It’s that time of year when you’re pulling your hair out from all the stuff, dust, papers, junk, pet hair, and sweater fuzz that’s accumulated over the last few months. From offices to garages, physical files to clouds, kitchens to closets, the unwanted and unneeded is just begging to be purged. For starters, what will you do with it all. Donate, sell, toss, repurpose?

“I’ve been on a big decluttering journey since last July and have employed every strategy from bulk donations to recycling to discarding,” states John Lim, author of The Poshmark Guide for Individuals and Small Businesses and The Poshmark Seller Journal for Individuals and Small Businesses.  

“My favorite method, and the most gratifying in my opinion, is to sell an item you no longer need or want. With our smartphones, you have a powerful point-of-purchase platform that you carry with you all the time. Imagine an old sweater, suit, or pair of shoes that you’ve had sitting in your closet for so long that you forgot you even owned it. You list it for sale and someone you’ll never meet from a different part of the country discovers it and says, “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!” The moment you sell your first item is a feeling that will stay with you forever. It’s also a good way to say goodbye to something you’ve had a hard time letting go of. While any method of decluttering is satisfying, selling an item, whether big or small, makes it an empowering experience for both buyer and seller.”

John, is right. Decluttering is empowering. But yes, the options are daunting especially if you’re sentimental or worry you might just need that “Virginia is for Lovers” mug someday. Perhaps, you’re overwhelmed or tempted by the siren’s call to put it off. Don’t dismay. I have the resources designed to answer your questions, ignite the fire, motivate your mission, and guide you from clutter to clean.

Here are your six books for successful spring cleaning—that will inspire and ignite any time of the year.

The Natural Home: Simple, Pure Cleaning Solutions and Recipes for a Healthy House by Isabelle Louet and Sylvie Fabre. This book is an easy-to-follow guide to cleaning your home (and office) organically and naturally. From organization to building a natural cleaning resource basket, the authors focus on helping anyone find peace in their space with a vibrant and healthy environment. It’s not just about clutter, it’s about a healthy mind, body, spirit, and space. 

The Poshmark Guide for Individuals and Small Businesses: How We Achieved a Five-Figure Revenue Stream Within Our First Year by John Lim. This incredibly successful book chronicles the story of businesses and individuals surviving and thriving during the pandemic by turning product into massive profits on Poshmark. The author capitalizes on this success by providing a step-by-step guide for anyone to turn their unwanted apparel into a goldmine.

The Art of Discarding: How to Get Rid of Clutter and Find Joy by Nagisa Tatsumi. There’s nothing more promising than a book that promises joy. Especially one that doesn’t require a monumental investment to achieve it. This book challenges the author to use the mind along with the hands as you declutter, considering what attitude and decision provoked you to attain the item in the first place. This mindset not only helps you let go but prevents the hedonic treadmill of continual consumption. The goal of this book is to free one’s space and self from clutter. 

The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life by Joshua Becker. This book was written by a minimalist blogger who educates his followers, and readers, on how to decide what to keep and what to shed. This is the book that answers the “What do I do with this?” question and challenges the mindset of accumulation. With guidelines on simplification and organizing, this book is an idea kickstart for spring cleaning offices, homes, apartments, dorms, and any environment that provokes stress. 

The Sentimental Person’s Guide to Decluttering by Claire Middleton. This is the must-read resource for the person who is so attached to their stuff they simply can’t let go. If you’re a sentimental soul about baby clothes, memory boxes, the shoes worn on your first day, or that old mower your father gave you that has never worked, it’s time to let go. A literary hand-holding guide to help you avoid hoarding “trigger” clutter, this book will walk you through stepping past the sentiment and onto the serene. 

The Tidy Office: A Simple System for Keeping Your Office Clean, Organized, and Clutter-Free by Darla Foster. You know who you are. That working professional who can’t find that important file even though you believe you’ve mastered a “system” in your office. This book is designed to help you declutter and reorganize your office so that focus, productivity, and profits increase. This would make a great gift for leaders to give their teams along with a “Day of Decluttering,” where purging prizes and streamlining snacks are on the agenda. Darla, feel free to use this idea in your next book. 😉

P.S. I’m sneaking in #7. Hachette Books also recommends Story Books, Home Detox: Make Your Home a Healthier Place for Everyone Who Lives There by Daniella Chace. 

Images Courtesy of John Lim, Cardomom Publishers, Story Publishing, Black Dog & Leventhal, and Hachette Books