Spring cleaning. Two words that some of us dread and some of us love. Lucky for those of us who aren’t so much in love with spring cleaning it’s not quite time yet. The process of spring cleaning can be a pain. But when it is all said and done, for the most part we feel a sense of relief. Maybe this comes because it’s done and maybe some of it comes because we cleaned up some of the clutter we accumulated over the year. This March, take some time to get organized and make that spring cleaning task a little bit easier.
Clutter is just one of those things that kind of happens without our noticing. So before you start your dusting, window washing, mattress flipping, carpet shampooing etc., go through your cupboards and take out any expired items or items that are past their prime. Besides the fact that we shouldn’t be eating these products anyways, it will open up your cupboards and allow you to see what you actually have. This doesn’t mean go to the store and stock up on everything you just threw away. More than likely if you threw it away it means it’s not something you use often enough to keep extra of in the cupboard.
Next move to the countertops. Take everything off them and only put back items that absolutely need to be there. Counters are a convenient drop spot when we get home. They tend to collect mail, bags, pens/pencils, anything that we are carrying when we walk in the door. Maybe that stuff gets cleaned up on the weekend or every night, but a lot of us have a pile that “we will sort through later” and that later never comes. Now is a good time to go through that pile and get rid of old magazines, organize the bills, put the pens/pencils where they belong, etc.
Then move onto the drawers. Start with the infamous “junk drawer.” We all have one; it’s okay. Take all the items out, get rid of the broken things, recycle dead batteries and organize anything that is left. When you are organizing think about what you use every day, what you use once a month and what you use once a year. Make the everyday items easily accessible, move the once a month items a little farther back and maybe the once a year items can find a new home.
Last but not least go through your closets and dresser drawers. Take a look at the clothes you have. Maybe you have some shirts that you never wear anymore for whatever reason. Donate them. Shirts that have holes in them can be repurposed into rags. Socks and undergarments that have lost their elastic or have holes or are wearing thin can be tossed. No more worrying about having a toe poke through.
These minor chores can make a world of difference in your spring cleaning. It may seem small but just getting the stuff off the counters and drawers cleaned out can give your house a new sparkle. Who knows? Maybe starting off small will give those of us that dread spring cleaning that extra boost we need to get started. I’ll leave you with this: “Clutter is anything that doesn’t belong in a space – whether because it belongs elsewhere in your home, or it doesn’t belong in your home any longer.” - Unknown
Katie Verhaar
Community Health Educator
Scheurer Hospital