With warmer weather finally upon us, now is the time to get your home cleaned up and organized. Below are 6 tips for spring cleaning and organizing.
- Start Small – You don’t have to do it all at once. Make a list of the different areas you need to tackle. We suggest scheduling them into your calendar. This will hold you accountable and keep you focused on the task at hand.
- Organize your Cleaning Supplies – Create a cleaning kit using a bucket with a handle. The bucket can be used for cleaning as well as storing all of your necessities – rubber gloves, rags, sprays, scrub brush, etc. Be sure you store the bucket and all of it’s contents out of reach of children, either up high or in a child-proofed location. This wall mounted mop and broom holder is also a great addition to any closet or the back of a door. It’s easy to mount, inexpensive and a great way to hold your mop, broom, and Swiffer.
- Put Away the Cold Weather Accessories – Wahoo!! It’s time to stash away all of your cold weather accessories (hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, snow pants and snow boots) and make room for warm weather items (umbrella, rain boots, and baseball hats). We always recommend going through the items before you store them away for next year. Items that your kids have grown out of or that aren’t in good shape should be donated. If you have younger children, be sure to save items from the bigger kids! Depending on how many items you have will depend on how many bins you need and if you can put everything in together or separate out. Because I have 4 kids I put all snow pants and winter jackets in one tub, all boots in one tub and all accessories (hats, gloves/mittens, scarves) in another. Don’t forget to label everything so you can easily pull it out next year! We love this label maker and these clear latch bins for storing and stacking.
- Freshen up Your Food Storage Containers – It happens to all of us, somehow we started with a full set of food storage containers – every bottom had a top and every top a bottom. But somewhere along the way so many pieces no longer have a match. Sometimes it just make sense to start fresh – why not spring?! We recommend a Pyrex glass set because of their easy stacking capability and their ability to go from fridge to microwave/oven. If you prefer plastic food storage containers we suggest buying one brand and sticking with it. Ziploc and Glad storage containers are so inexpensive that starting fresh doesn’t break the bank. There’s no need to spend a ton of money, but make sure you buy the sizes that fit your family’s needs.
- Organize your Car Trunk – Spring time often means outdoors activities and often being on the go a bit more. Keeping your trunk organized and stocked with all of the necessities will make things so much easier. We love this type of trunk organizer – it’s great for stashing away your grocery bags, a blanket, some baby wipes, and even a ball or frisbee. Some of them even come with a soft cooler bag so you can keep cold food at the proper temperature while running other errands.
- Donate or Sell the Items you Don’t Use – I am a big proponent of donating items that you no longer need to
hose that can use it. One of our favorite places to donate is the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda. You can drop items off or schedule pick ups. Because their pick up calendar books up quickly, we also like Salvation Army and AmVets for large item pick ups. Sometimes it makes more sense to sell items instead of donating. Facebook has some great online “yard sale” groups that makes posting and selling items a breeze.
My motto is, do it now, so you can enjoy the beautiful spring weather that the DMV has to offer!
