Yes, it is that time of the year again. If you think that I sound too enthusiastic for some spring cleaning, you may be correct. (Sort of) I dislike clutter. I do no like extra items laying around just because and spring cleaning is a great excuse to throw away some of those things that are just taking up space. Now that I have an infant, it is a bit of a different ball game when it comes to cleaning and I am pretty sure that it will continue to change as she is growing up. Here are just a few things that you can do to make this process a little bit simpler and easier:
1. 6 Month Rule: This is the rule that I live by. I try to look through my closets and cabinets every 6 months and decide whether to keep those items or to give them away. This allows me to keep track of what I have and make sure that I make the transition smoothly between seasons. If an item has been laying around for 6 months and I haven't been using it, then it is time for that item to go. If you live by this rule, you will definitely eliminate a lot of clutter and will keep your storage clean and organized.
2. Offer Up or Let Go: Over the years you tend to collect a lot of stuff and you may not use it anymore. It is just sitting in your storage taking up space. For the past 3 years I've been using internet to sell the items that I do not need. You will be surprised at how many customers you will find when you just simply take a picture and post it for sale. What you may think is trash, is someone's treasure. I have been using the App called 'Let Go' for the past year and I have sold a lot of our home furniture that we did not use. This is a way for you to get extra cash so that you can either buy an item that you need or just simply make extra cash on the side. Recently, I've also downloaded 'Offer Up' which is a very similar app to 'Let Go.' So if you have a loaded storage of items you're not using, this would be a great way for you to clear out that space.
3. Sharing Is Caring: If you do not have the patience to sell the items that you have, give your items to your relative. I grew up in a family of 12 and we were always sharing. What I wore this year, my sisters would wear those items after me. You just don't know how much help you can be just by giving some of your items away to those that may need it.
4. Pack and Put Away: I've recently started to keep the boxes from the items that I've purchased so that I can pack them away in the same box once the item is no longer used. This works especially great when you start having kids. I've already had to disassemble several items that Mila used as an infant and now is too big for them. This will not only protect the items, but will also keep your storage space nice and organized.
5. Make A List: At the beginning of each year, I always make a list of things that I would like to accomplish that year or complete in our house. Once I knew what we needed done, I organized those items from biggest to smallest and scheduled them out to match our budget. Honestly, when you own a home, the work is never done, however, there is a way to keep up with the maintenance of your home without getting overwhelmed. This is why making a list is so important. If you do not write down what you want to accomplish, then you are more than likely going to be scattered. Think of your home as an investment. When you do little upgrades and keep up with the maintenance of your home, you will spend a lot less money in the long run and in the end will win big when you decided to sell your home. The reason I do this list at the beginning of the year is because of the tax season. We use that money to invest as well as get a few things done in the house, but you can definitely do it any time of the year. It all depends on your lifestyle and your budget. Making a list will also help you to be on the lookout for the things that you may need on the apps like 'Let Go' or 'Offer Up.' You would be surprised at how much money you can save if only you plan in advance!
6. Let Someone Else Do The Big Stuff: For some of you who do not know, I am European and most Europeans like do everything themselves. Nothing wrong with that when you save money and learn how to do a certain task. For example, we needed to lay vynal flooring in our kitchen and dinning room and I got a quote from a retailer that included installation. We basically saved $1,200 because we did it ourselves. It took us a couple of days but we did. However, there are some things that might not be worth doing yourself. We are getting our carpets cleaned this month before Mila starts crawling and we decided to hire a company. My parents always rented one of those carpet washing machines from Lowes or Home Depot but if you count it all, it's not worth your time or money. With have a tri-level house and a lot of carpet. To rent a machine, it would've been $60 per day plus you have to buy your own solution which was another $30. So if we would have rented the machine for two days and had to buy two bottles of solution, it would've been around $180 plus my time and my energy. I was able to negotiate a price of $280 for the whole house plus warranty. The products that they use are green and PH balanced, which is good when you have kids crawling all over the floor. The method that they use cleans in such a way where it doesn't soak the carpet through therefore only needs 45 minutes to dry. On top of that, they move your furniture around. So as you can see, some things are just not worth doing yourself even if you know how to do it. You just have to make sure that you research all of your options and always negotiate once you decide which option you will go with!
So as you can see, there are a few things you can do to help yourself do some spring cleaning in a smart way! Work smarter not harder.
PS Comment below and let me know what are some of your tricks when it comes to spring cleaning, especially with kids. LOL :)
Create Coleture, Be YOU
Viktoriya Cole