Residents of Central Indiana know that the weather can be prone to frequent changes and warm winter weather is a great opportunity to get a head start on spring cleaning — especially in those garages, attics, barns, and beyond. We put so many things into spaces during the year — but when do you take things out??
It’s important to routinely take inventory of what you have so you can find it when you need it and to purge those things you don’t need. This causes the build-up of duplicates and often unwanted stockpiles.
A Quick Decluttering
The first step is to eliminate big items first. Then go shelf by shelf and drawer by drawer, continuing to remove whatever you haven’t used in more than a year or can’t remember when or why you bought it. Rid yourself of unwanted gadgets and small appliances, expired items, soiled or broken items, anything with missing parts, and things you won’t want to buy yourself at a garage sale.
If you have things that are in great shape and useful, you may want to donate them, try to sell them, or give them away via other methods. Two important things to consider when you think about what you will do with the items:
- Your time is valuable, whether that’s driving things away or selling them
- You absolutely need to make sure that the items you decide to get rid of leave your home quickly
Continue with Organizing
Once you have purged stuff and have extra space in your shelves and drawers, you can consider if they are well organized or if there may be a better way of storing, accessing, and utilizing your stuff.
If you really want to get organized, remove everything from the shelving or drawers, group it together on the floor or a table, and then put everything back with purpose and thought. Many times, organizers will create a visual plan to determine where items will go. Remember:
- What you use often should be easily accessible
- Things on the harder-to-access high shelves should be light and infrequently used
Dream Big: Think about what you would need to remove to get the car in there. If it’s easy to achieve, set a timer for 15 minutes and see if you can organize enough stuff to make it happen!
Celebrate Your Success
Now sit back and enjoy a job well done! Spring is still so far away and you’ve made your outdoor stoage more amazing!
Warning: You may find that once you get started purging, you want to get rid of even more. You’re not alone and that’s totally normal! Appreciate what you have and find a new home for what you don’t love or need. Who wants to clean all that unneeded stuff anyway?
Are you ready to have items picked up or need help with decluttering and organizing your space? Junk Masters is here to help. Call or text us at 317-456-2055 or email tiffany@junk-masters.com to discuss how we can make your home happier and healthier.
