How to make the most of the post-lockdown spring cleaning craze

Decluttering your room regularly can help you sleep better and reduce stress. Photo / Getty Images

In times of crisis, we often turn to cleaning for comfort - seemingly searching for order in our chaotic lives.

The nationwide lockdown saw many of us clearing out our wardrobes and homes in an effort to declutter, and then turning up at the local op shop with our bags of belongings as soon as they reopened.

But it turns out the urge to spring clean isn't just brought on by national states of emergency - research commissioned by Bunnings shows that 53 per cent of Kiwis like to do a good yearly clear-out.

And according to the research, 49 per cent of us admit that it's our bedrooms that need the most attention when it comes to decluttering.

Australian KonMari expert, Gemma Quinn, shared her tips for how to do a post-lockdown spring clean, and stated the most important thing when decluttering is to be honest with yourself.

"When we declutter and organise, we're very often not just letting go of and organising our belongings, we're letting go of and organising our thoughts, emotions and our hearts too."

Declutter similar items at the same time, like all those old T-shirts. Similar to Marie Kondo, Quinn says you should keep only what makes you feel happy.

If you know you'll smile every time you pick it up, or put it on, then it's worth keeping.

Be honest with yourself about what you need or don't need, and what's important to you - do you really need five different pairs of similar sneakers?

It turns out that regular spring cleans are great for your mental health and will set you up for a better day.

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"An organised space leads people to be able to think more clearly and focus on what it important to them, as they have fewer items competing for their attention," Quinn says.

"It can help people to feel less distracted and anxious, therefore they can feel calmer, and this can influence things like our relationships and sleep.

"I feel a decluttered bedroom can help reduce morning stress, as it's easier to find your work outfits and prepare yourself for the day.

"It helps you relax at night, you're more inclined to read the book you want or spend time with your partner, and it improves your sleep."

Being smart with the space you have will also help make your life easier, Quinn says. Such as when looking at storage containers, and making sure your furniture can hold them.

You can also get a bit creative with your use of space - make the most of any empty spaces you have.

You can hang things on doorknobs and hooks or hang a basket on the back of your door - it can hold anything from scarves to bags.

If you're renting, you can use command hooks on the walls as they won't damage surfaces and can easily be removed.

The spring clean itself is easy enough, but we all know how difficult it is to maintain it once you've got a perfectly organised space.

To keep it clean, Quinn recommends giving each item its own home and storing similar things together to create the habit of putting them away.

Use open boxes for storage so everything is visible and manageable and you can't hide it away.

No shoving your clothes in a drawer at the end of the day - with everything on display, you'll be more inclined to fold them neatly.

So go forth and spring clean your heart out with these handy tips and tricks.