Spring has officially hit everywhere…
except for your home, that is.
Over the years spring cleaning has morphed from doing a deep clean of every nook and cranny of your home to more of a general attitude about clearing the decks for the next season. Yes, it’s still about your home but also now includes preparing for the end of the school year, planning for summer camps, finalizing family vacations, and scheduling weekend BBQs before everyone gets booked up through Labor Day. Whoa! Spring just got way more complicated.
It’s OK. We can help!
Thinking ahead for you, Smartly Organized wants to share some of our favorite declutter + organize tips for the upcoming season.
Organize, then Clean
This bears repeating. Organize, then clean. And, by organize, we don’t mean stash in a bag and hide in a closet. How can you or your professional cleaning crew do a deep “spring cleaning” if there is a ton of clutter in the way? Take some time now to put things away where they belong. Don’t know where things belong? That’s common. When we don’t assign a home for our possessions they get placed anywhere handy “just for now.” Doing this repeatedly results in piles of clutter. Sometimes these piles are concentrated on your table, counters, or even the floor. These are not storage solutions. Yep, I said it. Tackle one surface at a time moving in a clockwise direction in your space. Define the purpose of the space and items that don’t belong can be collected in a laundry basket and be relocated to another place in your home, or removed entirely.
Behind Closed Doors
Take a good look through your mudroom, closets, and random drawers. What can you live without? What have you not used or worn all season long? Stop holding onto that winter jacket that you wore once (two Christmases ago). Don’t Need It? Donate It. Make space by placing off-season items in labeled storage bins that are easy to bring back out when the temperature drops again next year.
PRO TIP: Take everything out of the area where you are working and only put back what you use, need, or love.
Summer Fun!
Don’t break out the swimsuits an hour before the first pool party of the season, only to find they don’t fit. Early spring is a great time to pull out all summer clothes, especially if you have spring break plans that include a sunny destination. Set aside an afternoon to review what still fits your children and what needs to be handed down or donated. Hand-me-downs can be packed in a plastic tub and labeled with the size and season and stashed in the attic. Now is also the ideal time to review camp packing lists. Make the most of a shopping trip by arming yourself with all your needs.
Go Beyond Your Walls
When it comes to spring cleaning, you want your house to be beautiful from the outside in. After a long winter our yards need some love and attention and it seems there is always one neighbor a step ahead. Yard envy is real thing. Avoid compare-despair and schedule a date for your spring yard clean-up, make a list of what you need to buy (mulch, plants, gardening materials, etc.) and enlist the family. Don’t have a green thumb?? Hire a landscaper and let them handle the rest!
PRO TIP: Don’t forget the deer repellent, there is nothing worse than your flowers blooming and then the next morning realizing they were eaten by an unwelcome visitor.
Patio Party?
Time to hose off the cobwebs and sweep off the leaves! Wipe down your patio furniture to give it that “good as new” look, consider power washing your deck or patio, and then arrange the furniture and add your cushions. Freshen your cushions with a damp cloth or quick vacuum. Be sure to check your outdoor appliances as well: you don’t want to have to run out before your party begins because your grill is out of propane!
PRO TIP: We recommend storing your cushions inside over the winter to keep them clean and dry. We rely on the low cost, high-value IKEA storage bags. Specifically, the clear Dimpa bag or the blue Frakta bag.
Spring Organize with Smartly Organized!
Sometimes life just gets in the way and you need to call for backup, that’s OK. We’re here for you. We specialize in getting things done so you can enjoy your home and spend more time with family and friends. We can check off those to do’s quickly and easily with our well-rounded team of organizers. Your future self will thank you later! Because, in the end, putting these things off will just cost you more time and stress.
Ready to make the smartest move you will ever make this spring? Contact Smartly Organized at 917.846.9953 or click here to email us for more information on our professional organizing services.
Happy Spring!
