Between the Spanish moss and the saltwater breeze off the Wilmington River, homes here on Skidaway Island collect more than their fair share of coastal Georgia humidity. That moisture doesn't just hang in the air during our long summers—it settles into every crowded closet, overstuffed garage, and neglected corner where clutter tends to pile up. The combination of our subtropical climate and those beautiful mature oak canopies means mildew finds its way into places you'd never expect, especially when belongings are packed too tightly for air to circulate. Most homes in The Landings were built in the 1970s through 1990s, and those original storage spaces weren't designed for the amount of stuff modern families accumulate over decades of island living.

Here's what most homeowners discover the hard way: attempting a deep clean without decluttering first is like mopping around furniture instead of moving it. You're working twice as hard and getting half the results. When you clear out the excess before you start scrubbing, you're not just making room to clean—you're eliminating the hiding spots where dust, allergens, and moisture accumulate in the first place. The process doesn't need to be overwhelming, but it does need to happen in the right order. Think of decluttering as the foundation that makes every other cleaning effort actually stick, especially in a climate where prevention matters as much as the cleaning itself.

Declutter First: The 40% Rule

Professional cleaners consistently report that homes with clear surfaces take 35–45% less time to clean thoroughly. That means a better result — or the same time spent going deeper on what matters.

Where to Start in a The Landings Home

The Kitchen Counter Problem

The Landings kitchens accumulate countertop appliances quickly: air fryers, Instant Pots, coffee systems, smoothie makers. The rule: if you don't use it at least weekly, it goes in a cabinet or out of the house. Goal: one clear strip of counter behind the sink and at least half of all counter space unoccupied.

The Bathroom Surface Audit

The average American bathroom has 17 items on the counter. Ideal is 3–5. Everything else goes in a drawer, medicine cabinet, or under-sink storage. This transforms a 15-minute bathroom clean into a 7-minute one.

Bedroom Floor Rules

Anything on a bedroom floor that isn't furniture is clutter. Under-bed storage with a flat lid surface is the best The Landings solution for extra storage without floor clutter.

The Flat Surface Principle

Every flat surface — dressers, nightstands, coffee tables, bookshelves — should have at most 3 objects on it. Everything else creates visual noise and collects dust.

Room-by-Room Declutter Plan

Kitchen (2–4 Hours)

  1. Pull everything out of one cabinet at a time
  2. Group: keep, donate, toss, relocate
  3. Apply the "last used" test: if unused in 12 months, it goes
  4. Tackle the junk drawer last
  5. Clear all countertops; return only daily-use items

Closets (1–2 Hours Each)

  1. Remove everything entirely
  2. Clean the empty closet
  3. Evaluate each item: does it fit, do you love it, have you used it in the last year?
  4. Return only what passes; bag the rest for donation

Living Areas (1–2 Hours)

  1. Remove all items not permanently belonging to that room
  2. Reduce decorative items to "gallery-worthy" only
  3. Cable management — loose cords are clutter and dust magnets

The Donation Schedule

In The Landings, these organizations accept household goods and furniture:

Maintaining It

The one-in-one-out rule: every time something new enters your home, something equivalent leaves. Applied consistently, this maintains your decluttered space without periodic purges.

Once you've decluttered, TotalCare Cleaning can give your The Landings home the deep clean it deserves. Call (888) 378-7451 to schedule.