Declutter your home with the ultimate eco-friendly, stress-free spring clean

Organising expert Dilly Carter’s top tips for decluttering your space in an environmentally friendly way, including her secret weapon—HIPPOBAGs

HIPPOBAGs, ideal for an eco-friendly, stress-free spring clean.
(Image credit: HIPPOBAGs)

If you feel bogged down by too much junk, desperately wondering how to declutter your home, then you’re not alone. A recent survey from those in the know, UK-wide rubbish removal giant HIPPO, found that a stonking 56% of UK adults have rooms in their homes which are unusable because of clutter. 

Not so surprisingly, 80% of those surveyed have negative feelings about the common issue. So what’s to be done? Organisation and decluttering expert Dilly Carter, who you may know as a TV presenter and author of Create Space, has plenty to say on the matter. 

Spring is springing and there’s no better time to take stock of what you can cast off as we head into the warmer months. 

The expert says, “I firmly believe that if we all cut the clutter, live better with less, and give ourselves more headspace, we will enjoy life more.” In light of this, Dilly has collaborated with HIPPO, whose genius HIPPOBAGs are helping people all over the UK cast off unwanted rubbish right from their doorstep. 

Ordering HIPPOBAGs online or via the super easy-to-use HIPPO app takes the pain out of clearing unwanted rubbish. And with prices starting at £13.99 for the MIDI Bag only or £158.99 for the MIDI Bag with collection—it’s both eco-friendly and affordable too!

Dilly’s focus is on getting rid of what we don’t need, in the most eco-friendly and hassle-free way possible. Here are her top tips on how to spring into action and revolutionise your living space now.

Dilly Carter's top tips declutter your home

Orginasation expert Dilly Carter.

(Image credit: Dilly Carter/HIPPOBAGs)

1. Get those rooms aired and let wardrobes and drawers breathe

Give your wardrobes and drawers a good declutter and clearout. Moths love dark spots, so as much as you can, get those doors open and get the air circulating through every area. Clean the bottoms, clear out those wardrobes and give them a good declutter. Ask yourself these questions:

  • Do you love it?
  • Does it fit?
  • When did you last wear it?
  • Is it in season?
  • Can it be packed away to create space?

2. Clear those window sills

So many of us have too much on our window sills! We want to let the light in, and see out of those windows. Not block the light. Clear those window sills completely, and 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?

3. Declutter that worktop

Clear every appliance off the side and put it to the side and see how much space you have now it’s clear. We want clear workspaces with less clutter. So it’s easier to maintain and keep clean. Less stuff, less to clean! Ask yourself this before putting things back on the worktop:

  • What do you really need to add back to that workspace? 
  • Are there items that don’t earn a spot on that worktop? 
  • Are there items you don’t use? 
  • Are there items that don’t belong in a kitchen?

4. Clean out your cupboards

Clear our your cupboards one cupboard at a time so as not to overwhelm yourself. Just empty, clean, assess, declutter, donate, sell or put it back! Just cleaning out your cutlery drawer and putting everything through the dishwasher will make you feel better. Get rid of those tools, pens and keys. Keep it just cutlery, take out the random.

Go through your spice drawer and check dates. Clean it out. Organise spices in alphabetical order so it’s easy to scan quickly what you need.

5. Get rid of your 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. 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 if you don’t feel like passing them on for free. 

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! These fully recyclable skip bags are a completely hassle-free, eco-friendly alternative to the metal skip. They come in three handy flat-packed sizes so don’t take up valuable room outside your home until you need to use them and you can easily order them online or through the HIPPO App. Once you’ve filled your bag, HIPPO will take it away, contact-free, and ensure that over 95% of it is recycled for you, with the remainder disposed of ethically. What’s not to love?

HIPPOBAGs can be bought online at hippowaste.co.uk/hippobag/ or through the HIPPO App.

For more information, please call HIPPO on 0333 999 0 999 or visit hippowaste.co.uk

Check out their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts to hear more about their work and what their customers have to say.

Aoife Hanna
Junior News Editor

Aoife is an Irish journalist and writer with a background in creative writing, comedy, and TV production.

Formerly woman&home's junior news editor and a contributing writer at Bustle, her words can be found in the Metro, Huffpost, Delicious, Imperica and EVOKE.

Her poetry features in the Queer Life, Queer Love anthology.

Outside of work you might bump into her at a garden center, charity shop, yoga studio, lifting heavy weights, or (most likely) supping/eating some sort of delicious drink/meal.