When you’re making a list of areas in your house to de-clutter, don’t forget the places that may go overlooked. If you rarely spend time in your attic, toolshed or garage, it’s easy to forget about them.

Here are some tips to help you control those rarely used areas where dust, dirt and clutter can accumulate.

Your Attic

For many people, the attic is a place for three types of things: items you don’t regularly use such as holiday decorations or luggage, sentimental objects you don’t want to part with but don’t really need, and things you think you might need one day.

With all that stuff tucked away, it’s easy for this space to become cluttered. Start by sorting everything in your attic. Decide what you can toss out or donate. Then separate the space into zones and organize all the remaining items by use.

Make sure the things you’ll use most frequently are accessible. Put the holiday decor and summer camping gear in reachable areas. Items you want to keep, but won’t use regularly, like your grandmother’s china and your kids’ baby blankets, can go further back.

Your Toolshed

If your toolshed is anything like mine, it doesn’t even have tools in it. Maybe it’s jammed with lawn care equipment, the kids’ bikes and camping gear.

Start your de-cluttering process by taking everything out of the shed and sweeping out dust and cobwebs. Then sort the items you removed. Do they all belong in the shed or would another place make more sense? Consider moving all your tools and home-improvement equipment from the garage or basement into the shed so everything is in one place.

Discover more home care tips.

Your Garage

Your garage is probably your catch-all space where you stash things until you find another home for them. There might not even be space for your car. To combat this, first remove the stuff. Decide what’s to be kept and what needs to go. If it’s broken and can’t be repaired toss it, or if you haven’t used it in two years, donate it.

Next, make zones in your garage. Designate individual spaces for your vehicle, a workbench and storage. You may need to invest in pegboards and hooks, containers, cabinets, shelving or other storage solutions to help you organize the tools, toys and gear. Overhead storage is a great option for items you don’t use often but need to have accessible.

Your Back Porch

During your organizing efforts, take a few minutes to tidy up the outdoor spaces. Pick up toys or other household items on the porch or in your yard. Then trim bushes and trees and rake up leaves and twigs that have accumulated in the corners. Clean dirt and grime from patio tables and chairs. Consider purchasing outdoor storage containers to keep toys and gardening equipment contained and out of sight.

De-cluttering your home can seem like a monumental task, but if you approach it with a systematic plan, you’ll create space you never knew you had. Want to tackle the main living areas? Find more helpful tips here.

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