Spring Home Organizing Tips
There’s something about spring that makes us want to clean out and clear out. In spring we want to declutter! Maybe it’s the open windows, warmer air and sunshine that cast new light on all of the stuff we’ve accumulated over the cold winter months, just begging for spring decluttering. Take advantage of the urge and start your spring decluttering effort now. Here are five home organizing tips for spring decluttering:
- Start decluttering the space that’s most obvious – the room that makes you think, “I have got to do something about this!” every time you walk into it.
- One of our key home organizing tips is to divide the room down into smaller areas or zones so that it’s not so overwhelming. Rather than decluttering your entire kitchen, start with a utensil drawer or spice cabinet. Tackling your entire office is daunting. Begin by decluttering your desktop or a bookcase.
- Schedule specific blocks of time to complete each mini spring decluttering task – it may take just 15 or 30 minutes – and stick to it until you’re finished. Set a timer if need be and at the end of the allotted time treat yourself to a cup of coffee or chocolate bar.
- Empty the space (drawer, cabinet, shelf, etc.) of every item. Discard anything broken or inoperable. Have a donation box for items that are duplicates or that you no longer use. If you have a hard time getting rid of stuff, create a “maybe” box. Place items that you don’t think you’ll use but want to hold onto “just in case.” Store the box away and put a note on your calendar to check it in six months. If you haven’t needed any of the items in that time, it’s time to donate, recycle or discard the contents.
- Group and replace the remaining items in a way that makes sense to you. Perhaps you’ll sort books by genre, or spices alphabetically. Use a method that works for you and will be easy to maintain.
One of the best home organizing tips we can offer is to maintain it! Resist the temptation to stack items on the kitchen counter, thinking you’ll sort and file on the weekend. Taking just a few minutes to put items in their designated “home” helps keep clutter under control all year.