As the weather begins to warm up and we look forward to throwing open the doors of our homes to welcome the spring and summer sunshine, many of us will be preparing to give our homes a big spring clean. As well as getting out the mops and dusters, it might pay to delve a little deeper into some corners of your home and do some spring purging to get an extra level of organisation for your home as you head into spring and summer.
Kitchen Clear Out
Take a look at the appliances in your kitchen and evaluate whether you have used them recently. If your slow cooker didn’t get pulled out of that corner cupboard all winter, or your breadmaker is covered in a layer of dust, it’s probably time to let them go! If you do tend to use lots of appliances such as food processors and blenders, but they take up valuable space in your kitchen, consider upgrading to an all-in-one device to save on space.
Also, check through your pots, pans, and serving ware, which often come in sets with lots of different sizes. If you only use one or two sizes, and the rest are taking up space and rarely used, clear them out! If you have any seasonal items like Christmas platters you only use infrequently, consider storing them in another area of the house – like in a plastic container in the garage or attic – so you save space in your kitchen but can access them when the occasion comes around.
Garage Safety Check
Garage shelves and cupboards are often home to chemicals, cleaning products, and paints that you brought for a specific purpose, half used, then stored, never to be required again. Often the plastic or metal containers can degrade or rust, causing leaks and spills which can damage your home or pose a risk to children and animals.
Remove all substances from your shelves or storage areas and wipe everything down to make sure surfaces are clean and undamaged. Check containers to make sure they are securely sealed, that products are still needed and new enough to be effective, then dispose of anything no longer required safely. Many councils have drop-off points or collections for dangerous chemicals, paints, and other substances.
Office Overhaul
With COVID-19 lockdowns, many of us have been working or learning from home more than ever before, so I am sure most home office spaces are overflowing with paperwork, exercise books, stationery, and other office and school-related supplies. Spring is a great time to sort through it all, so you have a useable and organised space.
Get rid of any worksheets, books, or stationery that is no longer being used, and file what you want to keep tidily back on your shelves and cupboards. Use display boards or filing books or boxes to keep special schoolwork or items if needed. Check that stationery like pens and staplers work, and bin anything broken or out of ink. Make sure pencils are sharpened, and calculators and other electronic equipment have batteries and are in good working order.
Once you know what you’re keeping, it’s also a great time to look at your home office setup and what storage solutions you’re going to need going forward – particularly if you don’t have a lot of space.
Linen Look Through
Often when we buy and bring new towels, washcloths, and other linen into the home, we don’t tend to get rid of anything older to make way for it. Spring is a great time to go through your linen and cut it down to a more manageable amount, so you are left with fewer, higher quality items, leaving you with less cluttered closets, and hopefully less washing to do!
Check for any frayed, damaged, or faded towels, or sheeting that has holes or stains. When it comes to bedding like heavy blankets or duvets, if you haven’t used them all winter, chances are you won’t use them next winter either, so pass them on to a new home. Consider donating linen items you don’t want to a charity like animal shelters who are often in need of towels and bedding.
By keeping on top of the clutter and ensuring key storage areas of your home are well organised and tidy, carrying out a big spring clean will be a breeze! And if you happen to be in need to better storage options for your home – whether you are retrofitting an existing space or planning a brand new one - take advantage of a free consultation with a design expert at Innovative Interiors, who will work with you to create a customised solution that will work with the space you have, and what you want from it.