Posted on Monday, 24th August 2026

How to declutter your home for back-to-school

With the summer holidays coming to an end, parents across the UK will be preparing for the return to school - but it’s not just uniforms and school supplies that need organising.

From outgrown clothes and overflowing toy boxes to sports equipment and summer hobbies, six weeks of family life can leave homes feeling more cluttered than ever.

With new uniforms, shoes, stationery and other school essentials entering the home, September provides the perfect opportunity for families to take stock of what they already have and reset their living space.

New survey data highlights just how much of a reset families may need. One in three (30%) parents admitted their homes feel extremely cluttered by the end of the school holidays, while a further 37% said theirs feel quite cluttered.

The research also found that more than one in four (27%) parents said their children’s bedroom is the most cluttered room by the time the school holidays start, followed closely by the living room (24%).

When it comes to children’s belongings, toys were the item respondents most often had to get rid of (41%), followed by clothes their children had grown out of (34%) and children’s books (32%).

To help parents bring a sense of order back to the home after the school holidays, our storage experts share their five simple hacks.

5 back-to-school reset hacks

Tip one - Start with the children’s bedroom

Since more than one in four (27%) of parents said their children’s bedroom is the most cluttered room by the time the school holidays start, this is a natural place to begin that post-summer declutter.

With toys, clothes, books, artwork, crafts, sports equipment and school supplies all potentially competing for space, tackling the bedroom category by category can make the job feel more manageable.

Children’s bedrooms can quickly become a dumping ground over the summer, particularly when routines are relaxed and children have more time to play. The end of the holidays provides a natural opportunity to go through everything and work out what is still being used, what has been outgrown and what can be moved elsewhere.

Start by taking everything out of wardrobes, drawers, and toy storage, and create simple ‘keep’, ‘donate’, ‘sell’ and ‘store’ piles. Don’t try to tackle everything at once - focusing on one category at a time can make the process much more manageable.

Tip two - Sort through those summer toys

Toys can quickly accumulate during the school holidays, particularly when children have more free time for games, hobbies and activities.

Research found that toys were the children’s belongings parents most often had to get rid of, with 41% selecting them. So, before putting summer toys away, take the opportunity to work out which ones are actually being used.

Outdoor toys, games and hobby equipment can take up a huge amount of space, particularly when they’re only used at certain times of the year. If you know you won’t need something again until next summer, consider storing it away properly rather than allowing it to take up valuable space in the home.

Tip three - Give the living room a back-to-school reset

The living room is another key area to tackle before the school routine begins again, with 24% of parents identifying it as the most cluttered room by the time the school holidays start.

As the room often doubles as a space for relaxing, playing and spending time together as a family, belongings can easily find their way into the space without having a permanent home.

The living room is often the heart of family life, but it can quickly become a catch-all for toys, school bags and other belongings. It’s therefore worth giving it some attention before the school routine begins again.

Start by clearing anything that doesn’t need to be in the living room and give the items that do belong there a designated home. Consider moving seasonal or rarely used items into storage to free up valuable space and make the room easier for the whole family to enjoy.

Tip four - Don’t forget outgrown clothes and uniforms

The back-to-school period is the perfect time to check children’s wardrobes for clothes and uniforms that no longer fit.

Research found that 34% of respondents most often had to get rid of clothes their children had grown out of, making outgrown clothing another key category to address before the new school year begins.

Children grow quicker than you can keep up with, so wardrobes are often full of clothes that no longer fit. Take everything out and check each item before putting it back. Anything that is still in good condition can be donated or sold, while sentimental items that you want to keep but don’t need immediate access to could be carefully packed away in storage.

Tip five - Create a home for school essentials

With new uniforms, shoes, stationery, school bags and other essentials coming into the home, September is a good time to make sure there is room for everything children will need during the new school year.

Research found that 32% of respondents had most often had to get rid of children’s books, highlighting another category parents may want to review when making space.

Organisation is much easier to maintain when everyone in the family knows where things belong.

Set up a simple drop zone for school essentials and encourage children to put everything back in the same place each day. This can make those busy mornings and evenings much calmer and prevent clutter from spreading throughout the house.

For families struggling to find space for belongings they want to keep but don’t need every day, self-storage can also provide a practical solution.

Whether it’s seasonal toys, sports equipment, keepsakes or outgrown clothes, moving less frequently used belongings out of the home can help families make the most of the space they have.