The one item you need for a spring clear out, according to a decluttering expert

Spring is in the air and we are so ready to do some good old-fashioned spring cleaning and decluttering. Pro organiser and author of Create Space, Dilly Carter has revealed the one thing we need to do just that.

Given that a shocking 56% of us have rooms in our homes that are unusable due to clutter, we need her help, and Dilly recommends trying HIPPOBAGs. These are an eco-friendly alternative to a cumbersome metal skip and mean your unwanted items are disposed of properly.

Here are her top decluttering tips.

Expert decluttering tips for a spring clear-out

1. Clear your window sills

These can so easily get cluttered, blocking out light. 'We want to let the light in, and see out of those windows,' says Dilly.

The professional organiser recommends clearing your window sills completely. You'll soon see how much better it looks with less clutter on it. 'Now it’s empty and clean, what would you put back, what can be moved?'

2. Clean out cupboards one at a time

'Just cleaning out your cutlery drawer and putting everything through the dishwasher will make you feel better,' Dilly says. 'Get rid of those tools, pens and keys.

'Keep it just cutlery, take out the random.'

3. Get rid of unwanted items for good

'There’s no excuse for holding onto your clutter when there are so many ways to get rid of it in an eco-friendly way,' Dilly tells us. 'There are loads of different apps, social sites and websites where you can post your unwanted items and actually make money out of your things.

'And, if your unwanted bits aren’t in a good state or you haven’t got time to sort through them then HIPPOBAGs are a brilliant solution!' Dilly says. These are fully recyclable skip bags that come in three handy flat-packed sizes, so they don’t take up valuable room outside your home until you need to use them.

Order them online or through the HIPPO App. Prices start at £12.49 for the MIDI Bag only or £156.99 for the MIDIBAG with collection.

Once you’ve filled your bag, HIPPO will take it away and ensure that over 95% of it is recycled for you. The rest will be disposed of ethically. How great is that?

We find one of the biggest obstacles to decluttering is knowing how to get rid of stuff in an eco-friendly way. According to HIPPO's research, over one-fifth of adults in the UK feel the same.

This waste removal option takes care of all of this and prevents waste from ending up in landfills. Leaving us more time and energy to focus on persuading family members to get into the decluttering spirit.