Spring Cleaning 2022 - Top 5 Tips for Tidying Up and Decluttering
Marie
Fun and lifestyle - When Marie is not working on ideas for new content, she spends her time with friends enjoying a glass of wine, playing cards or watching a show. After graduating in business studies, she immersed herself in the world of branding and managing online shops to give her creativity free rein. Beautiful decorations and interior design ideas always put her in a good mood.
The winter is over, New Year’s resolutions have already been achieved or thrown overboard (again) and warmer seasons are just around the corner. For many people, the spring awakening means a new drive and motivation to do something, get things sorted out or reinvent themselves. Spring cleaning has various backgrounds, such as the New Year's festival in ancient Persia, which took place in March and for which the entire house was cleaned. In ancient Rome, too, people were said to have cleaned everything vigorously once a year, which is why February was named after the Latin verb for "to clean". Not so long ago, people also used coal and wood for heating, and at the end of winter the entire house was cleaned of ashes, soot and dust. So there is a long tradition around spring cleaning and maybe you too would like to spruce up your entire home. But before you start swinging the rag, it's a good idea to thoroughly clean out and bring new organisation into your home. This will also make cleaning easier for you! That's why we have 5 top tips on tidying up and de-cluttering for you today.
1. The clean-up process - complete the cycle
This method of cleaning up is all about saving time and keeping things tidy by putting everything you have used back in its original place immediately after use. If you have spent a film evening with your visitors, the DVD is returned to its case right away and snack bowls are put in the dishwasher as soon as they are used. True to the motto "Everything back to square one", everything should always be returned to its original state and household activities that have been started should be finished. The washing machine is cleared out promptly and the laundry is also hung up without delay. If your rubbish bin is full, you not only take it out, but also put a new bag in the bin. As simple as the principle sounds, it can actually be practical and, despite its simplicity, proves to be the tidying-up trick. Clever storage solutions, such as tables or stools with storage space, as well as sofa and bed bags with practical organisers, can serve as helpers for regular tidying away. This way, you can always keep little helpers close at hand, but still put them away neatly.
2. Clearing out with a system: the 3-box method
If you're planning to really clear out everything, it's a good idea to have a structured approach. Randomly moving clothes and objects from one place to the next or losing track of what belongs in the rubbish doesn't sound very efficient. This is where the 3-box method comes in. With the help of three boxes, you divide your belongings into three simple categories: Box 1 is for everything you would like to keep, box number 2 is for items that are intact but are to be given away or sold. Finally, the third box is filled with rubbish, i.e. everything ready to be disposed of. You can sort with moving boxes, packing boxes, sturdy transport boxes or laundry baskets, it doesn't matter!
3. Less is more
Where there are less things lying around, there is also less tidying and cleaning to be done. We have already talked about sorting out with the help of boxes. However, no matter how much you clear out, you often keep things that you don't need now but will need in another season or for certain occasions. You can also keep these out of sight with boxes and crates and create a tidy overall picture in your home. Store seasonal decorations, winter jackets or summer shoes in practical transport boxes that you can stack on top of each other in the storeroom or cellar. Additional storage space under the bed or on top of the wardrobe can also be used for this purpose. Choose particularly beautiful boxes if they are visible in your home or transparent boxes if you want to have an overview of the contents at all times. In general, you should avoid superfluous decoration, the familiar dust traps or cluttered rooms. The hallway in particular is a simple but beautiful room where you welcome guests and should therefore be open, bright and friendly, but not cluttered with bits and pieces, shoes or bags. Minimalism as a furnishing and lifestyle style also has the central advantage that it requires less tidying and cleaning.Store like a pro
4. Your wardrobe - reduced and sorted
Speaking of narrowing down possessions: There are already numerous known methods for minimising one's own clothing collection, all of which have their raison d'être. Since the arrival of Marie Kondo, we all know that we too often hang on to clothes that we haven't worn for months or years. So if you do manage to get rid of superfluous clothes and rather go for high-quality favourite pieces, why not do them the favour of sorting them by colour while you're at it? This not only looks nice, but also allows you to keep track of your clothes. If you don't have much space or have some precious accessories, a new wardrobe arrangement with clever hangers for every purpose is twice as much fun. Space-saving hangers, belt and scarf holders are indispensable once you've tried them!
5. Bring system to surfaces and compartments
Another step in your clean-out mission, which also facilitates later purges, is to create regular places for everyday items. First you reduce several similar things to one or two high-quality pieces. Then you define fixed places for your inventory, especially for small items such as remote controls, notepads, shopping bags, kitchen gadgets or whatever else is lying around. This will also make it easier for you to follow tip number 1, because you will always know where to put all the things after they have been used. To create structure in drawers or on desks, organisers and cutlery boxes help. The latter are not only suitable for knives, forks and spoons, but also for writing utensils, cosmetics, make-up or smaller household items. So work out a fixed storage system inside cupboards and drawers to keep surfaces clear and develop better tidying routines.
