Spring is here. Well, the first day of spring is not until March 20, but after the dark days of winter, the sun is a welcomed sign.

This nice weather brings with it the feeling of needing to clean out the winter blues and get ready for summer.

Organizing what a person has can help make cleaning easier and give some peace of mind while planning things to do for spring.

The biggest issue people seem to have is deciding what to sell at the garage sale this year, what to throw away immediately, and what is important to keep.

Here are five tips to help you declutter.

First, throw away the trash. This may seem simple, but this takes care of a lot of the clutter.

Those old McDonald’s receipts that just seem to show up everywhere need to be collected and thrown away.

The papers and junk mail that have seemed to accumulate magically need to be gone through. The half-finished winter projects and broken objects need to be dealt with too.

Unless a sudden urge to complete that puzzle of a mountain scene or to fix the broken clock is going to hit that week, the stuff needs to be put away or thrown away.

Included in this is purses and backpacks. They need a good wash. Now is a good time to organize school work so everything is in order after so many months of use.

Second, the car must be taken care off. Winter is hard on cars between the salt and snow, and a good scrub can change all of that.

Get rid of all of the trash and odd items that have accumulated in the past few months.

Going through a car wash is nice, but the inside needs special attention by vacuuming out the dirt and road salt, as well as cleaning the windows.

Third, those winter clothes need to be put away. Trade out the winter items for the summer ones and take the time to organize them.

It is hard for most people to get rid of clothes, but clothing that never gets worn takes up valuable space in drawers and closets.

If it does not fit or has not been worn in a few years, it is time to get rid of the item.

Fourth, the kitchen needs a critical eye to clean it out. Check all of the expiration dates and throw out the food that is past its date.

Clean out the cupboards and organize all of the utensils and dishes.

Put the items that are used most where they are easier to grab and go out from there. While in the kitchen, the stove, oven, and microwave need to be cleaned too.

Lastly, the true cleaning comes in. Spring is the time to deeply clean the house and get it ready for hosting parties.

Windows need to be cleaned inside and out. Dust everything, including those little cobwebs in the corners.

Spring cleaning can make people feel overwhelmed, but if you follow these tips it’s a great way to start.