Although this winter has been pretty mild here on Long Island, sunnier days have already welcomed us to this lovely spring season. The floral blooms I’ve been spotting on my walks around town have me giddy! With the excitement of (even) warm weather ahead, there’s nothing more refreshing than clearing out neglected spaces of clutter and unwanted items.
While I can’t be sure if William Morris was thinking about spring cleaning at the time, he certainly had it right when he said,
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”.
It can be an overwhelming process to wrap your mind around so let’s break it down space by space, and plan on making piles of things you can sell, donate, or trash if they are beyond repair.
1: Start with the kitchen
The kitchen, where we do all of our eating and cooking, is often the messiest part of the house and can therefore be the most daunting task to take on. So, get the hardest part out of the way first, and start the process where many of us spend a lot of our time.
2: Get rid of old clothes
They say that every time you bring something new into your house, you should take something else out. So, before updating your spring & summer wardrobe, go through your old clothes and sell, donate, or throw away items that no longer fit or haven’t been worn in quite some time.
3: Scrub the bathrooms
With the upcoming spring & summer festivities and opportunities to entertain, you’ll want your guests to have a clean bathroom to use. It’s never a bad time to give your sinks, toilets, and bathtubs a good scrub. And don’t forget to mop those tile floors for a shiny finish while you’re at it. Whether it is for a guest or yourself, a clean bathroom will always be satisfying.
4: Clear off your desk
Are you someone with piles of old birthday cards and unopened mail covering your workspace? It’s time to finally throw that stuff out, even though it might seem hard. Just be sure you’re not tossing away bills or anything containing your sensitive information.
5: Declutter storage spaces
If you have a garage, attic, or closet where you’ve crammed miscellaneous items you barely use, next up is to go through and empty out those spaces. Remember to make piles for selling, donating, or trashing according to their condition. Facebook marketplace is a common site used for selling things no longer useful to you but still in great shape. Host a yard sale if you have many items that you can make some extra cash from, and get your neighbors involved. They just might be taking care of their own spring cleaning too.
To enhance the spring cleaning experience, I’ll play my favorite tunes or listen to that podcast I’ve been meaning to check out. It’s a welcome distraction from the task at hand and easily lifts my mood.
Happy Cleaning!
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