5 Steps to a Spring/Fall Cleaning Purge

Fall is nearly upon us- it’s a renewing, refreshing time of year. The beginning of a school year, is almost like a new year to most of us. We clean up the house, get rid of junk, and ready to start a whole new year with your kiddos.

One of the things I try to do every year – is to purge my house of all the ‘junk’ we’ve collected from the prior year. I will admit my basement is sometimes full of items I’m holding on to for a yard sale, some goodwill stuff, and even some things I wasn’t sure what to do with…

Now as much as I’d love to say I’m a junk-purging-organizational-freak – I’m not. I try. I really do. But getting my house exactly the way I want it; well it only happens for a very short time frame. But it does happen! I purge! I organize! I get things done! And I would lose my sanity if not. So over the years I’ve come up with a few tips to make the ‘purge’ a bit easier and more successful – so you can spend more time enjoying the beautiful Spring weather!

Stock Up on What You Need

Trash bags, totes, bins, labels – make sure you have everything you need to start the spring cleaning/ and organizing. Trust me it’s better to have it all on hand, then to have to stop in the middle of cleaning to go get something!
I like to order stuff off Amazon because I have a better idea of what I need if I’m standing in said room, searching online then when I’m at a store and get distracted (oh look -squirrel!) They have great deals, and free shipping on a lot of organizational stuff, like a wall organizer for all your important paperwork/homework, or this really amazing make-up organizer that will fit on nearly any bathroom vanity.
Usually I shop for one room at a time (helps with the budget too!)

Remember You Don’t Need so Much “STUFF”

The first step to your purge is realizing that you do have too much stuff. Remember that commercial where they box up everything and finally have an open clutter-free garage, and they look at each other and say, “We need more stuff!”? I am pretty sure that how a lot of us get, right?
LESS IS MORE  – really.
I promise you, you will be happier once you go through and purge all the junk from your home. You will operate more efficiently, laundry will take less time, cleaning will take less time – it’s a time saver, a money saver, and overall a sanity saver.

Take It One Room at a Time

Purging and decluttering can be overwhelming not only physically (with your time) but also mentally. When I remember how much I spent on something for one of my girls..and I find it behind their desk, covered with months of dust bunnies – it pains me a little to put it in the sale pile. When I start to add up all the money I essentially ‘wasted’ on things they just ‘had to have’ that looked brand new …well you get the picture. But there are ways to get a room nice and organized and give it a modern day look even for kids.

Besides that, if you try to do too much at once, you’ll want to just throw in the towel because you’re house will look like someone ransacked the place. I usually like to start with the rooms that everyone spends the most time in. I am big about always having my kitchen and living room cleaned up before I go to bed (even if the rest of the house is a disaster) – so this year I started with the kitchen. Just pick your room order and go from there – don’t move on until you have the prior room completely finished (trust me!)

Have a Vision

Before you get started have a vision before you get started – what you want it to look like, what your goals are for that room (decluttering, redesigning, etc). Knowing what you want, will help you focus on getting it. For example – in my kitchen I was tired of all the extra cups and plates, and mismatched pans or measuring cups – it was driving me crazy!

Store, Sell & Donate

The first step to purging is to separate – you need to start 3 piles: store, sell and donate. Anything you really want to keep – something with emotional value such as the serving bowl your Grandma gave you, or the china cup your kids made you. The next pile needs to things of value that you are ready to get rid of that you can sell online, or at a yard sale. Thirdly, your donate pile!

Clean!

Vinegar and a de-greaser is your best friend in a kitchen clean-up! Start from the top and work your way down. Kitchen ceilings, window sills, curtains, blinds, etc. Use a grease-cutting cleaner, wash your ceiling, light fixtures, ceiling fans & exhaust fans. Wash teh walls, cabinets, appliances -you get the picture!