Winter is still here, and we’ve got a few more months of cold weather to endure. And during this time, we load our homes with plenty of blankets, knickknacks, and gifts from the holidays. But once spring rolls through, it’s time to make some changes. Check out these five areas to declutter in this spring cleaning guide.
The Closets
The closets are first on the list because they’ll probably give you the most headache. You can’t just tackle your closet; you need to go through them all, so start with the front door closet. There are probably coats in there that members of your home haven’t worn in years.
Start at the bottom and work your way up. Also, grab a few bins so that you can place all the old clothing items inside. Then, decide which ones you want to throw away and which ones you want to donate. Don’t try and do this task by yourself; get everyone in the household to participate.
Kitchen and Pantry
Next, you need to take care of the kitchen and the pantry. Even though you use this area a lot, there are still some items inside collecting dust. Go through your cabinets and see what items you think need to stay.
You probably won’t throw away any plates, but maybe you see some Tupperware that’s seen better days. Toss those and make room for new containers. Also, go through the pantry because there might be some non-perishable items well past their expiration date.
Kid’s Room
You love your kids to death, but they can be messy at times, and their playroom is one of the most cluttered areas. Decluttering your child’s playroom will have to be a team effort. Get them to help so that you teach them about staying organized.
Go through their toys and see which items they no longer have use for, then start a pile to donate. Install a few shelves and cupboards so that everything they keep has a place. Finally, remind them to put their toys back where they belong when they finish playing.
Home Office
Depending on the state of your home office, you may be able to handle this in a few hours or a couple of days. If you have a lot of sensitive documentation in this area, you may want to take a couple of days to cipher through everything.
Don’t just handle the physical areas. Of course, you want to place things inside folders and put them on shelves, but your electronics need a good cleaning, too. Take the time to go through your computer and clear up some space. Start assigning things to folders and delete whatever isn’t useful anymore.
The Garage
The garage is a pain, but you can’t ignore it. Because you spend the least amount of time in there, you probably forget about it easily. But this area will need a deep cleaning.
If you’ve been using it as a dumping ground, you need to start throwing that stuff out. Consider getting a few portable closets for better organization. So group similar items together and start labeling your bins.
Once you declutter these five areas in your home this spring, everything will start to feel like a new beginning.
