You’re probably like most people and haven’t got around to doing your Spring cleaning. But the time just after Christmas when you already have a lot of rubbish to dispose of, may be the best time to do your Spring clean. Here are my top tips on Summer Spring cleaning tips post-Christmas.
Be orderly
Your living room is full of Christmas wrapping, ribbon, plastic wrap and so on. Your kitchen is also full of food, left over food and food waste. Both organic and food packaging. So it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and just chuck everything.
But if you’re orderly you can clear your post Christmas mess and spring clean at the same time. By orderly I mean organised.
Have sorting bins or bags ready. A bin for recycling, for food waste, for general rubbish, and to donate.
Post Christmas you are focusing on the two key rooms in your house, living area and kitchen. By setting up an orderly system of decluttering you can easily move to other rooms in the house.
12 month rule
We do have an emotional connection to stuff. But I have a rule, that goes like this. If I haven’t used it in 12 months then it’s gone.
Why 12 months? Because it’s a full year of all the seasons. So if I own something that’s seasonal but haven’t used it, for example a wool blanket, then it’s reasonable to donate it. There must be a reason why I didn’t use it.
Usually the reason is that it’s ‘hidden’ and I forgot I had it or have another I prefer. Which raises another good point. It’s easy to get rid of things you have in duplicate. So if you have more than one of anything, unless it’s a collection, let it go.
Keep things where they belong
I think storage is critical in the Spring clean or decluttering process. Having purposeful storage is important to keep things in good condition and keeping things easy to access.
For example, how many times have you actually gone to the garage to get something you need for the house. From a functional perspective it’s important to keep your stuff in the room where they will be used.
This is a good idea to follow because this way you’re restricted by the space you have. Over filling a space or a storage unit is unproductive and compromises the functionality of the space.
I think most of us need a good excuse to do a clear out. For example, moving. But I think the post Christmas clear out is also a good excuse. As you have no choice but to throw things away. And as we know it’s easier to add to a task or routine than trying to find time to start a new task such as decluttering.
So maybe it’s time with these Summer Spring cleaning tips to get into the habit of decluttering at Christmas time, when you have the time rather than spring. Good luck.
