It’s that time of year again when we break out the mops and sponges to scrub our home clean of winter. But what about the actual clutter that has built up over the last months? Are there remnants of holidays 2013, boots blocking the entryway, and coats piled ceiling high? Look around, if that is the case no matter how much scrubbing you do your home will never feel clean. So, before you get down to making things spic and span, clear the clutter.
And, here is the best news, if your environment is cleared of clutter your home will feel bigger too! Follow these eight tips to prep for spring cleaning and find more space in your home. I promise it will inspire you to be Mr. Clean all spring season and maybe your new habits will stick with you the rest of the year too!
- The pantry. Create room by removing the large and awkward food packaging. Purchase clear, air-tight containers, take the box of your food item, and cut out the product name, nutritional facts and expiration date. Tape them to the inside of your clear container and then seal the food.
- The pantry. If you like to buy in bulk, put the bulk of your paper goods in another location, perhaps a closet, and place only what you need in your pantry—you can always replace as needed.
- The kitchen. When storing pots, pans and other durable items, stack them on their sides like files, this simple step not only creates more room, it also allows you to see exactly what you need. Caddies or sorters from the Container Store are great tools for organizing in this manner.
- The dresser. Place clothing in drawers vertically (not the traditional horizontal piles) because it not only maximizes space, it allows you to find items more quickly. You can purchase wooden planks or plastic planks to use as dividers. This way you can see all of your clothes at once when you open the drawer.
- The closet. If your shoes don’t have a place they end up in a pile taking up valuable space. Place shoes and accessories in clear plastic containers so you can see everything and tape their photo to the outside of their container. This little step gives you triple duty: more space, you can find it easily and better still you can put it away in the exact same spot for next time that hot date rolls around…
- The kids’ rooms. Purchase bed raisers for under-the-bed storage. You can store everything from shoes, laundry basket, books and any bulky items that might otherwise clutter their room.
- The baby’s closet. Is there room to add another bar? Take advantage of the fact that baby clothing is smaller and if you can, add an additional bar to hang the clothing to maximize space. You can purchase premade closet organizers like this one that you can customize to make the most out of baby’s closet: http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=13468502&itemIndex=28&CATID=68559&PRODID=10022218
- The best trick to more space in your home, less is more! So if you find you have extra things laying around, throw a reverse housewarming party! You will be starting a new party trend. Set aside your unwanted items and instead of having your friends bring a housewarming gift, they are to pick one of your items and take it home with them. This is a great way to reunite with friends, find your unwanted things a good home, and de-clutter all at the same time!
And remember, the best way to make more space is to assign a specific space for everything. Not only will your go-go boots be right at your finger tips when the disco ball is calling your name, but you won’t be tripping over them when you’re running late to work!
