After a long winter, I am ready to begin in earnest to clear out the clutter in my home so I can more easily do some spring cleaning. How and where should I begin? And what’s a good way to stay motivated?
“A new season has arrived and spring cleaning is on a lot of minds,” says Becca Clark of Hot Springs, a professional organizer and owner of Creative Convenience (conveniently organized.
com). “As a professional organizer, I always advise some spring de-cluttering first,” she says.
Professional cleaning businesses report that residential cleaning time can be cut by 40 percent if the home is mostly clutter free. Clark says that statement “… makes perfect sense - if you don’t have to pick up and move things to clean you save a lot of time and energy.”
When it comes to starting a de-cluttering project and staying motivated to the end, Clark says those interested in doing so can find inspiration and support via social media.
One de-cluttering campaign, “40 Bags in 40 Days” is underway on Facebook. It was started by Ann Marie Heasley, a home and lifestyle blogger at tinyurl.
com/lw3en6p.
The campaign, which runs through April 19, challenges those who join the closed group to remove one bag of unneeded or unwanted items from their homes daily (except Sundays) for 40 days.
The group is a closed one but those who are interested and request to join usually are admitted within a few hours, Clark says. As of Wednesday, the group had more than 22,000 members.
The inspiration comes from seeing other members’ success stories and their before-and-after photos.
“Those in the group offer photos, support and accountability,” Clark explains, adding, “and Heasley provides some helpful information, such as a list of places to de-clutter around the house and a downloadable progress chart.”
“She is not too strict, declaring the bag can be any size, but she encourages removing more than one per day too,” Clark says.
Clark recommends some ways to de-clutter and organize a home.
Keep it small. Tackle one area at a time when sorting and purging to avoid the risk of becoming overwhelmed. Start with one drawer or one shelf, and when it is completed, the success of that project will serve to inspire taking on another one.
Assign a permanent place for anything remaining. Designating a place for things that makes them easy to reach and easy to remember where they are reduces the stress of finding the item when it’s needed. This also increases the odds that it will be put away afterward.
Don’t invest in containers until after purging and assigning are finished. Instead of finding bargain containers and trying to make items fit them, plan the system first, determining how much space is needed or will be allocated. Then measure the items and the space. Save buying containers for last.
This time of year is a great time to work on “behind closed doors” areas - closets, pantries, medicine cabinets and garages - where most of our important items reside. Once more room is made in storage areas, clearing open spaces becomes an easier task. Clark recommends filling the storage spaces only 85 percent because doing so eases the process of putting items away, and the open space looks and feels more luxurious.
Have a buddy system. Having a friend help or just be present while you work makes the process more fun and provides some real accountability.
“Schedule an appointment with yourself and a friend, clear out one bag or 40, and congratulate yourself on any wins,” Clark says, “And enjoy your clean serene home this spring !”
HomeStyle, Pages 37 on 04/12/2014