Now that a warmer breeze is blowing, it’s time for some Spring Cleaning. These ideas will have you breathing easier and feeling lighter within a few hours! Do them in bits and pieces, or tackle them all on a Saturday morning.
1. Take out your recycling…all of it! (20 minutes) Newspapers, empty and crushed card board boxes, piles of read or old magazines and periodicals. Gone, gone, gone. See, you’re already breathing easier and the house looks neater.
2. De-furnish. (45 minutes) Yes, I said de-furnish. Look around your rooms and see if there are any small items that can be removed from your spaces. Folding tables and chairs are easy, as are folding stepstools and trays. I’ve been in houses with dozens of small tables and chairs (think wooden), and these items just collect clutter. So collect the small furniture, sit it in a corner of the laundry room or in the attic, or better yet, get rid of it all together.
3. Clean Out Your Car! (60 minutes) Are you driving around with piles of clutter? Grab a garbage bag and remove the garbage. Next, remove everything that belongs in the house (and put it away!). Corral car care items in a bag in the trunk. Put the reusable shopping bags together, and coupons, too. Now take the car to a car wash (better for the environment than doing it yourself), and get the super-duper package with interior vacuuming, too. You and your car will both leave the car wash feeling fresh and squeaky clean.
4. Clean Your Refrigerator! (75 minutes) Clear a nearby counter, and take everything out of the fridge. Wipe down surfaces, and sit sticky bins and shelves to soak in soapy water. Toss out leftovers more than 4 days old. Next, check expiration dates, and toss out anything that has an expired date. Make a grocery list of items that need to be replaced. Put the clean shelves and bins back in, then put your food back in, too. Group food in categories so that the items are easier to find, for example, we have a beverage shelf, an area just for leftovers, and a spot on the door for all the condiments or salad dressing, etc. For weeks to come, you will be able to smell the fresh clean air every time you open your refrigerator.
5. DROP STUFF OFF! (2 Hours) Act on your action items:
a. Drop off items already designated for donation;
b. Return borrowed or left items to friends and loved ones;
c. Take in repairs and projects, like broken lamps or art for framing;
d. Run your errands, mail your bills, drop off your library books, etc.;
e. Take your heavy sweaters, coats and blankets to the cleaners for cleaning (and remember to pick them up in a week or two!); and
f. Track down the receipts, and take back those store returns that have lingered all winter.
Whew! Just a few hours, and you’ve lightened up for Spring! Look around, revel in your cleaner spaces, then go do something fun outside! Enjoy!
About the Author
Colleen Klimczak is a certified professional organizer whose business is located in the south suburbs of Chicago. For more information, visit PeaceOfMindPO.com. You can also visit her blog at http://colleencpo.wordpress.com and become her Facebook friend at My FaceBook Page
Image Credit: Eliorah
