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Unclutter Your Life

It's Spring Cleaning & Organizing Season!

3/26/2022

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It’s that time of year when we get a new beginning again. The weather is starting to warm up, the snow has thawed and we’re all itching to get outside. What’s the best way to celebrate Spring? With some spring cleaning! Get your house fresh and clean with these easy tips and you’ll spring into an organized home. Do these 3 steps one room at a time.  

Step 1: Clear the Clutter  
Start by evaluating what you Need, Use & Love. Donate, sell, recycle or throw away the rest. Just getting the trash out of your home will lighten your load. And yes, every home has some garbage they can get rid of. It’s amazing what you unearth when you go one item at a time. Think about moving out expired foods from your pantry, the old leftovers in the back of your fridge, the mittens that no longer fit your kiddos, the list goes on and on. Every room should get an organizer’s touch during spring cleaning. Leave no item untouched. As you clear items out, give cabinets and drawers a wipe down and sweep out those pantries and closets once you can see the floor you don’t normally see. Doing the cleaning during sorting & purging is the best feeling as you’re creating a clean fresh slate to launch into step 2. 

Step 2: Put Systems Into Place
The organization you do in your home should work for you, not against you. Everything should be placed as close as possible to where you use the item. Set up bins in your pantry, for example, categorizing food into salty snacks, sweets, canned goods, dinner, breakfast, grab-and-go, and so on. Closets should be organized by type of clothing, so all pants together, all long-sleeved tops get grouped, tanks and short sleeves, and so on. Within those categories organize in rainbow order or ROYGBIV (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet) with browns, blacks, greys, and whites at the tail-end. If space allows, mudrooms should get bins or baskets for hats, gloves, scarves, coats, and shoes organized by person. Have a spot to drop unopened mail with a wall-hanging organizer. Put kids' items down low so they can reach them and help to put things away. Each room should get systems like this put into place at this point. And last but not least label; label everything so that anyone that can read knows where to put everything.

Step 3: Show It Off
Walk your entire family through the organization that you’ve done. Talk about how the organized space makes you feel and how you hope it makes them feel. Ask them how it feels to be in an organized space. Explain the placement of everything and show them the labels. Explain that this is an all-hands-on-deck situation and that everyone needs to maintain this spring clean-up and overhaul all year long.

Not only will this freshen up your space, but it allows you to drop the unwanted items from your life without bringing them into future seasons. The systems you set up should carry you throughout the year and will do the thinking for you. It’s time to spring into action and organize your home!

Happy Spring!

Melissa Fortino   ​
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Spring Cleaning is Starting Early in 2020

3/19/2020

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​The phrase "there aren't enough hours in a day" generally rings true during the usual hustle-and-bustle of our busy lives.  Right now, however, during the COVID-19 outbreak, we are in a unique situation.  We are staying at home more than usual due to self-quarantining in an attempt to keep healthy and flatten the curve.

This situation poses the question:

"What should I do if I have some extra time at home?"

Hours of sunlight are getting longer, and we are spending more time at home than usual!  What better time than NOW to jumpstart spring cleaning & decluttering and get a fresh start!
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Fun Fact:

We spend about 10 minutes a day searching for lost items, which adds up to more than 60 hours, annually that we spend trying to find things we've lost in our own homes!

Spring Cleaning & Decluttering is HEALTHY!

Spring cleaning & decluttering is therapeutic! Several health benefits come along with going through your house and clearing your clutter:
  1. It can lower stress & boost mental health! Did you know the sight of clutter can cause a release of the stress hormone,  Cortisol?
  2. It can lower the risk of depression! Spring cleaning can improve happiness and reduce fatigue. Happiness, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment are all feelings associated with having a clean house!
  3. It can enhance your productivity! People are generally more efficient when their space appears organized because they are less distracted and stressed by the clutter around them.
  4. It is beneficial for your safety! It is no surprise that clutter can pose obstacles to walking through the home, which can lead to potential injuries.

Not sure where to start? Here are some tips:

1. PLAN
Start with a plan! Set aside time in your schedule to get your projects done, uninterrupted.
2. DECIDE WHERE TO DONATE
Decide on if/where you will donate unwanted items and schedule it in your calendar to drop off donations to your organization of choice.
3. CATEGORIZE
Create space to work, and categorize items you plan to keep. Toss or recycle items that no longer serve a purpose for you, and relocate items that are in the wrong room to their rightful homes.
4. CREATE HOMES
Create labeled homes for the things you keep! Putting a label on it is a great way to make sure everyone who lives with you knows where to find and put things away.
5. MAXIMIZE SPACE
Maximize space by utilizing the hard to reach areas to store items you don't need to use very often.    
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What is the first area in your home that you want to tackle & declutter this spring?​
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About the Author

Kara Desmond is a Professional Organizer in Metro Detroit, and the Owner of Utterly Uncluttered, LLC.  She provides local services in the Metro Detroit area and virtual services throughout the US. Want to get in contact? Email her or visit her website!

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