When it comes to winter, we all let certain things go. The cold or the rain makes it easy for us to ignore those pesky New Year’s resolutions and often our home takes the hit. Spring is a time to reinvent your home and renew your organization resolutions. Here is a five step guide to clearing out clutter.
1. Pantry and Refrigerator: Take a few minutes to go through your kitchen and throw out expired products. Cereals in the back corner of the pantry that no one eats but are left for good measure? Throw them out. Anything you can’t see yourself eating within the next week should get thrown away. Don’t be afraid to condense if you have multiple bottles of the same product. It tastes the same, comes out easier and creates more room for food you actually eat!
2. Bathroom: Like the pantry, take a few minutes to throw out old and unused products. Be decisive. You don’t need more than two tubes of toothpaste and one bottle of mouthwash. Ladies, go through your makeup bag! Throw away old or mascaras and lip products and keep only your daily essentials in your makeup bag with your special products in a separate container. It’ll make getting ready in the morning easier and faster. Men, go through your gel and shaving products. One bottle of each is more than enough!
3. Cleaning Supplies: Keep your cleaning closet or cabinet clean by getting clear bins to separate your cleaning gloves, sponges and brushes. Get a clear three drawer cabinet for the rest of your wipes and cleaning sprays. Making sure everything has a place will force you to keep organized.
4. Clothing Closet: Grab four boxes and label them “Keep,” “Donate,” “Sell” and “Trash.” It may seem basic, but it works. Being forced to pick a category will make you evaluate which pieces you really need and love. Put the donate bag in the front seat of your car immediately after cleaning so you don’t forget to give them away!
5. Media Center and DVD Collection: Take time to go through your DVD, CD and home video collection and throw out anything you can’t see yourself watching in the near future. Separate your DVDs by genre or organize them alphabetically so that when you next go to find one, you don’t mess up your system.
Happy Cleaning!
Photo credit: Hey Paul Studios / Foter / CC BY