12 decluttering essentials I'm using to kick-start my Big Spring Sort-out — including a seriously addictive label-maker

Spring is in the air, and that means it's time to stop nesting, venture blinking into the sunlight, and get your home clean, tidy and organised after months of hiding out from the drizzle. I'm about to embark on my Big Spring Sort-out, and to help me get on top of my clutter I'll be arming myself with some organisation aids.

I've rounded up my essentials below, with prices from just £2. My favorite is the mechanical label maker I was given for my birthday last year. Without dwelling too much on what that suggests about my age and interests, I will say I'm absolutely obsessed with this gadget. I started labelling things as soon as I got it, and I haven't stopped.

You'll also see I've included some storage options in my roundup. I already have several Ikea Harvmatta boxes, stacked up within my larger drawers to hold smaller items like stationery and make-up, but I'm going to supplement them with some open-topped drawer organisers for things I want to be able to grab easily. The other benefit of boxes like these is that they give you something else you can label — I might dedicate one to holding the label maker.

With the weather finally starting to warm up, I'll be swapping out my heavy winter duvet for a lighter summer one. Rather than shoving it into an old hiking backpack — as has been my approach in previous years — I'll be investing in some vacuum compression bags that'll shrink it down neatly, ready to be popped into an under-bed storage box. My winter jumpers will be getting the same minimising treatment.

Finally, I'll be picking up a bunch of cable-management solutions. I have several charging spaghetti situations in my home, and despite owning an overwhelming number of cables, I can never seem to find the right one when I need it — I'm hoping this multi-pronged cable management approach will finally set me straight.

Decluttering essentials