Connie Craven happily has moved back home to Coronado after being away for several years. She has a new business helping people organize their homes or get ready to move. She and her crew are “pros” at setting up estate sales, too. Here are her suggestions for a good Spring Cleaning.
Here is a list to start a major clean-up. This list refers to clothing, but the suggestions would work just as well in the kitchen, or a bathroom, or even the garage.
Have a good breakfast and pick a room. Turn on all the lights so you can see clearly. If you are going to try on items, wear something easy for the task and put a mirror in the room. Have tape, scissors, and markers ready.
1. With big boxes and clean trash cans in the room, empty wardrobes and drawers. Get into those closets and pull out everything. Yes, make a mess! Find the bottom of the drawers. Make three piles:
• Throw away
• Donate to charity /or Sell in a tag sale
• Keep
Here's my rule to follow. If you haven’t worn it/used it in the last 18 months, toss it. If it doesn’t fit, toss it. If you’ve used the phrase “Well, I’ll wear it next time but not today,” toss it. Why? Because you probably don’t like it and it is taking up space. If you are keeping something just because it is “practical” or “comfortable” then toss it. If you can’t wear it until you buy something to go with it, toss it. If the words “might” or “what if” appear in your brain, toss it.
NOTE: Sometimes a sentimental emotion gets in the way of tossing items that are cluttering up your life. This might be a good time to take a photo of those items and put the picture in an album to keep your memories. Then it is easier to part with the item itself. Or, if it is clothing, re-purpose the cloth into a pretty throw or pillow and have it close to you.
2. Now, “go shopping” in your “keep” pile by pretending you are in a store. What would you buy? What needs cleaning? Is there anything that you need to replace? If so, toss the old and make a list of what you need. If there is something left that just makes you sigh, give it to a friend.
3. Get everything else out of the house by storing in big bags or boxes. Keep them around for a week (even in the trunk of your car) in case you have made a mistake, then implement a permanent action such as dropping them off to charity. Truly, mistakes are few and far between!
4. If you have run across some valuables, they can be sold, gifted, or donated appropriately for a charitable deduction. You don’t need to keep them for someone else.
**Okay, if reading this makes the prospect of organizing yourself seem like an overwhelming task, ask a friend to help. Or if you might feel more comfortable, hire a professional such as myself! We know how to get it done and let you feel better.
5. Now is the time to vacuum and wipe down the space. I bet you’re feeling better already and this part doesn’t take long when the space is empty. Don’t forget to repair anything that is broken, change light bulbs, or add hooks, poles or bins if you need them.
6. Organize closets and drawers in a way that works for you. Put things you use often in the most accessible location. It’s ok to chant the old adage “A place for everything and everything in its place!” as you work. Label everything. Use plastic bins or baskets if they would help keep things in order.
7. Keep “like with like” as you hang clothing up, restock your kitchen, or put things back into any other space. With clothing, group by color. putting whites with whites, like colors with like colors, blacks with blacks. This same strategy of keeping like things together works in the garage, too. Put garden items together, repair tools together, or cleaning things together. You can see that your kitchen and bathrooms would benefit from simple organization. Isn’t it nice to get rid of all the partly used items or things that are leaking or too old to use? Phew, in a way this is actually fun. I’ll be glad to help you with all the “yucky stuff” and backbreaking work.
8. Be thrilled with yourself; you’ve accomplished a lot. Now enjoy wearing and using all those things that you just “found!” See you next time.
Submitted by Connie Craven . . .
My business is: KlutterBeGone You are welcome to e-mail me with questions or even a little pep talk! constance.craven@yahoo.com
Having an organized and effectively laid out room can be a very positive thing. Just visualize the room you desire, be bold enough to throw away the junk, take the time to sort and organize and then be consistent in maintaining your organized room. It all comes down to you. If you want to achieve it, it can happen, you just need to begin.
Posted by: clutter clearing | May 06, 2011 at 01:06 AM