Spring is a time of out with the old and in with the new. With sunny days ahead and warmer days becoming the new norm (we hope), we all eagerly anticipate winter's end. What's the best way to prepare and rid ourselves of those winter blues? De-clutter and Spring clean!
Typically, the start of April is wet and cold, so for me, that's the perfect time to get busy indoors.
Okay, so it's a job that only excites a few of us, but getting busy de-cluttering is the first task to make cleaning much more manageable. Deep cleaning your house can be daunting, so focus on one room at a time and maybe complete your spring cleaning over several weekends.
A List of Tasks
Making a list of things to do and putting the tasks in a diary helps prepare you for the jobs you prefer to avoid tackling!
Get Motivated
Even dipping in and out of Marie Kondo, it takes more than a list to motivate me, so plug in some music and throw open the windows to let in some fresh air before you start.
Surprisingly, after a complete house-clearing exercise last year, I must go through the same process this year, and it's not that I've been on a shopping spree!
Know What You Own
It's always a revelation to discover how many clothes, bags and shoes we hold onto. I've got a section of casual wear and another rack of "nice stuff" for going out, plus my old "working outside/mucky jobs clothes". However, it's still a shock to discover that some of my favourite items no longer fit me - okay, so it's time to ditch the super skinny jeans!
As the seasons change, it's easy to forget what we have hidden away at the back of a cupboard and when items are out of sight, they are often out of mind, which means they are unlikely to be worn.
Donate, Giveaway, Repurpose!
Empty the wardrobes, bedroom cupboards and drawers and sort through clothing, putting items you will never wear again in a pile for the charity shop or donating to a clothes bank.
Thoroughly clean cupboards and drawers and line them with scented drawer liners, lavender bags or a scented soap bar.
Even if stuff still fits, it may no longer flatter - re-sell, upcycle or put it in the charity box.
The Smallest Cupboard
The bathroom cabinet gets the most cluttered, with too many products jostling for space that it can soon become jammed-packed. Bathroom cabinets are small and shallow in design with too few shelves, so we're unable to store much in them; if you've limited storage in the bathroom, we recommend compact floor storage or baskets to keep everything tidy.
What to keep or throw away:
Dispose of everything that's past its expiration date.
Throw out anything opened but not used within the "use by date."
Recycle (almost empty) plastic containers of shampoo/creams/lotions.
And throw away products that you no longer use.
Keep a flip-top bin in your bathroom for recycling. Most products we use in the bathroom tend to come in plastic containers - these sometimes end up in general household waste. Here are a few great designs for recycling and bathroom storage:
Note: If you store out-of-date medication in your bathroom cabinet, here's a helpful link with information on how to dispose of unused drugs.
Once you've sorted, and washed out the cabinet, replace the items you are keeping, giving the products you use most often the most visible and easily accessible space.
Add anything that needs replacing to your shopping list, and you will have a nice clean and organised bathroom cabinet.
Here are a few ideas for storing bath and beauty products if you don't have a decent-sized wall cabinet:
Wicker or Seagrass storage baskets are perfect for storing different bathroom products.
Kitchen De-Clutter
The kitchen is easily the busiest and messiest room in the house and is the biggest challenge when clearing cupboards and cleaning.
It's an ideal opportunity to re-imagine and re-organise each cupboard, eliminate out-of-date packets or tins of food, and recycle no longer-needed kitchen gadgets and mismatched crockery.
All kitchens require a deep clean occasionally, but sorting out each cupboard first will simplify cleaning.
Remember, it's better to enjoy your home with the people you love, even if it's messy than to live alone in an immaculately clean house.
Thank you for checking in - for more information on our products, please visit our store at www.livewellnaturalskincare.co.uk
Pam x