It’s time to come out of hibernation! Of course, with Denver winter weather, we never know if we are supposed to be hibernating or having a picnic in the park! Whatever the case may be, the blossoms and budding leaves on the trees indicate that spring is on its way!
With the coming of spring comes the desire to clean and clear out our homes to make room for all that fresh air and sunshine!
Here are ten tips to help you get your home organized for spring:
1. Gather all your winter clothes (coats, hats, gloves, etc.) Go through them all and pick out the ones you really like. Donate or discard the rest. Wash what you have chosen to keep and store it in a see-through plastic bucket. It’s really important that you pack these in a transparent container, because it will make it so much easier to find your winter clothes the next time the weather turns chilly.
2. Gather your winter boots or other winter footwear. Go through them and decide which ones you love (or that you really need for shoveling snow or hiking around in the winter). Take a damp cloth and wipe off any dirt or mud, then store those in a see-through plastic bucket.
3. To get ready for your “spring cleaning,” go through all your cleaning supplies. Go around the house and gather them all into one place. Pull out all the ones you enjoy using. Get rid of the rest. (You know there are some cleaning supplies that are just plain ineffective or annoying or dangerous to use. Dispose of those in a safe manner). Store all the cleaning supplies you are keeping in ONE place. Do not distribute them under sinks around the house. You know that cleaning supplies get moved around from sink to sink, and then you spend a lot of time looking for the toilet cleaner and glass cleaner that have mysteriously disappeared. If your cleaning supplies are kept and returned to one place, you will greatly cut down on your frustration and the amount of time you waste looking for them.
4. Gather all your medicine and first aid supplies in one place. Go through all of them and keep the medicine and supplies that are effective. Get rid of any you no longer use (like medicine for diaper rash if you no longer have a baby). Also get rid of medicine that has expired or is ineffective. Again, dispose of these things safely. Put all the medicine and supplies you have saved in one or two small plastic baskets that you store in a cupboard or closet away from the reach of children. Storing all the medicine in a basket allows you to quickly remove your supplies, choose what you need, and put the basket back. You won’t be knocking bottles down in your cupboard in the middle of the night as you try to find that cough syrup.
5. Gather all your catalogs, magazines and newspapers. Make sure to look all through your house and get them all. Then recycle them all. Everything you find in a catalog or newspaper can be found online, so there is no reason to keep a paper edition.
6. Find all your bedding, including blankets and comforters. Go through each item and decide which ones you really like. Wash them and store any that are for winter use. Again, put these in plastic see-through containers or in shelves in closets or linen closets. Donate or discard any that are stained (perhaps from animals). If you have blankets that are covered in animal hair, either remove the hair or get rid of the blanket. If you have overnight guests, be sensitive to the fact that some of them may be allergic to animals.
7. Grab all your towels. Wash any that are dirty. Go through them all and get rid of any that are threadbare or have strings hanging off the ends.
8. Take everything out of your pantry, shelf by shelf. Throw out any food that has expired. Donate any unopened food your family will not eat. Get some plastic baskets and store like-items together. Then you can easily pull out a basket, take out what you need, and put the basket back in the pantry. This way, you won’t be knocking things over and causing disorganization in your pantry.
9. Go through all your hair and beauty supplies. Choose the things you love (makeup, shampoo, lotion, skincare, etc). Throw the rest away. No use keeping things you don’t like and will never use! Donate most of your mini bottles of shampoo and body wash (that you most likely picked up from hotels) to a homeless shelter. Chances are, they need those supplies much more than you do!
10. Get large baskets or buckets and designate one for each member of your family. As you go through your house, put family members’ items inside each of their buckets. At the end of each day, have them take their buckets to their rooms and empty them. Don’t worry too much about whether or not they put away their things right away. You can deal with that later! Your main goal is to have a home where public, shared areas are clean and organized!
These ten tips should have you well on your way to a clean, comfortable home for spring. And if you want to REALLY clean out your closet (and keep it clean, decluttered, and organized forever), sign up for the free online class, “5 Simple Steps to Organize Your Wardrobe Permanently.” The class will be offered April 5th and 6th, 2017. Click here to sign up and reserve your spot!
Melissa blogs at Ice Cream and Inspiration where she shares delicious recipes, inspiring makeovers, and home organization tips. She loves trying new restaurants, being an awesome mom (says her oldest daughter), and learning all kinds of new things. Check out her brand new course, Transform Your Home, Transform Your Life, which will help you declutter and organize your entire home for good.
Author: Melissa H.
