Organize + Energize: Spring Cleaning - 10 Things to Get Rid of Now

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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Kristin MacRae, GoLocalWorcester Organizing Expert

The weather is changing, the sun is shining and it’s a great time of year to cleanse yourself and your home of things that are dragging you down. It’s a great time to refresh and recharge.  Think about everything in your home that is holding you back from functioning at your most efficient and productive level.  It’s time to make some changes. Wondering where you should begin? It’s a good idea to walk into a room and re-evaluate anything that is collecting dust. If it’s collecting dust, chances are you haven’t looked at it or used it in quite some time. 

Here are 10 things to add to your spring cleaning to-do list:

Old magazines. If you have to blow the dust off of your magazines, it’s time to let them go. Are you storing magazines by the bed, in your den or other areas of your home? Just think about the dust that is accumulating on your nightstand or in a basket by the bed that you are breathing in while you are sleeping. Are you really going to read these magazines any time soon? Check the dates. How long have they been sitting there?

Outdated papers. Once a year you should go through your filing cabinet and purge your files. This won’t be an overwhelming task if it’s tackled every year. Either throw away or shred files that you no longer need. Store old statements that you are keeping in a weather resistant bin and have a place where you can keep them. Your filing cabinet should be used for current information. 

Anything that needs to be shred.  If you have piles of shred around your home, now is the time to get rid of them. Gather them and put this task on your to-do list to shred them yourself, take them to a shredding facility or find the nearest shred event and take care of it.

VHS tapes. How many VHS movies are you holding onto? Unless you have a plan to take them to be converted to DVD, it’s time to make a decision about what you want to do with them. Be honest, when are you really going to watch them again? 

Things that belong to other people. You have items that you have borrowed that need to be returned. There is a pile somewhere in your home of these exact items. Gather these items, separate them and put the task on your to-do list to get them back to these people. Get them out of your home. 

Things that you are saving for other people. Before you think about giving something to somebody, whether it’s an article or book you want them to read, a sentimental item or a hand-me-down, think about if the person really wants it. Sometimes people will take items because they feel guilty or they don’t want to offend you. This process becomes a vicious cycle and some people’s basements are proof of this. Don’t let these items clutter up your home or other people’s homes.

Anything in your closet that isn’t wearable. When you switch over your closets in a month, it’s time to get rid of stained, ripped and worn out clothes. It’s time to get rid of clothes that are too big or too small and ones you know you will never fit into again. It’s also time to get rid of outdated, out of fashion clothes. Give your closet a huge makeover and you will feel fabulous when you are done.

Anything broken. If it’s broken and it’s been broken for over a year, it may be time to get rid of it. Think about how much it will cost you to fix it. Is it just easier to get rid of it and purchase a brand new one? If you have many broken items in your home and they’ve been sitting there for years, it may be time to let them go.

Expired items in your bathroom/linen closet. Put this task on your to-do list. Organize your linen/bathroom closet. Take everything out and you may be surprised at what you find. I will bet that there are items that you were looking for or forgot you had. You may have even purchased duplicate items because you couldn’t find what you were looking for the first time. There aren’t too many sentimental items in a linen closet, so this project should be easy for you to tackle.

Negative energy. Is the clutter in your home draining your energy? Does it make you tired and sluggish? Do you feel like you are really busy but not very productive? Clutter and disorganization will have a negative effect on you and your surroundings. Clear the clutter, get organized and allow positive energy to flow through your home. 

Grab your to-do list and start marking these projects on it. Enjoy this time of year and spring ahead with a clear mind and a decluttered, organized home. When you are finished, you will approach life in ways you never thought you could. 

Kristin Carcieri-MacRae, the founder and owner of Organizing in RI, has always enjoyed finding creative ways to streamline the environment around her. She has appeared on air on Patricia Raskin's Positive Business Radio and her articles have been published in the Rhode Island Small Business Journal and New England Home Life. Kristin's CD, Organizing Basics, is a 1-hour guide for the person who wants to get organized but doesn't know where to start. She is also available for organizing workshops. Tune into her weekly radio show, Organize, Energize! on talkstreamradio.com.   

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