5 Things To Get Rid Of In July To Reset Your Home And Garden

July is a transition period. kids are out of school, and you are spending more time outdoors with family and friends. It's a fun season, but it's also chaotic, and it's easy for clutter to take over. So why not take the chance to make your life a little easier by removing some of the unnecessary items making your home and garden messy? July is ideal for resetting for the next school year by getting rid of old school supplies, for example. Or go through your summer outdoor furniture and gear, such as tents, pool floats, sunscreen, and projectors for backyard movie nights and make sure it's ready for use. 

Summer may seem like a difficult time to declutter your home and garden, what with all the outdoor activities. However, with longer days and better weather, this month gives you the perfect opportunity to sort through things in the morning or for a cool break between all the fun stuff. 

No matter what you're getting rid of, it's best to follow strategies that work best for decluttering your home to avoid getting overwhelmed. So start small, focusing on just doing your sorting for a few minutes a day, beginning with the easier areas first for a sense of accomplishment and to build momentum. There's a lot you can tackle in July, but that doesn't mean you have to do it all at once.

If you have children, school clutter can build up across the years. There are so many items you need to buy at the beginning of each year, and then as they use certain tools like pencils, you often buy more halfway through as things get lost or broken. After a while, it can be hard to figure out what you don't need anymore.

Before the next school shopping trip, take the time to figure out what you can get rid of, and what you may already have. Certain items that your kids needed for one project and never again, like poster board or construction paper, can usually go. This helps you and your kids feel better organized and prepared for the next school year. July is also a good time to inspect clothes and backpacks to make sure everything is still holding up and doesn't need to be replaced. Maybe they've outgrown some clothes, or their backpack has a strap that's barely hanging on. Though it might seem unnecessary, working on organizing your home for a smooth back-to-school transition will definitely pay off come the next semester.

Though this hack is specifically for kids' stuff, use the opportunity to go through your own work items as well. It's easy for emails, files, and home office desks to get out of control. While you're already sorting stationery and work necessities, go through your own items as well.

July marks the start of the second half of the year, so it's a good time to do some reflecting. In January, it's easy to jump on trends and want to try new things. Usually, this means you end up buying a lot of stuff in anticipation of these changes, such as gym clothes, or hobby items like pens and yarn. This is sometimes known as aspirational clutter — an overlooked type that can get in the way of an organized home.

By now, you've likely figured out which January hobbies you aren't going to do. Take the time to go through everything you bought. Figure out which you've not touched since the initial purchase. Then take the time to decide what you still want to try. One of the challenges with these hobby and "New You" items is that you may end up with decision paralysis, stopping you from actually having the time for any of them. Start slow and try to stick to just a few hobbies initially, getting rid of the rest. You can always add more later.

Remember hobbies can be indoors or outdoors. Check your garage and garden for DIY projects you keep putting off and scrap materials lying around that you aren't going to use anytime soon but look visually cluttered. Sure, a garden bar made from recycled pallets looks nice, but the six-month-old stack of wood in the middle of your yard definitely doesn't.

With July being a big season for enjoying the outdoors, you've probably pulled out of your summer gear. Unfortunately, at the end of last season, you may have just packed everything up in a rush, and forgotten to sort out broken, worn, or damaged items.

Now's a good time to catch up on that. Go through all of your pool, camping, picnic, garden, patio, outdoor movie night, and hiking gear to make sure you have everything for your next big adventure and that it's all working as intended. Even if you're just enjoying your own yard, you want to make sure that all of your swimming and backyard luxury glamping essentials are in good condition. Perhaps there are pool toys that the kids have outgrown, or tired patio furniture that didn't get protected this past winter. Then check the lawn and garden supplies. Make sure that tools and equipment are working properly, like your lawn mower and hose that keep your lawn looking nice and pristine. Toss out or replace tools that are rusted or no longer work, or take the time to use one of the hacks for removing rust from garden tools.

While you're at it, take some time to inspect bug sprays and sunscreens. It's never fun to throw away products that still have some life to them, but when it comes to bug spray and sunscreen, you want to toss them out after they expire. If they don't include expiration dates, throw them out three years after they were purchased for sunscreen and two to three for bug spray, depending on the active ingredients.

No matter how much you declutter, it feels like reusable water bottles, to-go cups, and coffee mugs always pile up, creating crowded cabinets that could be used for more practical items. Between souvenirs, gifts from work or events, and buying the ones that actually fit your needs, there seems to be an endless supply of unused or underused containers. 

Thankfully, they're also pretty easy to declutter. One day, when you're not rushing to get everyone out the door, stop and see what you can get rid of. Start with the ones you never use and are sitting in the back of the cabinet getting dusty. Next, decide how many you actually need. One suggestion is to have one base cup, bottle, or mug, then add one for every day you usually don't get the dishes done. Repeat for each person in your house. Then, keep a few extra in case guests visit.

While you should definitely get rid of some of your extra water bottles, cups, and mugs — preferably by donating them — you don't have to get rid of all them: There are some genius ways to repurpose metal water bottles around your home and garden. Once you get the creative juices flowing, you can also probably find ways to upcycle those unused mugs as well.

The modern solution to declutter your home involves creating digital versions of physical items. During July, consider digitizing previous photos, kids' artwork, and important documents. However, if you aren't organizing those digitized files, you're just going to end up as cluttered as before.

Chaotic digital spaces may not be as readily obvious as the others on this list, but they can have similar negative effects on your health. While it doesn't lead to visual clutter, you want to take the time to clean up your electronics as well. Emails, photos, unused apps, downloaded documents, and online accounts can all be sorted in the summer. Of course, the problem with digital clutter is that it's so overwhelming, it's hard to know where to start. The key is to break things down into small projects, such as focusing on photos or emails from the year so far, rather than going through all of them. Work on deleting ones that are not important, and sorting the rest into albums or folders.

Since you're focusing on technology, don't forget to go through drawers and organize or discard old cables, and remove old tech you are no longer using, like outdated phones and cameras. You may also want to designate places around the house for charging items, so you don't have tablets, phones, and computers strewn across counters or tabletops when the batteries inevitably start dying all at once.