This spring we have been guiding customers on how to create clean, tidy, clutter-free spaces in their homes. Now that spring is here, you should be ready to spring clean your bedroom, kitchen and living room. While spring cleaning your home, there are probably some rooms that require a bit more effort to look spick and span, even after scrubbing. Because our lifestyles often become busier toward the end of the year, and we spend less time at home, it’s good to know how to keep your home clean and organised throughout the rest of the year. This includes decluttering and getting rid of no-longer-needed items. Here are some tips for cleaning and maintaining an organised home all year.
7 Organisation Transformations to Try This Spring
1. Walk-In Closet
Suppose your bedroom cupboard needs decluttering more often than not, you may want to consider having a new wardrobe or walk-in closet installed, but you will have to keep it organised.
Sort through clothes you no longer wear before piling everything into your new walk-in closet. Remove all your clothing items from your cupboard, and sort the items into ‘keep’ and ‘go’. Once the new closet is installed, you can place the rearranged clothes into their new home.
With your possessions, it’s best to go through them and keep only the things you need, wear and love. Once you’ve decided which items should stay in your life, you’ll need to decide where to put them. When things have a home, items can still cause clutter, but your home will be easier to declutter or reset.
2. Start Small On Big Tasks
If your kitchen is a mess and needs some organising, break down the big task into smaller jobs so that it’s not so overwhelming. Start by clearing the dishes from the counters, and move them to the sink. Wipe down the counters, mop the floor, and slowly remove things that don’t belong there, and put them in the right place. It will feel great when you see your kitchen clean and tidy – your life will be more stress-free when it’s no longer a mess.
3. Organise The Pantry
The pantry is usually a very disorganised area, especially when there isn’t a system in place or selected areas for food categories.
If your pantry is not functioning efficiently, it may need to be redesigned. The best system for a pantry is an Elfa system, which you should be able to buy in most home furniture stores. Elfa is a module home storage system that can be set up in your pantry, wardrobe, or garage – this system is the best way to declutter any room in your home. With an Elfa system, you will have lots and lots of storage space in your pantry and have more drawers and shelves as dedicated space for each food category. They should also be labelled so that you can easily find whatever you need.
It’s important to schedule maintenance time to keep the pantry organised. Even the most efficient of systems will require at least 15 to 30 minutes every week. If you leave things to the last minute, especially maintenance, then fill it into your calendar and do it before you allow yourself to do something you enjoy. For instance, if you love your morning coffee, place cluttered items away and then reward yourself with a cup of coffee.
4. Save Time, Organise, Then Clean
You may not have a dirty or cluttered home, but with kids and a busy schedule, it will contribute to the de-organization of your home.
Several areas of your home that probably need to be decluttered and organised include the garage, home office, master closet, and master bathroom.
Keeping your home organised contributes to about 50% less time physically cleaning your home. This is achieved by decluttering, naming a place or everything in the area, and then labelling.
Always look at clutter objectively and get rid of as much as you can. If this proves to be too hard for you, hire a professional to help you, or ask a friend. You will get rid of the weight you never knew you had. Another small yet helpful tip is to switch your plastic hangers with velvet hangers. Velvet hangers are thinner so it provides you with more space, and the velvet material will prevent clothes from slipping off.
5. Enjoy Your Home
If your home is in transition, being renovated for example, then certain readjustments may be in order. If your older children have moved out then new dynamics of what is going to be used, how often, and by who must be considered. If only one person goes into your pantry to take out food items, then you may want to customise each shelf to the height of the person accessing them.
It’s important to be realistic to maintain an organised home. Family life involves mess at dinner time, busy schedules, muddy shoes, and lots of clutter. This chaos requires your time and energy to be dedicated – don’t forget that organised spaces come in waves. It’s normal to go through periods in life when order can’t be maintained the entire time throughout the whole home.
But don’t worry, give yourself some slack. Try to focus on getting rid of trash and recycling out of every room each day. Switch up goals by organising one room or cupboard a month. This method allows life to run its course while still maintaining a functioning home.
6. Regular Maintenance
It’s a good idea to spend 10 to 15 minutes at the end of each day taking care of clutter that builds up during normal use of your home throughout the day. Be deliberate, and set reminders on your phone so that you cannot forget. Controlling clutter in your home is a life-maintenance program. If it’s not managed every day, your home will always be in chaos.
For those who tend to buy impulsively, try not to buy things unless you do need them. Don’t forget there’s a difference between needs and wants. Avoid the temptation – not only will it save you money, but also much time and energy trying to maintain and control such excess. Sometimes it’s good to think of your things as a burden, that you have to figuratively carry with you through life. Give yourself time to reminisce, and then anything that doesn’t serve a purpose regularly should be let go of.
7. Bathroom Storage
It happens in every home, when we’re rushing to get ready for work after one of those mornings and you can’t find your make-up. Clean and organise your bathroom cabinets; perhaps implement an Elfa system in the bathroom too, that way you’ll be able to find everything you need at a glance.
Conclusion
We hope that these tips help you to keep your home clean and organised now and for the years to come. It’s never too late to transform your home, especially now that it is spring. Keep your home clean and free from clutter for you and the family to enjoy all year round. Also, if your life doesn’t allow you the time to spend cleaning and organising things at home, you can book a professional home clean with SweepSouth so that you won’t have to worry about it.
