Spring Cleaning 101: Eat the Elephant One Bite at a Time

Although it's not officially Spring just yet, I've definitely been getting the itch to do some spring cleaning...and I'm not talking about scrubbing the house from top to bottom, I keep up with that pretty well on a weekly basis. I mean I'm ready to purge all the items I no longer use or need and re-home them.

But the thought alone is SO overwhelming! I've learned that thinking of it as one large task will result in getting nothing done so I have to break it down into smaller tasks first. One room at a time.

Start small - a guest bedroom, office, or other area of the house that is not used often or does not have much that needs to be purged. I do not recommend starting with a kid's bedroom or kitchen...those seem to be the areas that need the most work.

Once I've selected the room, I break that down into even smaller tasks. I create three 'piles' or categorize things into three boxes:

• Keep

• Toss

• Sell/Donate

So, how do I determine what goes into each box (or pile)?

• Keep - These are items that are regularly used, worn, or displayed, maybe not daily but multiple times within the last year. (Kitchen items may be the exception on this rule...we'll tackle the kitchen in a separate post). Significantly sentimental items may also fall in this category but proceed with caution. Everything can't have sentimental value.

1. The quilt your grandma made - Yes. Keep that and store it appropriately or better yet, use it or display it!

2. The card your grandma gave you for your 5th birthday? No. Toss. Take a photo of it if it's super meaningful but there is no need to take up valuable space with items that she probably never intended for you to keep forever.

3. A vase that has been passed down for generations - Depends. Will you use or display it? If it doesn't fit your decor or you just flat think it's ugly and will never use it, give it to another family member who will. If no one wants it, sell it. Have a professional determine its value and get what it is worth. Keep a photo if you have a strong attachment to the memories it generates but not the item itself.

As a rule: If it hasn't been used in the last 6 months, it's probably a toss or sell/donate item and likely falls into one of the following categories if it hasn't been used in the last year.

• Toss - If the item is damaged, toss it. Yes, even if you have plans to repair it or get it repaired. If it's been sitting for over 6 months and you haven't done it yet, toss it (or donate it, if that makes more sense for your situation). This applies to clothing especially.

• Sell/Donate - If the item is in fair to excellent usable condition, sell or donate it. There are so many excellent charities that need your items. Some considerations:

  • Animal rescues: blankets, towels, stuffed toys (if pet friendly)

  • Women and children shelters: clothing, toys, appliances, shoes, kitchen items, home decor items, non-perishable food

  • Nursing homes: blankets, clothing

  • Veterans: clothing, appliances, vehicles, kitchen items, home decor

  • Homeless shelters: blankets, clothing, shoes, non-perishable food

• 

Check with the organization to determine what they need and what they will accept. Please do not just 'dump' your used items and assume they are usable. These organizations rely on volunteers to vet items for use and the last thing we want to do is overwhelm them with what they may consider junk.

If you decide to sell rather than donate, consider having a garage sale. Better yet, work with your neighbors to organize a community-wide garage sale. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and make a little extra cash. I have personally made hundreds of dollars holding a garage sale and whatever doesn't sell gets donated.

To reiterate: these rules don't apply to the kitchen. The kitchen has it's own set of rules including the breakdown (cabinets, fridge, & pantry). I will tackle these in separate posts. (Also don't try to apply these to the garage. That's an entirely different beast.)

These general steps will get you started in decluttering your entire home. Go room by room, take your time, and remember, you don't have to eat the elephant in one bite...just one bite at a time.