Loves and Links: Spring Cleaning and Decluttering

Daffodils are sprouting up in my garden and everyone is talking about Marie Kondo’s show on Netflix. That’s why I’ve chosen spring cleaning and decluttering for this month’s Loves and Links theme.

I fully admit that I really dislike cleaning, yet I really like a clean and tidy house. It just makes coming home feel so much nicer.

This time of year (when it’s not raining cats and dogs!) I feel a little impulse to sweep out the last of winter, clean out my closet and freshen things up. And I notice how dirty my windows are!

I’ve been on a big decluttering kick the past few months, as you will read below in #1. It can be hard to get started, but once you do, decluttering momentum sets in and you get on a roll. It gets easier and easier to toss stuff.

There is not only one right way of decluttering or organizing. For some people, doing one massive spring cleaning over the weekend or taking all of your clothes out of your closet to declutter your entire wardrobe in one day is highly effective. But for others, taking on such a massive project all at once can have discouraging effects and leave you with a bigger mess than you started with.

No stress, please!

1. 30 Day Decluttering Challenge. I did this for the first time last September and it was such a great experience. I’m in the middle of doing it for the third time, although not nearly as religiously as the first time around. The idea is very simple: on Day 1 you get rid of one item, on Day 2 you get rid of two items, on Day 16 you get rid of sixteen items, and so it continues. Each time I have done this with friends with a designated Whats App chat. Every day we send photos of what we are getting rid of. Sometimes we send before and after pics if we declutter an area (like a cupboard) and show how lovely it looks after we got rid of all the unnecessary stuff. The daily chat group has been the most fun part and of course the most motivating. It’s just like the say about anything, you’re more likely to stick to it if you do it with a friend. The picture above is from Day 20-something and is what I found to toss in a drawer near my entry: tons of stuff that I haven’t needed for years!

2. If you feel like you need a little help figuring out where to get started or what to get rid of, try this 31 Bite Sized Decluttering Tasks to Do Before You Spring Clean. I love this blogger’s sense of humour. This is how she explains why mom’s need to do things in bite-sized chunks rather than all in a day: “The kids are already pulling shit out of cupboards, drawers and closets – why would you add to that hoopla??”

3. If it’s your closet you feel needs sorting out, print out this handy chart to help you make decisions and let go.

4. If you have a hard time getting rid of things, take a look at this article about the Decluttering Roadblocks that are Keeping You Stuck. I love that the author says not to only ask if the objects make you happy, but why do you buy all the stuff in the first place? Getting rid of stuff today doesn’t solve the real problem if new Amazon boxes are showing up tomorrow.

5. If Spring Cleaning is on your agenda, take a step back in time and get some advice from your grandmother’s generation. How to do Your Spring Cleaning Like a 50s Housewife just might be the motivation you need to put on a dress and get out those cleaning supples. Here’s a nifty tip: If your books smell musty, sprinkle baking soda on the pages and allow time to air out. What?????

6. On the top of my Decluttering To Do List is my cleaning closet. I don’t think I’ve sorted it out since we moved into our house more than three years ago so I desperately need Storage Solutions for Organized Cleaning Supplies. Mine will probably never look as pristine as the one here, but the Lazy Susans are part of my plan. Lazy Susans are my current go-to organizational tool for kitchen cupboards, and I think they would work great for cleaning supplies as well!

Happy cleaning! And by the way, if you love binging on KonMarie, check out Consumed on Netflix. It’s a Canadian series with a much ballsier woman keeping hoarding families in line- she’s fabulous!

xx

Nicole