7 Things to Declutter for Back to School Organization

So there is this thing that I think happens to all of us during the summer, where we become a bit more laid back in our routines, which is totally needed, but then August rolls around and we start to see all of the things that need to get completed before the start of school.

We are talking about the home getting reorganized, the pantry needing yet another clean out, all of the things we are going to need to purchase because the kids had yet another summer growth spurt…

It can get to be A LOT in our mom brains and lead us to feeling that overwhelmed, overstimulated feeling really fast.

So I am going to break down for you exactly the methods that I started using to get ahead of the back-to-school chaos, so I am not totally strung out (I mean, yes, still stressed because I am a real-life mom and that is life, but a slightly more organized human, ya know!?)

Need Help Getting Started?

Grab my FREE Declutter Guide from Heart and Home! It walks you through simple quick wins in every room so you can create that fresh-start feeling without the overwhelm.

#1 The Kids’ Closets

Do kids just love to roll around in the closet during the summer? I swear any sort of organization I had in there during the school year is in total disarray by August… so it is time to purge.

Besides the fact that clothing is now totally outgrown from the previous school year, the summer clothing is usually a mess with holes or starting to be outgrown too. So I go through EVERYTHING: piles of what has become literal rags (if you have boys you are probably familiar with this… random things you find that they actually destroyed), the things they NEVER wore and can easily be sold, the things that were outgrown but still sellable, and the rare items that you can actually use for the beginning of the school year. Those always feel like actual gold when found.

My typical  piles for closet cleanout:

• clothes that still fit

• back-to-school outfits we can reuse

• donation or consignment items

• clothes to toss

• If this applies to you…things younger siblings can wear later

Finding those random pieces that still fit perfectly for the beginning of the school year feels like finding actual gold!

Real Mom Hack:

Find a local consignment shop and start selling seasonal clothes there. I’ve been doing this for years and it truly adds up over time. Sometimes I take the cash, sometimes I use store credit toward school clothes, but either way it helps offset some of those back-to-school costs.

Favorite Mom Hack:

I keep a running “Back-to-School” notes tab on my phone starting in May (when my kids end school).

Yes, I know that sounds a little insane to start thinking of the next school year the second the school year ends, but trust me it helps! 

Anytime I notice something during the summer that needs replacing, I immediately add it to the list. It helps take so much mental load off because I’m not trying to remember everything later.

Don’t forget to grab your FREE Declutter Guide, there is a whole section about making the closet clean out easier!

Grab My Free Declutter Guide →

#2 The Lunch Gear & Water Bottle Reset

I try to make lunch gear last for YEARS if I can.

We’ve kept some of the same lunchboxes for multiple school years and only upgraded once the kids got older. Personally, I do think investing in a better-quality lunchbox is worth it if it lasts several years. I mean no one can know how much a kid will beat up the lunch gear…but over the years I have found L.L. Bean to hold up the best! 

Before school starts, I wash everything out and see what can still be used:

• lunchboxes

• Bentgo containers

• water bottles

• thermoses

• ice packs

• snack containers

Sometimes I realize we actually don’t need as much as I thought because several items are still in perfectly good shape. The one thing I always get new is the water bottles, but that does not mean that some are not still good to use as back-ups because we all know the kids lose one, or forget to bring home or something, so always keep a backup or two! 

I also like creating one organized section in the pantry or kitchen where all of the cleaned lunch gear lives before school starts again. It makes mornings feel SO much easier once routines begin.

Then I add anything we still need onto my running back-to-school list! 

Looking for some durable waterbottles for the school year? Check out our favorites below

#3 Backpack & School Supply Review

Since we already conquered the lunchbox situation, might as well do a review of last year's backpack. Stains that can be washed off? Or zippers are actually ripped and in need of a brand new one for next year, same thing with pencil pouches, headphones etc. 

There’s a good chance you already have more usable supplies than you realize.

I always create a small bin for reusable extras:

• pencils

• erasers

• crayons

• folders

• notebooks

• glue sticks

Every single year I somehow rediscover extra school supplies from previous sales and it saves so much money.

With how expensive everything has become lately, simply taking inventory before shopping is a huge win.

As with the lunchboxes, we have always used  L.L. Bean backpacks because they truly last forever and clean up amazingly well. They used to feel a little more expensive until the prices for everything went up so much, but to me, they feel like more of a deal these days!

QUICK TIP FOR BACKPACK REFRESH: For a quick refresh before the new school year (or any time of year when they get gross…), I throw each backpack into its own laundry bag. If there are bigger stains, I spray them with OxiClean first, then wash them with detergent and a scoop of OxiClean. After that, I just hang them to dry, and they seriously come out looking almost brand new for back-to-school season!

