Are you one of those people who feel energised by the spring as the days get longer and sunnier? Does it make you want to go outside and enjoy the warmth and nature? No surprise then that you also want to create more space indoors and say goodbye to those dark winter days by making everything light and airy. So, how do you start a big spring-clean?
Even though you know a tidy home will make you happy, it’s often hard to take the first step. However, cleaning up doesn’t have to be a chore. There’s bound to be a sibling or friend that you haven’t seen in ages. Invite them to dinner, with a little ‘task to build up an appetite’. Perfect for giving your wardrobe a clear-out, especially if it’s difficult for you to get rid of clothes that no longer fit or are a bit dated. Hoping that one day you’ll be able to get into them again or that they come back in fashion is often a fruitless exercise, so an honest opinion from someone close to your heart can do wonders. Together, decide what’s the best thing to do with the clothes. Maybe your friend will still be able to use your classy trousers or that summer sweater from France. Put what you no longer need in a box for charity, that always feels good.
Sometimes, you don’t realise how much clutter you’ve accumulated. Are you really going to read all those newspapers and magazines that you put aside for later? Do you hope that those missing socks will turn up one day and you’ll be able to make a pair from all the odd socks in your drawer? Will you really write your life story based on those old diaries and birthday cards you received in the pre-internet age? Do you think those cute baby rompers will still be any good for your grandkids? Do you really have to keep all your secondary school notes? You can probably answer ‘no’ to these questions without a lot of thinking. If that’s the case, this stuff can be organised very quickly. Everything good for a second life can be put in cardboard boxes for the ‘Kringwinkel’ (recycling store), and the rest put in the waste container. Done!
Now’s the time to tidy up candles, decorative cushions or throw-overs that kept the winter evenings nice and cosy. Pick up each object and ask yourself how heartbroken you would be if you lost it. This makes it easy to decide if something is worth holding on to. Wrap fragile accessories in bubble wrap before storing them away. Throw-overs can be put in vacuum bags or plastic storage boxes in your wardrobe or the attic, together with your winter duvets. You can also store the whole family’s winter coats in this way, which will save you lots of space. So don’t forget to check the coathooks by the door. Also, have at look at everyone’s winter shoes. Are they worth saving for another winter season?
Are those puzzle pieces, blocks, cards, and dinosaurs all too much? Then go through them with your kids and decide which ones they want to keep and which ones they’ve outgrown. Get rid of toys with missing parts. Toys which they’ve lost interest in and books with stories that are no longer appropriate for their ages can be given to friends or the school library in handy book boxes, as long as the kids agree. However, don’t overdo the clear-out. Kids may well cherish a worn-out stuffed animal or knick-knack in a way your adult logic can’t understand. Allow this, and give them a nicely decorated kid’s moving box in which they can keep their treasures neatly. Make it a fun activity, and let your kids colour or decorate their box. If you have party games you want to store, check if they’re complete and store them in a cupboard in the room where you play. That’s always handy for a games night, and easy to tidy up afterwards.
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