Did Someone Say “Spring Clean”?!
The snow has melted, the thermometer reads 60°, you spot a crocus… Enter the spring clean!
Spring cleaning is an annual ritual for many. For others, it represents a missed opportunity each year. To those ready to roll up your sleeves again, and to those ready to finally tackle the clutter… read on!
So, what’s so great about spring cleaning?
First, “spring” provides a timeframe – a key component to achieving any goal! The spring season also represents fresh starts, making it the perfect time to work on any area of your home needing attention.
And second, “cleaning” is the act of removing the unwanted and who doesn’t love that? While the term “cleaning” may conjure up visions of rubber gloves and sponges, it’s more than making a space dirt-free. It includes decluttering the space and getting the items in it organized!
You can start with smaller spaces – the overflowing toy bins, the packed pantry, the hallway closet still full of mittens and scarves. Or you can tackle larger spaces, like the garage – filled with bikes, strollers, tools, and last season’s sports gear.
With our busy lives, it’s easy for these spaces – both big and small – to fill up and for you to feel overwhelmed by it all.
Are you asking yourself, “How the heck do I begin”? We’ve listed some tips for tackling any spring cleaning project:
Empty the space and sort. Fair Warning: it gets messier before it gets pretty! As you remove items, place them into categories. Categories in a garage may be camping, sports, gardening, and tools. Then sort these items into subcategories by putting like with like, such as all gardening gloves together, all shovels together, and so on.
Edit. Designate temporary areas labeled ‘Keep’, ‘Donate’, ‘Sell’, ‘Recycle’, and ‘Trash’. Decide in which area each sorted item should go. For the ‘Keep’, ask yourself: do all these items really belong here? If not, move them.
Get rid of the Trash, Sell, Recycle, and Donate items.
Purchase and install shelving, bins, or other storage systems as needed.
Organize. Give every remaining item a home and put it there.
Great job! The transformation is complete! What happens next?
The emotional weight your unorganized space and unwanted items had placed on you is lifted. And while the result is undeniably a triumph, getting there can be daunting, and the process can be exhausting – especially with the demands of everyday life. What if you want to embrace the spring clean, but you don’t have the time (or energy) to make it happen? You don’t need to tackle these projects alone – this is where hiring a professional organizer comes in.
Spring is a great time to transform your space and how you feel about it – so let’s get started!
