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As summer sadly draws to a close, it’s time to gear up for fall. Fortunately, by focusing on a few key things to declutter before September starts, according to Horderly professional organizer Jamie Hord, you’ll be ready to go once the first leaves start to fall — without taking too much time away from enjoying those precious summer days.

1. Summer clothes

Before you break out your sweaters and cozy-season clothes, take stock of what you wore and what you didn’t amongst your summer clothes, while it’s still fresh in your mind. Give away anything that hasn’t seen the light of day this summer. And anything that isn’t worth saving — like a pilled and overstretched swimsuit — should be recycled or tossed.

And hey, while you’re at it, take a quick sort through your fall clothes as you bring them out of storage to see if there’s anything that doesn’t fit, doesn’t suit you, or otherwise shouldn’t make it back into your closet.

2. School supplies

If you have kids, August is the time to sort through your school supplies and see what needs refreshing, what isn’t being used (that you might be able to donate to a school supply drive), and what’s ready to go. Compare it to your child’s school supply list, and you’ll be able to minimize the back-to-school purchases by “shopping” from your own house first.

3. Lunch containers

After a little summer vacation, it’s time for back to school (and back to work). Go through your lunch container stash and get rid of anything that doesn’t have a matching lid, is cracked, or is otherwise unusable. (While you’re organizing, go ahead and make sure that your lunchboxes have been dusted off and freshly cleaned.)

4. Water bottles

Odds are, you probably have a drawer or cabinet filled with water bottles—even if you only stick to a few. Go through your water bottle stash and remove anything that’s missing a cap, leaks, or isn’t one you reach for regularly. Also, consider ditching any plastic water bottles that are not labeled BPA-free to minimize the risk of chemicals leaching into your water.

5. Home workspaces

Make the shift back to school (or your WFH days) easier to bear by sifting through any paperwork and clutter that’s accumulated, so you have a perfectly peaceful spot to get the work (or the homework) done.

6. Halloween stuff

The spooky season is right around the corner — and Hord says you should get ready, stat. “This is a great time to go through and get rid of any Halloween decor or Halloween costumes that no longer serve your family or that you no longer love. Get rid of any old or damaged items and be realistic about what you’ll wear or put up this year.”

7. Your makeup bag or drawers

Make a seasonal sort through your makeup stash to get rid of expired beauty products, anything that is crumbling or damaged, and of course, anything you don’t use. That’ll make more room for new colors you want to try as the seasons change.

8. Summer gun gear

Take stock of all your summer gear — from pool floats to outdoor games to beach chairs. Toss anything that’s damaged beyond repair, and give away things you didn’t use or won’t use after this year.

(Real Simple magazine provides smart, realistic solutions to everyday challenges. Online at www.realsimple.com.)

©2025 Dotdash Meredith. All rights reserved. Used with permission. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.