Spring Cleaning Real Talk
Put down your bucket and mop and read this first!
It’s that glorious time of year when the weather gets warm, and our thoughts turn from sledding and hot chocolate to swimming and lemonade. Social media, retailers, and the news are all telling us that it’s time for spring cleaning. You can get tips, printable checklists, deals, and how-to videos everywhere you turn.
The ugly truth? I hate the idea of spring cleaning.
Why would someone who has dedicated her livelihood to decluttering and organizing turn her nose up at spring cleaning, you ask? I don’t have an issue with it in theory—believe me, I love getting things in order for myself and for my clients. Here’s the big “but”—the idea of spring cleaning puts more pressure on us. And that’s honestly the last thing we need.
Basically, I feel the same way about spring cleaning as I do about New Year’s resolutions. If the structure of making resolutions works for you, go for it! Sometimes it’s great to have a set time of year when we stop for a minute, take stock of the past, and plan for the future. I actually love that!
What bothers me are the expectations and pressure that can come with these seasonal rituals. We get the sense that there’s a right way and a wrong way. We have to overhaul everything or we might as well not bother. And the time pressure: if you don’t have your resolutions by midnight on December 31—or your spring cleaning started by March 20—then you already failed. For many of my clients, that kind of pressure is paralyzing and off-putting. Even a person like me who is in love with planning can find it all a little overwhelming.
I am here to tell you that there is no shame in doing your spring cleaning now, in 2 months, or spread out over the entire year. Each of us has to do the best thing for our lifestyle and our families. A lot of us are trying to get through the end of the school, working on making summer arrangements and vacation plans, and a million other things. If now is not the time for you to think about cleaning your house from top to bottom, give yourself permission to wait—and do so without a hint of guilt!
Now if you are a person who is ready and excited about spring cleaning, of course I have some decluttering tips to make the process quicker and easier. It’s hard to clean all the nooks and crannies of your house when clutter is in your way. So here are 5 tips to get things cleared out before you don those rubber gloves and go to town.
Tip 1: Vet your seasonal clothing
If you’re like me, there are some winter items in your wardrobe that just never saw the light of day this year. This could be for a lot of reasons: maybe they just don’t fit anymore, maybe your style has changed, or maybe they are starting to show their age. Before you pack those items away “just in case” you wear them next year, ask yourself these questions:
Have I worn this item in the past 6 months?
Does this fit my body today?
Do I love the way I feel when I wear this?
If the answer to these 3 questions is yes, it’s a keeper. If the answer to any of these questions is no, look at the condition of the item. If it’s in good shape, without any accidental tears, stains, or excessive wear, give your old garments new life by donating them to a local donation center. Make room in your life and closet for the clothes that are both functional and make you feel good!
Items that aren’t in the shape for donation can still stay out of a landfill. Goodwill will often accept these items for repurposing as insulation, stuffing, and other uses. Just keep them separate from your usable donations and confirm your local center will take them. Some retailers, including North Face, H&M, and Patagonia, have take-back programs for items in any condition—see their websites for restrictions. Finally, an awesome resource for all things recycling is Earth 911. You can search their database for local and national resources for recycling anything you can think of, including undergarments and unwearable clothing.
(Bonus tip: If you need help finding a new home for your old items, I donate on your behalf with any organizing package!)
Tip 2: Rethink your entryways
Maybe you had a great solution for managing a winter’s worth of snowy boots and heavy coats, hats, and gloves—or maybe the piles of bulky clothing made you nuts. With Spring approaching, now is the time to think ahead to address the mess head on and figure out how your family’s needs will change. Take a look at the main entrances into your home and see if you need to make any adjustments to get ready for warmer weather:
Add a shoe tray at each entry point to help manage muddy sneakers and keep little ones (and adults) from tracking dirt into your home.
Place a small basket or container with bug spray and sunscreen by each entrance (don’t forget the garage/mudroom if you use those too) to make getting out the door a breeze.
For pet owners, find a place to store a towel or two (think a basket or small storage ottoman) to intercept wet or muddy paws.
