Hello all!
Happy Wednesday. I hope you are having a great week so far. I feel like we are finally back into the routine of the new year and after the holidays. Last week was still a bit wonky with New Year’s Day falling on a Monday, but now we are in our groove. Whether you are establishing new routines and rhythms for the new year or getting back into systems that work for you, I hope your week is off to a great start.
The new year can often bring new resolutions or goals. I talked about mine last week, but the new year can also bring fresh starts and that can come in the form deep cleaning and organization.
Before the holidays, I did a deep cleaning and organizing of my home. It took a few weeks and I broke it up when I had time to work on the projects on the weekends, but I was thrilled with the end results. I tackled projects large and small, cleaned out spaces that haven’t been touched in months and donated a lot. It felt so good to work with a clean space before holiday decorating began.
If you are looking to do some deep cleaning yourself, here’s some advice about what worked well for me as I helped my mom tackle our home:
- Go through your home or space and write down all the spaces you want to tackle. They can be as small as a spice cabinet, or as big as a bedroom closet or family room. Once you have your list, it makes it easier to figure out the best way to tackle the projects and how long each project will take.
- Figure out the most efficient way to tackle the projects you want done and space them out. Maybe decide to do all the kitchen cabinets in one afternoon or spend a whole day going through your bedroom closet. Make a plan of what spaces you want to deep clean and organize and stick to it. This makes the projects more manageable and not as daunting. For example, I decided to do bathroom and kitchen cabinets on one day, the following week, I just did bedroom closets for a day and then I set aside a third day for the home office and other odds and ends rooms. I made my plan and stuck to it. When I was done with all the tasks for one day, I wasn’t exhausted or overwhelmed, rather I felt accomplished and then I knew what my tasks were for the next time I revisited the projects.
- When going through your spaces, be intentional with the items you want to keep, toss or donate. Check the dates on food or medicine, is it expired? If so, toss it. Have a junk drawer with old pens and paper? Do a pen test to see how many pens or markers still have ink in them. When it comes to clothes, I ask myself when the last time was I wore the article of clothing and do I still have a need for it. (Asking yourself these questions makes it easier when making decisions about whether to keep or get rid of something.)
- Make a list of things to replenish. This can be as easy as getting new spices or cold medicine to replace old ones, or it can be adding a new white blouse to your wardrobe if your current one is stained. Making a list of things you to replace saves you the stress of not having an item when you need it in a pinch.
- Donate or get rid of things right away. Once all your spaces are deep cleaned and organized (whether it takes a day or a month), do yourself a favor and get it out of your home. Whether it’s in the form or trash or donating old items or selling them, don’t let them linger for days or months, get them out so you can enjoy your clean space to the fullest.
And there you have it! Five ways tips for organizing and deep cleaning your spaces. They may not work for everyone, but I have found success by using these tips and tricks. I am always interested in seeing how other people organize their spaces, tell me: what advice do you have for organizing?
Let me know in the comments below!
Happy Cleaning!