Spring is just around the corner and we’re looking forward to warmer weather and seeing all of the beautiful Austin flowers bloom! However, we’re also bracing ourselves for the dreaded cedar fever season and spring cleaning. I’m sure that we can all agree that spring cleaning isn’t the ideal way to spend your free time, but why would you put all that effort into designing your space just to have it hidden behind a cluttered mess? Here’s a few tips on how to tidy up and organize your home without sacrificing your precious weekend!
Start by writing it all down; things that you know are due for a deep clean and cluttered messes that you’ve been meaning to tackle. Yes, this list might be a little overwhelming, so schedule out times to work on each different space, even if it’s just for 15 minutes of your day. Set realistic goals for yourself and the spare time that you have. You don’t have to dive in and do the whole room, you can simply work on a single drawer, shelf, or cabinet.
Once you start to tackle each space, clear everything out one drawer, cabinet, or shelf at a time. This will give you a blank canvas to visualize how you’ll go about storing your items and also allow you to deep clean those forgotten spots and wipe them down. As you take your items out, sort through and group them by categories. For instance, when cleaning through your bathroom cabinets, group like items such as face products, hair products, medicine, and so on. As you categorize your things, start making piles of things to donate, sell, or throw out. When sorting through items, ask yourself, “Does this serve a purpose in my home?”. These are items that are functional in your life and bring you joy, ranging anywhere from cookware, to office supplies, family heirlooms, and home decor.
Items To Donate Or Sell:
- Clothes that you haven’t worn in over 6 months
- Home accessories that just never made their debut and have been sitting in a closet
- Games or toys that haven’t been used in a while
Items To Throw Out:
- Expired makeup, toiletries, medicine, and food
- Old cords or chargers that you’ve been holding onto and you still don’t know what it belongs to
As you work your way through organizing each space in your home, think about which areas would benefit from having a storage solution. You can use storage solutions for just about any area in your home, no matter the size! I couldn’t live without my drawer organizers, stackable bins, and ziplock storage bags to store extra linens under my bed. Identify the areas in your home that tend to be the most cluttered. Are your kids constantly bringing their toys into the living room or does your family usually throw their jackets and shoes by the front door? Then add a decorative basket to that area to give those items a home.