KATHY'S HOME & GARDEN TIPS - GET RID OF THE CLUTTER BEFORE SPRING CLEANING
Last week in Chicago we got a taste of spring weather. One day it was even in the 60s! So now the time (and motivation) is here for spring cleaning. In the next few weeks I'll give you tips on different aspects of cleaning around the house and yard.
Before tackling the big jobs it will be easier if we get rid of as much clutter and junk as we can.
We all accumulate so much stuff that we need to purge once in a while.
1. Start now! Set a schedule, give yourself a time limit. The job will seem less daunting if you know you only have an hour to work.
2. Each room should have a plan. An office, for example, is mainly paper organizing and purging while the basement has more and larger junk to get rid of.
3. Start small. Don't try to do an entire room in one day. This will cause less frustration. And give you time to prepare for when Spring truly arrives.
4. The best rule of thumb for categorizing clutter is to ask the question, "Have you used the item in the last year?" If not, toss it, recycle it or donate it! Many charities will pick up donations from your house.
5. Store and sort winter clothes and furnishings. Wash or dry clean all clothing before storing.
6. This is a good time to go through your shoe collection. There are many great storage solutions available for shoes. Clear plastic shoe boxes stack neatly in your closet or under bed storage uses previously unused space.
7. Go through the kitchen, refrigerator and medicine cabinet. Get rid of any out of date or expired foods or prescriptions. Be sure to flush any medications down the toilet, which is the safest way to prevent children from getting the pills.
Tackle that junk now so when the weather finally does get warm we will be done with our inside cleaning. Then we can tackle the outside of the house, yard and garden!
KATHLEEN WEAVER-ZECH & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO
