Spring Cleaning Done Easy
Now that we’re in the midst of spring and summer is around the corner, if you haven’t gotten on your spring cleaning yet, you might be feeling like “Well, what’s the point in starting now? It’s too late!” No, you’re right on time!
I know it seems like going through your clothes, or your pantry, or that dreaded drawer that you shove stuff into when you don’t know where else it goes may seem really daunting, but I am here to tell you you can do it! Follow these simple tips and it may be easier than you thought!
Start small. You don’t need to tackle the entire house in one day. I couldn’t even do that and I am a professional! Think about what area of your space is bugging you the most. Say it’s the kitchen. Now where in the kitchen is the biggest problem area? The drawer with all of the cooking tools? The cabinet where the pots and pans are stored? Work that one drawer or cabinet before moving onto the next. This will make the process seem a lot more manageable and not as overwhelming. Just take it slow and it will be done before you know it!
Make goals. What do you want to see at the end of your project? Stay focused on one or two really concrete goals for the entire area. If we’re sticking with the kitchen example, think about what you want to see at the end of the entire room. If you really need to break it down, decide what you want to see at the end of completing one drawer and stick to it before moving on to the next goal. Eventually you’ll have tackled each individual goal, while also hitting the big broad one!
It’s going to be worse before it’s better. No matter where you begin, you have to pull everything out of the one drawer, off the one shelf, out of the one cabinet. And I mean EVERYTHING. A lot of the time, you won’t even realize what you have been unintentionally hiding, or what you’ve totally forgotten about. By pulling everything out, you get a real visual of the amount of stuff you have and you can make a conscious decision about what to keep, what to toss and what to donate!
Make the most used things, the most accessible. Put the least used items, like small appliances you don’t use every day, in the high cabinet above the fridge instead of the low cabinet by the stove. That area is what we like to call ‘prime real estate’ and would be better used for storing pots and pans. Simple switches will make the biggest difference!
Give everything a home. By giving items a designated spot in your house, it’s much more likely they will be returned to that spot. Plus, if you happen to get more of the item, you already know where it goes! And a good way to hold yourself accountable to put things back where they belong is to label everything. This can be done with a label maker or just use sticky notes until you get used to your new system.
I get it - this is a lot easier said than done. If you’re still struggling with even getting started, or if you started and have hit a wall, please reach out to me at katie@categorizedbykatie.com. I am sure we can get you to where you want to be!