Here are some tips for organizing the items in your home for spring cleaning.It’s well-known that spring is the perfect time for giving your home a top-to-bottom clean. Once the cold, short days of winter are over, people everywhere are practically waking up from hibernation. If you’re going to be moving to a new home in the late spring or summer, use this springtime energy to your advantage. The fewer belongings you have, the less time you’ll have to spend packing, moving, and unpacking. Start decluttering your home using these guidelines:

Don’t Start What You Can’t Finish

Once you get your spring cleaning momentum going, you may be tempted to dart throughout your house and organize everything in your path, but try to contain your energy to one room or specific project at a time to prevent burnout and half-finished projects. Spend up to three hours tackling a project before taking a break.

Try the Four Box Method

Set up four boxes in the center of each room you declutter and mark one “trash,” mark another “sell/give away,” another “storage,” and the last one “put away.” The first two boxes are self-explanatory – put items in them that you intend to throw in the trash, donate, or sell. You can sell items online, in a garage sale, or at a consignment shop. For seasonal items you don’t need at the moment but don’t want to get rid of, like heavy winter coats, place them in the “storage” box. Items that just need to be put away in their proper place go in the “put away” box.

KonMari It

Marie Kondo is famous for her book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which instructs readers in a decluttering method that’s proven to simplify people’s lives and sometimes prevent them from ever having to repeat the process again. These are the highlights of her tried and true KonMari method:
  • Sort items by category rather than by room, starting with clothes, moving on to documents and books, and even going through mementos and photographs that are usually held onto without a second thought. For instance, while parsing through your clothing, grab every item of clothing from every room in your house and place it in one pile on the floor. You may be surprised by just how much clothing you own!
  • Consider each item individually and ask yourself the question “Does this give me joy?” If it doesn’t, throw it in your “sell/give away” or “trash” box. Exceptions should be made for items you might not be particularly excited about but can’t throw away, like work uniforms or legal documents.
  • Eventually, the idea is to only be left with items that have a proper place in your house where they can be put away. That way, tidying up will only take minutes as you put things back in their place, rather than hours spent decluttering. If you add items to your house, ensure that they have a proper home or get rid of other items to make room.

Donation Drop-Off Centers in Cleveland

Here are some places in Cleveland to drop off household item and used clothing donations.

Donation Drop-Off Centers in Pittsburgh

These are some places in Pittsburgh to drop off your household item and used clothing donations. Once you’re done decluttering for your move, it’s time to find your moving boxes and packing supplies. Check out our moving blog or contact Weleski for tips.