out and create an organised space. Even from a young age, our brains like order, and a cluttered workspace can be a distraction making it difficult to focus.

Clear out anything that they don’t use anymore, and organise everything that’s left over. Use storage boxes to stack sticker sheets, paper,stationary and workbooks. Leave as little on show as possible apart from a few colourful decorative items to inspire them while they work.

‘If you don’t have space for a dedicated desk area, using a shelf, drawer, or even a box, works too,’ suggests Laura Price. ‘ The key thing is to keep everything that your child needs for homework in one place, so nothing gets lost and no time is wasted when it’s time to work. If you have more than one child, lidded file boxes with their names on each work really well.’

‘These can be stored on a shelf near to the table and when needed, you can just grab the right one. Any relevant papers, as well as a fully loaded pencil case, can easily be stored inside,’ she continues.

7. Clear out old pieces of artwork

Many parents are guilty of hanging onto every single piece of artwork their child has ever produced, but it does get to a point where there’s just too much of it. As part of your mission to get back to school ready, sort through their artwork too.

This is a great opportunity to look back over the pictures and paintings that your children have made over the last year. Sit down with them and between you choose a handful of favourites to hold onto. This could even become a lovely tradition in your home that you do each year before the new school year starts.

‘Clearing out old artwork before the school year starts is a great way to make room for new creativity,’ says Caroline from Homefulness. ‘Go through the collection with your child, selecting a few favourite pieces to keep and display.

'The rest can be recycled or photographed to preserve the memory without the clutter. This process not only frees up space but also encourages your child to value and take pride in their new creations.’

Hopefully, after a good declutter this week you might be feeling a little better when September finally arrives.