Consider having an empty laundry basket or a pretty open-weave hamper by the door to collect wet swimsuits, water shoes, beach towels, and other outside gear before it gets strewn all over the house.
Tip 3: Give your garage some love
A US Department of Energy survey reported that 25% of people with 2-car garages couldn’t park a car in them because they are used to store other things. They also found that 1/3 of homeowners weren’t even sure what was in their garage.
If that describes you—good news: it’s garage organizing season—and I am here for it. Now is a great time to create zones in your garage for all the things you need to store there—from tools and paint to gardening and water play supplies. There are so many creative solutions to maximize garage space, but you want to make sure you go for systems that are designed to take the wear and tear and extreme temperatures of our seasons.
Tip 4: Recycle your electronics
Do you have small appliances, cords, and lithium batteries that you don’t know what to do with? Now is a great time to take advantage of the many electronics recycling programs we have in the Greater Philadelphia area. To make your life easier, I’ve compiled some upcoming electronics recycling events (as event details could change, please confirm the dates, times, and other details before you go):
April 2, 10 AM – 1 PM (open to the public)
Where: St. Joseph/St. Robert Catholic School, 850 Euclid Ave, Warrington, PA 18976
For: Small appliances, printers, computers, laptops, VCRs, misc wires, dehumidifiers, and anything with a plug. All sensitive data will be wiped or destroyed.
Cost: Free, this event will not accept TVs or monitors
April 9, 10 AM – 1 PM (open to the public)
Where: Artis Senior Living of Huntingdon Valley, 2085 Lieberman Dr, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
For: We will be accepting small appliances, microwaves, air conditioning units, computers, laptops, VCRs, miscellaneous wires, cell phones, and anything else with a plug.
Cost: Free, this event will not accept TVs, CRTs, or monitors
April 16, 9 AM – 1 PM (open to the public)
Where: Warminster Community Park, 1100 Veterans Way, Warminster, PA 18974 (enter from Bristol Road)
For: Laptops, desktops, tablets, printers, scanners, fax machines, cell phones, keyboards, iPods, MP3 players, Fitbits, VCRs, DVD players, cords, game systems, remotes, etc. All computer drives are wiped clean
Cost: Most things are free; older CRT monitors and TVs: $35 - $75/each (size varies); flatscreen TVs: $20/each; computer monitors: $5; air conditioners, dehumidifiers, & air purifiers: $20; microwaves: $10
April 23, 10 AM – 1 PM (open to the public)
Where: Habitat for Humanity of Bucks Country, 539 Jacksonville Road, Warminster, PA, 18974
For: Small appliances, printers, computers, laptops, VCRs, misc wires, dehumidifiers, and anything with a plug. All sensitive data will be wiped or destroyed.
Cost: Free, this event will not accept TVs, CRTs, or monitors
April 23, 9 AM – 12 PM (Montgomery Township residents only)
Where: William F. Maule Park at Windlestrae, 1147 Kenas Road, North Wales, PA 19454
For: Laptops, small appliances, computers, dehumidifiers, fax machines, keyboards, printers, air conditioners, microwaves, cameras, cell phones, calculator, telephones, and more
Cost: $10 per dehumidifier, air conditioner, microwave; $30 per TV or computer monitor; $100 per projection or wooden console TV
Tip 4: Get your cleaning supplies in order
You’ve done the major decluttering and now you are ready to go! Before you start your deep clean, take an inventory of the supplies you will need to complete each zone of your house. Consider having a few sets of supplies so that everything you need for maintenance cleaning is easily accessible (for example, have a set of supplies for upstairs and downstairs or for each bathroom). Supply caddies and rolling carts can be stored in a closet, laundry room, or mudroom to keep things tidy until you need them.
Whether you decide to get started this weekend or hold off until a quieter time (if that even exists!), remember that decluttering first can make the process of spring cleaning a million times more manageable. And if you want help in that process, please do reach out to me here to book in a consultation. I’d be happy to get you on the path to a more organized home!