Kick off the Spring Season with Fresh Ideas

Spring time is here and I always seem to get the itch to do some spring cleaning. I usually have ambitions of scouring every room in my home from top to bottom and decluttering, while refreshing my decor. Unfortunately, I usually stop short after getting through a closet and my office before summertime activities are under way and more of my time is spent outside and that spring time to-do list is buried.

What I have found is that instead of having a mountain of tasks to take on just one time of the year there are some tricks that help me all year long so that I'm not faced with an overwhelming to-do list. Here are a few that may be helpful:

Don't put things down, put them away!

We're all inclined to leave the clothes on the chair in the bedroom, shoes on the floor, paperwork on the counter to deal with at another time, but when you really think about it, letting small items pile up is not only physical clutter, but mental clutter - most things take just an extra five seconds to PUT AWAY! Everything has a place, and if it doesn't, do you really need it?

Scan important documents.

Paper can quickly pile up, scan your documents and file them under appropriate health, tax, remodeling, etc. folders and make sure they're part of a "back-up" or "cloud" recovery system. Alternatively, with catalogs, junk mail, etc., toss them - better yet, if you're still getting catalogs (anyone still getting the behemoth Restoration Hardware catalog?) reach out to the company to get you off that list - it's much easier to view online. Get rid of the paper, get rid of the clutter!

Take something away.

Instead of being over-whelmed with trying to place all your tchotchkes in the perfect vignettes around your home, pull some items away. Perhaps you have a few shelves, or an extra closet, bin in the garage or under the bed that can store your extra decorations and you can create fresh new looks by rotating them. Furthermore, this helps de-clutter and open up your space, which always feels nice. If you're so inclined, it may be time to donate a few items as well - let someone else get enjoyment out of something you're not using.

If something new comes in - something old goes out.

In addition to home decor, I love clothes. Sadly, I don't wear a lot of my clothes and rotate the same few outfits over and over. Recently, I have been working on wearing more of what I have and not buying anything new. BUT, I have committed that when I do buy a new piece of clothing or home decor, something else has to get donated (assuming its in good condition). My closet doesn't get jam packed, I always have hangers and drawer space and I'm not adding to the land fill. According to Earth.org, in the US, on average, each person contributes ~81 pounds of clothing to the land fill each year. That's just clothing...that doesn't take into account all the other things we throw away.

Do something each day.

Cleaning a house all at once is time consuming and exhausting. Cleanmama.com suggests having a cleaning system and offers excellent tips and tricks. I have found that committing to a schedule during the week keeps my home in order and the chores aren't as daunting and my house is ready for any surprise guests as well as my personal enjoyment. Mondays are dedicated to bathrooms, Tuesdays dusting, Wednesdays vacuuming, Thursdays floor washing and Friday's for miscellaneous or extra cleaning duties like the fridge, or wiping down all the cabinet doors, going through a pantry, etc. I also stay on top of laundry and do a load most days of the week so that I don't have heaps to deal with all at once. Try it - it's an easy habit to get into that takes a small time commitment each day instead of a weekend.

In summary, a clean space just feels nice all year, not just in the spring time. When you make small decisions each day to help maintain your home, it feels attainable - and if you get off track for a day or a week or longer, if you have a system to get you back on track.