September is one of my favorite times of year. The weather is still warm, but we’re starting to see the first suggestions of fall.
It makes it the perfect time to clear out your home, brushing away the last of summer in preparation for pumpkin spice season.
So, to get ahead, I've asked home organizing experts for the best things to declutter in September 2025. These are the five I am adding to my decluttering calendar.
Things to declutter in September
1. The travel toiletry stash
Although I usually organize my home before going on vacation, I often come back armed with all those miniature bottles you find in hotels or pick up at the airport. September is the ideal time to clear these out.
To avoid creating unnecessary trash at home, Laurie Hise, founder of Passionate Penny Pincher, suggests, ‘Don't let those usable mini-products go to waste. Reuse them for guest bathrooms or emergency kits, or consider donating them to your local homeless shelter.’
I also like to pack a complete set of essentials into a travel toiletry bag, from Walmart, ready to grab and go to families' houses over the fall and winter holidays.
2. Kitchen cabinets
One thing people with tidy kitchen cabinets never do is neglect a seasonal switch-over.
I see a very specific shift in my eating habits between the warmer and cooler months, with lighter dishes being swapped out for warming stews. I also tend to eat more throughout fall and winter.
As a result, streamlining and organizing kitchen cabinets is essential in September.
Tara Laurent, owner of Tara Laurent Home, agrees, saying, ‘It's important to have this space functionally ready for holiday meals and leftovers. I suggest cleaning out the refrigerator, freezer, cabinets, and pantry, removing any expired food items.
‘Also, make sure your appliances and serveware are clean, accessible, and in good working order.’
I like to use three-tier organizers from The Container Store for pantry shelves to stagger cans, making using up food easier through the transition period. For the fridge, clear acrylic bins from Wayfair can help to avoid food getting lost or partially frozen at the back of the shelves.
3. Unused summer activities
Laurie says, ‘September signals a shift in reality: Those summer crafts bought in May certainly won't get finished. It's time to face the facts.
'As cooler weather approaches, hobbies will change. Clear out space for activities you'll actually work on and enjoy them in the fall.’
Keeping these activities in a woven basket with handles, from Target, makes pulling them out easier, so you are more likely to use them in the cozy season.
For me, this means clearing out the miniature building kits that I promised I would do while the natural light lasted longer and made it easier to focus.
To help you decide what to do with the items you are decluttering, Laurie suggests, ‘Consider donating unused kits to schools or community centers before their fall programs begin.’
Being honest about decluttering the items your fantasy self is holding on to is actually quite liberating.
4. Fall decor
I am a big fan of decorating every room for fall, which means my attic storage is usually overflowing with bins of stuff I only add to year after year when I get overexcited in Home Sense.
To avoid the signs I am losing control of clutter, Tara suggests focusing some of my energy here this September.
‘Sort through your holiday decorations and accessories while taking note of the last time you used each item,’ she begins.
‘If your style has changed, maybe it's time to donate some decorations to a friend or local charity. You should also dispose of anything that is no longer in working order.
‘To make things easier for future holidays, separate items into clear plastic bins and label them accordingly. This will help make finding your Thanksgiving table decor and Christmas lights much easier.’
The extra-large Rubbermaid Storage Bins with lids, from Wayfair, are ideal for this, and stack easily to make use of vertical space.
5. Financial essentials ahead of the holidays
Digital decluttering is just as important as physical streamlining – especially in the run-up to major holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
One area I had not considered was my financial clutter. However, Andrea Woroch, money-saving expert, suggests that September is the ideal time to get this category in order, decluttering paper clutter you no longer need, and clearing credit balances where possible.
‘Tackling this now can help you avoid paying high interest fees and give your budget some room for gifts and other seasonal expenses,’ she points out.
I keep track of all my spending and savings approaching key holiday periods using a digital sheet. If you don’t fancy making your own, you can find premade digital budget tracker templates on Etsy that do all the math for you.
What to shop
Measuring 8 x 10 x 11 inches, these handwoven water hyacinth baskets are ideal for drop zones, shelves, and cabinets.
Make better use of vertical storage to save space on shelves by using stacking drawers in pantries to store snacks and packet goods.
These clear stacking bins are ideal for items that need ventilation, such as food packets or bathroom products, helping to keep them neat without the risk of mold or odors.
With space for slotting unread mail and five hooks for keys, this handy mail organizer is the perfect drop zone for common entryway clutter.
These under-bed storage bags on wheels are easy to pull out, and maintain good ventilation for items to prevent mold or musty bedroom smells.
This bestselling book packs so much information into a mere 200 pages, in a readable and digestible format that's accessible to all readers of all ages.
Meet the experts
With September's decluttering tasks in hand, it’s time to turn to some of the bigger, more demanding tasks, such as home and yard maintenance, to help prepare your home for fall.
