When your home is cluttered, you feel more stressed and are more prone to injury. This is why you should spring clean and declutter at once.
According to the experts, spring cleaning your home has a number of health benefits. Aside from letting you avoid injuries, cleaning can also boost your immune system and reduce stress and depression.
If you’re thinking about decluttering, here is the right way to do spring cleaning.
Rent A Dumpster
If you’re the kind of person that needs to be pushed in order to get the job done then you should rent a dumpster. This is because dumpster rental has a deadline and will let you get rid of big items like broken furniture, mattresses and yard waste.
Finding a commercial trash bin is easy. Just search in Google for something like “dumpster rental near me” and you’ll find companies that are local to your area.
Renting a dumpster is also more convenient for you since you don’t need to drive back and forth in order to get rid of your junk. Companies that rent dumpsters out will deliver an empty one to you and haul it out for processing.
Make A Transition Room
An unused or barely used room in your house can become a transition room for all the things you want to donate. Spring cleaning does not mean that you need to throw out everything you’re not using. Things that are still useful can be donated to the Salvation Army and Goodwill.
For example, books can go to your local libraries, old clothes can be donated to the Salvation Army or Dress For Success while baby clothes are accepted at Baby 2 Baby. Check your pantry for on-date but extra canned goods too since you can donate them to local food banks in your area.
Since you don’t want to place them inside your dumpster, you can store them in a transition room while you organize your donations and schedule dropoffs.
Create A Checklist and Schedule
One of the easiest ways to stick to your resolution and schedule is to create a checklist. You can do this by going from room to room in your home and checking every nook and cranny for things that you want to donate or discard.
For example, you can start with your living room. Indicate in your checklist the area and the things that you want to get rid of and put them in the discard or donate column. Now write down a day or date that you want to tackle this chore. Repeat the whole process with every room in your house.
Not only will a checklist prevent you from missing items, but it will also stop you from getting rid of items you don’t intend to give away. It will also keep you on schedule so that you won’t miss your dumpster deadline.
Clean Your House
Now that you have a dumpster, a transition room and a checklist with a schedule you should now start cleaning your whole house. This can be daunting especially if your property is big so do it room-to-room.
With every room, start from the ceiling going down to the windows and then tackle the floor last. Dust and wipe all surfaces, polish all furniture and vacuum carpets and mop the floor.
For your bedrooms remove and replace all the bedsheets, pillowcases and blankets. Throw pillowcases in your sofas should also be washed and replaced.
Don’t forget about safety. For example, when cleaning the bathroom with chemical cleaners make sure to leave the door open especially if space is not well ventilated. This will prevent you from inhaling toxic cleaning fumes. Alternatively, you can wear a surgical or cloth mask or a respirator to protect you from the fumes.
Tackle The Yard
Spruce up your yard too. A good looking front yard can boost your curb appeal. You can start by trimming the hedges or raking your leaves. Then you can move to mow the lawn and then tidying up flower beds and plants. Get rid or arrange your kids toys to make your yard look neat and inviting.
Don’t forget to power wash your driveway. This will get rid of oil stains and breathe new life to the pavement and make the area look clean and new.
Do Maintenance Work
Many homeowners neglect to maintain their homes which can lead to bigger problems in the future. This is why maintenance should be part of spring cleaning.
Go around your house and check for busted light bulbs, leaky faucets, broken windows or faulty wiring. Repair and replace anything that’s broken ASAP. Regular maintenance should prevent accidents and injuries around your house.
Take It Easy
There is no need to do all of this at once. Like we said before, you need to schedule it at a pace that you’re comfortable with. Also, it is usually impossible to de-clutter your whole house in just one day especially if you’ve lived in it for a number of years.
Possessions have a way of accumulating. Decluttering also lets you discover lost things or recall memories. In other words, spring cleaning is a process. Take it easy and tackle it one room at a time. If you do this consistently, all the rooms will be decluttered and you’re done with spring cleaning for this year.
Bottom Line
A dirty and messy room can make you feel boxed in and makes your space look small. Spring cleaning on the other hand is liberating and will make you a happier person. This is because decluttering gives you a feeling of accomplishment and a sense of satisfaction that is guaranteed to put you in a good mood.