Preparing for spring organizing
It’s been a long, cold winter, especially for those who have not ventured out much during this time of COVID. Spring is almost here and it’s time to get your home in shape for the warmer weather.
The clothes closets will still have your winter gear in the forefront for at least a few more weeks while preparing for spring. The boots and shovels will probably stay out, if for nothing than a talisman to keep the snow away.
The organizing and cleaning can begin now. Think about your home as a group of zones. The entryway is a zone, the kitchen is a zone, etc. By breaking the organizing jobs into smaller parts, they won’t seem as daunting.
Where is the most cluttered area in your home? If it’s paper piles in the dining room, start there. So many Tupperware containers in the kitchen that they avalanche when you open the cabinet? Start there. If you have a hard time finding a towel in the linen closet, start there. You get the idea.
When you organize a closet, begin the process by removing everything. (NOTE: If you have a large closet that will take awhile to organize, consider doing a small section at a time). Wipe down the shelves to get rid of dust and dirt. Look at each item and decide what to do with it. Do you want to keep it, toss it, donate or sell it?
If it’s a paper pile, go through each paper and with a similar process. Keep, recycle or shred each piece. For things you are keeping, file everything away, don’t simply restack it. Anything with personal information on it that you don’t need, should be shredded. There are often shredding events around town where you can shred a large bag for a few dollars or you can take a bag of paper to a place like the UPS Store where you can have your papers shredded on the spot. It is best to get rid of the paper as soon as possible.
When organizing a drawer, like a junk drawer, you can used the same method. Remove everything and then figure out what you can let go. If you have three corkscrews, purge one or two of them. How many spatulas do you need? If it doesn’t all fit back in the drawer, you need to get rid of more. You’ll be so happy when you are finished. For instance, when you search for something you will find it right away without digging around the drawer.
To sum up, start small and keep going as you are preparing for spring. Divide big jobs into smaller ones and it will go easier. As always, I’m available if you find that it is too much for you. Consider joining the Aim 4 Order Declutter Club. Email for more information.
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!