Get your home organized with this decluttering and cleaning list. It includes simple chores to help clean your home and transition from winter to spring.
1. Use disinfectant and air freshener to wipe down light switches, door handles and remote controls that collect dirt. Your home will be clean and smell spring fresh.
2. Your car is an extension of your home. Remove trash, vacuum floors and wipe down surfaces to keep your vehicle clean and presentable. Buy a portable trash can.
3. Declutter and clean kitchen counters. Donate anything not needed or used. Relocate items that belong elsewhere. Spruce it up with a couple of new tea towels.
4. Add this to your April decluttering chore: clean out your freezer. Let go of ice-burned meat, vegetables and baked goods.
5. Take everything out of the junk drawer, toss trash, relocate misplaced items and use dividers to organize what’s left in the drawer. Dollar stores have large selections of organizing tools.
6. Pick five items you haven’t worn in a year and add them to your donation box. In this box, put shoes, books and almost anything else except food.
7. Check under your kitchen and bathroom sinks. Throw away unwanted cleaning products, wipe down surfaces and organize what’s left. Also, check and tighten the pipes as they can get loose and leak. Practice prevention.
8. Tidy up your entrance. Let go of unused and unwanted coats, sports equipment and broken umbrellas. To protect your floor from wet weather, buy a boot tray for your boots and shoes.
9. Check your pantry for spoiled or expired food. Don’t buy more than you can consume. Donate dry goods to the local food bank.
10. The laundry room tends to get messy very quickly. Take a few minutes to let go of empty containers, clothes you don’t like and mismatched socks.
11. Sort through stacks of paper. File what’s essential and recycle the rest. Consider buying a small and portable filing system.
12. It’s time to switch to warm-weather shoes. Consider donating shoes you no longer wear. The shoes that hurt your feet need to go.
13. Carefully dispose of your expired medications. Your local pharmacist will be pleased to properly discard them.
14. Your nightstand can easily be cluttered with books, medication, makeup and trinkets. Wipe it down and keep only essentials such as a lamp, a book and a water glass.
15. Prepare your closet for spring. Take five minutes to pull out a few spring tops or lightweight sweaters to put in rotation. If you have any winter items you didn’t wear, consider donating them.
16. Sort through sunglasses, lightweight scarves and baseball caps. Keep your favourites in an easy-to-reach spot and donate any you no longer wear.
Get your home organized first, then enjoy the beautiful spring and summer months.
Transformational life coach Ranka Burzan owns a professional organizing company in the qathet region and has written several books on reducing clutter. For more information, email [email protected].
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