Sunday, July 8, 2012

Spring Clutter Removal

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Every spring you plan on cleaning out all the closets, deep cleaning the cupboards and maybe even having a garage sale to remove all the clutter in the basement or garage. It seems like you never have the time or the weather is so nice you would rather be outside. The kids have started their spring sport programs with practices and games. Your time is limited.

Spring cleaning can be accomplished if you follow a few tips and have it planned on your calendar. Try to schedule 2 hours or more on the weekends or during the week if time permits. Choose the area to clean based on the weather. When it is 70 degrees or above and sunny out, clean out the garage. You will want to take most items out to spray out the salt and chemicals that have accumulated on your garage floor over the winter. Tracking those in the house is bad on any type of flooring you have. Install some shelving units to get items off the floor. Thinking vertically will allow you to remove more items off the floor. The wall space in the garage is the most under utilized. Make use of it and remove the clutter.

Spring cleaning also includes the yard, such as the leaves that you missed on the last rake. Many leaves end up under the bushes, get those out on the nice spring days. Review your perennial plants to see if they survived the winter. Give them until the first of June to bloom in case they are late bloomers.

Save the rainy April days for the closets and the basement. If you have children, choose a rainy April day to go through their wardrobe. Do not try to do it all in one sitting. Try on short sleeved shirts one day and shorts the next. The warm weather happens gradually, so you have time as long as you do not have to donate all their clothes from last year. Make a list of items they will need and then on sale days, go out a buy them.

Your wardrobe should also be examined. Decide what you wore last year and what you did not. Styles change for the stores as well as for you. Most people do not wear in their forties what they wore in their twenties. Decide on what you like and keep items you will really wear. Maybe you changed careers and your current job is more casual. Keep only the dress items that are classic, not trends. Some colors are trendy too. Keep the basics such as black, brown, and navy.

Shoes change too, so donate those clumpy shoes. Look at the top of your closet. Is there space that is not being utilized above the top shelf? If so, consider storing sweaters in cloth containers over the winter. Individual stacking shelves can be purchased to extend this area and to store those winter clothes on. If you have an older closet with just one rod, consider buying an attachable rod to separate shirts and pants. This will double your space and leave your clothes looking nicer than when they are all jammed in a small space. Get shoe racks that can be stacked but that are also sturdy. This will remove more items off the floor.

Look through the coat closet and decide what coats are no longer needed. Maybe your child barely fit into it at the end of the season. Put it in a bag or container to sell in the autumn along with the clothes they grew out of. Throw out any gloves that no longer have matches and hats that no longer fit.

If you tackle a space at a time, it will get done and seem less daunting then tackling the entire project over one weekend.

Julie Riber is a professional organizer in the central Ohio area. She has been organizing homes and businesses for over 4 years. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and President of the Ohio Chapter of NAPO. http://www.transformare.net

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