Things You Need to Know Before You Begin Spring Cleaning
Is spring cleaning one of the items on your annual to-do list? Some people love the process of organizing and cleaning. For others, it’s a necessary evil. Love it or hate it, though, spring cleaning is a great opportunity for a fresh start.
Have years of accumulated possessions started to make you feel a little claustrophobic? Clearing out the clutter free you from that feeling, and it’s a lot easier to clean if you don’t have to spend most of your time moving things around. Or are you thinking ahead and preparing for a possible downsize in the future? You’ll be glad you took the time to simplify when the time comes. The following tips can help make your spring cleaning a little easier.
9 Spring Cleaning Decluttering Tips
1. Make it Fun
If you’re going to do it right, decluttering and organizing takes time. The time can fly by if you find a way to enjoy it. Play your favorite music, watch a movie while you sort paperwork, or ask a friend to help and enjoy some snacks while you work. You’ll get a lot more done if you don’t dread the process.
2. Get Things Off the Floor
Clutter on the floor, or even too much furniture, can be a serious tripping hazard. Take care of any objects lying around, and consider removing throw rugs that could lead to slipping. And if you’re bumping into that accent table every time you turn around, it may be time to find it a new home!
3. Clear Your Counters
Clean counters make any space more organized and simple. Keep items that you use daily (like the coffee pot) out, but put away things that you don’t use on a daily basis. Cleaning out excess utensils and appliances can help create the storage space you need. If you have twelve spatulas or a rice cooker that you haven’t used in years taking up space, clear them out to make room for more useful items.
4. Organize Paperwork
Many people keep documents that they don’t really need. For example, an owner’s manual can usually be found online. Additionally, if you have online banking or pay bills online, you can find those statements as well, should you ever need them.
Decide on categories for the paperwork you do need, and make sure that everything has a place where you can file it easily. This will prevent the paperwork from piling up and becoming overwhelming.
5. Clean Out the Medicine Cabinet
Check the expiration dates on all of your medications, including over the counter ones, and throw out the ones that have expired. Be sure that your medications are well organized, especially if you take a number of prescriptions or if you share the medicine cabinet with another person.
6. Get Rid of Things You Don’t Use
As a general rule of thumb, you should get rid of anything you haven’t used in the past year. This includes clothing that doesn’t fit, doesn’t go with your current lifestyle, or that you haven’t worn for any other reason. It also includes items that you had hoped to use but never did or those from abandoned hobbies.
7. Sentimental Items
It can be difficult to get rid of items that have sentimental value but don’t dismiss the possibility that you may be holding on to a few too many meaningful things.
If you’re able to display or use something in a meaningful way, then it’s serving a useful purpose in your life. However, if it’s collecting dust in the back of a closet, you might want to consider passing it on to someone who would be able to enjoy it.
Some things, like kids’ artwork or school memorabilia, can take up a lot of space. Taking photos and filing them together can give you the opportunity to view and enjoy them, but it takes up much less room.
8. Use Bins For Storage
Bins can be a great way to stay organized and to store things that you only use occasionally. Use clear bins to house things like craft supplies, gardening tools, or holiday decorations. They’re simple to store, and if you can see what’s inside it will be easy to retrieve it when you need it.
9. Be Safe
The last thing you want is for your spring cleaning and decluttering to result in an injury, so it’s important to know your limits.
Never try to move heavy objects or furniture by yourself. You should also think twice before standing on anything to clean hard to reach spots. Tools, like dusters with extension rods, long-handled dustpans, and window cleaning squeegees, can help you clean both high and low spots without having to stoop down or climb on anything.
An organized home can boost your mood and it is easier to care for too. So go ahead and take on that clutter – you’ll have a sparkling and fresh home to show for it!
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