Springtime is here, and with it, the desire to clean out of the dust and clutter of winter. Spring cleaning is often more about purging than reorganizing. Here are seven simple ways to declutter a home, according to a professional organizer:

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1. Backup food mixed into the Everyday Pantry

If you have a backstock of food and supplies, make sure that you are keeping this separate from your daily go-to foods.

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2. Excessive Plastic and Paper Goods

It is common to save paper and plastic goods from hosting events or eating out, but they can pile up and clutter the kitchen. When hosting an event, only buy the amount you need, and don’t ask for extra utensils when eating out.

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3. Batteries

To avoid an overstock of batteries, keep them in one spot in the house, have a separate place for dead batteries, or invest in rechargeable batteries.

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4. Unused Toys

Kids grow out of toys, and yet they linger for years around the house. Each season, collect unloved, unused toys and give them away as gifts or donate them to your local second-hand store.

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5. Unloved Books

Go through your books and ask yourself: “When was the last time I read this?" "Have I ever read this?" "Will I ever read this (again)?" Avoid adding more unloved books into the home by reading books from the library. If you love it, then you can buy a copy.

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6. Purposeless Furniture

Do you have furniture you bought solely because it was a good deal? You have permission to get rid of it. "Removing useless furniture doesn’t make a home sparse — it gives a home room to breathe."

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7. Tupperware

Missing lids, overflowing cabinets, stained surfaces - we’ve all been there with Tupperware. Give yourself a gift. Buy a new glass set, and recycle the old ones. Fewer containers mean a less cluttered refrigerator and less spoiled food.

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Read more (via Apartment Therapy)