Yes! Spring time. Fun time. Flower time. Also pollen and allergies and all that not so wonderful stuff...and of course spring cleaning. For some of us who are clean freaks this is just another Saturday morning to clean out the living spaces.
What makes this time different for me is that I get to really clean out stuff. I thought of putting some ideas together and let you know about them...plus come on, man, you gotta clean out the apartment! It's time to let go of that t-shirt from college, it wont fit again.
Simple steps...no really
1. Take everything out of the closets. don't think about it (like Nike)...Just do it!
2. Sort out everything by big categories like...clothes to donate, clothes to keep, shoes, other stuff that shouldn't be in a closet. Simple
3. Give away stuff that you haven't used in a year. If you haven't used it in that long chances are you wont again. Some one else might benefit from it.
4. Once everything has been sorted out in their categories, find places to put them where they make sense. For example, random cleaning things should all be in one place, with the other cleaning supplies...that way you know where everything that is used for cleaning, where it is.
5. Do the same with all your documents (I just did this and it opened up so much space in one of my closets)
6. Get rid of stuff...from your "junk drawer." If it's in that drawer its probably junk. Declutter and live a fresher cleaner life. I don't have a drawer, but a bin and I go through that bin one day a week so it doesn't pile up. I keep what I need and throw away what I don't. I always ask myself, in case of a fire would I turn back to get this? I do the same with food in the fridge. I have at least twice a month a time when I cook and consume everything in the fridge and pantry...so food doesn't pile up.
7. Have a place for all those things you just separated and put them in places where you would remember to use them, that way it doesn't accumulate and you consume it.
8. At the end of your day try to put everything back in its original place. If you do this all the time little by little, you will never have to do this crazy clean up yearly. This can be hard for most people but we are animals of habit, add these habits to your life.
9. Avoid over buying. We are consumers and love to get things, as hard as this might be. Don't do it. If you have a mental inventory of what you have in your house you will remember not to buy more batteries, for example. Also, if those batteries were always in the same spot you will know if you need to buy some.
10. The things you actually keep, store them in nice boxes and bins, check out Ikea they have tons of ideas for your organization needs!
Some of these ideas I always do my own and some I have been learning from other people. I found this article pretty useful. If you have some of your own, share the wealth in the comment box below!