3 Things Pro Organizers Always Declutter in February

So you’ve made your January resolution to be tidier, and now you’ve made it to February. Did that stick? If you’re anything like me, you probably excelled at it for about a week and then … got distracted by other things. But don’t get down on yourself. February is the perfect time to pick decluttering and organizing back up.

Not sure where to start? I spoke to Allie Licata, owner of The Curated Home Company; Cathy Orr, cofounder of The Uncluttered Life and the Declutter Deck; Diana Moll, founder of D’s Declutrr; and Lis Ritz, senior designer at Inspired Closets Chicago, to determine the best tasks for February that deliver a solid declutter without requiring a major organizational overhaul. Here’s what they said.

Every organizer I spoke to immediately suggested decluttering paperwork — both physical and digital. “As tax season approaches, I get all my physical and digital paperwork in order,” Orr says. “I have done this every year for as long as I can remember. It’s time to purge and shred papers that are no longer relevant.”

A quick place to start: old insurance cards, outdated documents, and receipts for items you can’t return anymore. Orr also recommends making a pass through physical mail, file folders, digital files, and even unsubscribing from mailing lists that don’t serve you. “Lighten your paperwork load,” she says. “The difference in your energy will be amazing, as paperwork holds a lot of emotional weight.”

Moll suggests focusing on high-use areas like closets, entryways, and nightstands. “February is when I encourage people to reassess what actually stuck from January,” she says. “The motivation is still there, but real life has settled back in. Make small, intentional edits. If something felt too complicated or didn’t quite work in January, February is the perfect moment to simplify it rather than abandon it altogether.”

Drop zones, mudrooms, or pantries are great places to tackle first. In each spot, you’re looking for the same thing: items that are expired, worn out, or simply haven’t been used all season.

While the weather is still cool, February is the perfect time to pare down your clothing. “Editing winter coats, boots, and accessories now makes seasonal transitions smoother,” Ritz says. Licata agrees, and uses February to thin out what she didn’t wear all season, often tossing it into a donation bag or putting it somewhere else in the home to store. “As you get dressed, anything that no longer fits, feels good, or gets worn goes straight in,” Moll says.

“February is one of the best months to declutter because it makes spring cleaning so much easier,” Licata says. “A lot of people wait until March or April. By then, they’re trying to deep-clean and deal with larger piles of stuff. If you declutter in February, you end up cleaning way less, which makes spring feel lighter and less overwhelming.” 

Ultimately, Moll says, February isn’t about completely starting over. Instead, it’s about refining what you have. “This is the month to simplify systems, build consistency, and focus on what supports your daily life.”