#4 The Drop Zone

The entryway or mudroom always becomes complete summer chaos! Summer shoes everywhere, towels, sunscreen still out, random water toy piling up…

But before school starts, I really try to reset this area because once backpacks, shoes, folders, and jackets start piling in again, and things can spiral quickly.

This is the time to:

• organize baskets

• clear out summer clutter

• create backpack spots

• reset shoe storage

• prepare for school papers and forms

Mom Hack:

Have one designated drop tray or paper station for everything coming home from school.

I may complain about paper clutter, but I still prefer paper forms over having every single thing hidden somewhere inside ten different school apps (we will complain about that another day, though!)

Extra Organization Tip:

This is also a great spot for a simple morning checklist so kids can start practicing getting everything ready the night before.

My Go-To Organizers & Baskets

#5 Pantry, Fridge & Freezer Prep

Maybe two weeks before the start of school, do a deep clean of the pantry and fridge! See what needs to be replaced for back-to-school snacks, what needs to get stocked up in the freezer, and what summer foods need to get used up first.

You don’t want to do this too early or too late, so I personally have found that about two weeks before school starts is usually the perfect time, but that’s just what works for me. We are still in summer mode with food at that point, so I don’t want to completely switch everything over yet, but I do want to figure out what bins I want to use for school snacks, what needs to go on the Costco list, and, if I’m feeling really organized, what sort of dinner meals I want to start prepping for too!

This is when I:

• clean out old snacks

• reorganize pantry bins

• restock freezer meals

• make Costco lists

• prep breakfast items

• organize lunchbox snacks

Having easy breakfast foods, lunch items, and after-school snacks ready to go makes SUCH a difference once busy mornings begin again. Even having a simple snack list written down helps me feel more organized heading into the school season.

Some of our Favorite Healthy Snacks to Stock Up On

#6 Paperwork & Command Center Reset

We touched a little on the paper clutter before, but I’m sure you probably have a bigger area dedicated to all of this stuff somewhere in your home. Maybe it’s your home office, a corner of the kitchen, or just a catch-all area where all of the important things seem to end up. Either way, chances are you have some sort of “command center” for family life, even if you don’t officially call it that.

This is usually where all of the important papers go: school forms, folders, calendars, notes, files, and maybe even extra office and school supplies too.

You want to get ahead here and make sure everything is ready for the new school year. Maybe that means creating new folders for each child or grade level, stocking up on supplies, or finally replacing that planner or academic calendar. Somehow I fully ended up on the academic calendar schedule, so this time of year always feels like my own personal reset season too!

This is where I:

• organize important papers

• create folders for each child

• update calendars

• restock office supplies

• prep planners

• organize school schedules

Typically on my Supply List to Refresh:

• Post-it notes

• Pens

• Pencils

• Highlighters

• Markers

• Dry erase markers

• Stapler + staples

• Tape

• Paper clips

• Command hooks

• Desk organizers or bins

• Family planner or academic calendar

• Whiteboard or dry erase calendar

• File folders for school papers

• Binder clips (I love these!)

• Sticky tabs/page markers

• Printer ink

• Label maker or labels

• Paper storage trays 

Even though its for everyone, we all know this becomes the mom area more than anything so make it organized for yourself!

#7 The Full House Reset (totally optional)

Last year, I did a full house reset before school started, and now… I’m obsessed, because it changed the entire flow for the fall into the Christmas season! .

This was not a perfection, deep cleaning on my hands and knees sort of situation. But it was a full declutter, reorganization, home reset, wipe down everything and getting everything back in place sort of thing. 

And I cannot even explain how much calmer it made me feel heading into fall.

Of course, the chaos still came. We had a laundry pile up and a bit more clutter when everyone went down in January with the flu, and there was a lot to keep up with in the aftermath of the constant winter colds and bugs… But the overall baseline of the house felt calmer because I had already taken the time to reset things beforehand.

The biggest thing I learned from doing this was how much calmer it made me feel as a mom. The clutter and constant mess really do affect us mentally more than we may realize at times. When everything feels chaotic around us, it’s so much harder for our minds to relax and focus on all of the other things we are trying to balance, too, not just taking care of the house, but our jobs, motherhood, marriage, schedules, and somehow still trying to take care of ourselves in the middle of it all.

When we can offload even a little bit of that mental stress by planning ahead and getting organized before the chaos fully hits, it truly makes such a difference. And I wouldn’t say that if I hadn’t experienced it myself. After taking the time last August to declutter, clean things out, get rid of junk, and reset our home, I genuinely noticed a calmer energy in myself throughout the school year.

Yes, the chaos is still going to come; you can’t completely avoid it, but getting a little ahead of it can help you feel more grounded and maybe even give you a little extra time and energy back for yourself, too! 

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