Manage Your House

Your ADHD Guide to Summer Home Organization

Eager to prep your household for the summer, but unsure how to begin? From storing winter clothes to updating beach necessities, these home organization steps will guide you from brrrrr to sizzle.

Susan Lasky, M.A., BCC, SCAC
By Susan Lasky, M.A., BCC, SCAC Verified Updated on May 10, 2022
Click to Add Comments

At the dawn of summer, necessary and helpful tasks may be obvious (measuring kids for swimsuits and flip flops, stocking up on sunscreen, securing health forms for camps, etc.) but these steps may be difficult for ADHD brains to initiate.

My advice to avoid overwhelm and ensure a smooth transition as you organize your home for the summer is this:

  • Break up each of the following seasonal to-do items into smaller steps.
  • Block out calendar time. Set up each of the following steps as recurring appointments, making the seasonal transition process easier to remember and accomplish. This reinforces task clarity and deadlines, which are essential when you have ADHD. (Don’t forget to schedule pre-season events, like deadlines for camp applications and vacation rentals.)
  • Organize with two tenets in mind: Group like with like and everything needs a home.

Home Organizing Ideas: 6 Steps to Prep Your ADHD Household for Summer

1. Label and store it

  • Remove winter wear from prime real estate (convenient closets and storage space).
  • Store winter scarves, hats, and gloves in their own labeled container. Coats may be stored or hung out of the way. Before storing, check to see if items need cleaning or repair, are outgrown, or have lost their appeal.
  • Avoid organization overwhelm by working on one room or area at a time. Set a timer. Play music or talk to a friend while you work.

[Get This Free Download: 73 ADHD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life Now]

2. Update summer necessities

  • Sunscreen and bug sprays have expiration dates. Some have been recalled. Take inventory and order what you need.
  • Try on swimsuits and summer clothing to make sure they still fit. Set a specific time to do this.

3. Create space for summer basics

  • Consider using hanging closet organizers or tote baskets to store sunscreen, bug repellent, water bottles, sunglasses, healthy sealed snacks, bandages, masks, and hand sanitizer for each family member. Add age-appropriate activity items, a phone charger and portable powerpack, sunhat, towels, and laminated IDs or pool/beach passes.
  • Leave a duffel in the car with common necessities for a family outing.

4. Tie up boots, shoes, and sandals

  • Pack up winter footwear in containers or heavy storage totes (protect from squashing or scratches from heels or buckles) and store them out of the way. Use these containers to swap footwear twice a year.
  • Before storing, wipe down shoes or boots and check for damage, comfort, and appeal. Did you wear them? If not, lose them.

[Read: Don’t Organize It, Purge It — 10 Things to Throw Out Now]

5. Rotate clothing

  • Gather anything that won’t be worn for several months. Store it in the damp-proof containers that held the warm-weather clothing you are now unpacking.
  • Clean and repair items that need it. Eliminate anything that doesn’t fit or wasn’t worn.

6. Label containers

  • Clear containers are best, and these should be labeled to avoid wasted time and energy in six months.
  • Keep a list of where everything is stored as backup.

Home Organization Ideas for Summer: Next Steps

SUPPORT ADDITUDE
Thank you for reading ADDitude. To support our mission of providing ADHD education and support, please consider subscribing. Your readership and support help make our content and outreach possible. Thank you.