It’s spring! Time for flowers, gardening, and spring cleaning! Today I’m going to give you some ideas so that, one fine spring weekend, you can declutter your home (and then keep it that way).
The Kitchen
Our kitchen counter becomes home base for clutter.
I pile the mail here, as well as the kids’ school papers, my calendar, and who knows what else.
Here’s how I solved my kitchen counter clutter problem:
Recycle Before Coming Inside.
I set up our paper recycling bins right outside our back door, where we come in from the mailbox and car.
When I get the mail, I sort through it in the garage and put anything unwanted in the recycling bin before it ever hits the counter. That way, I don’t end up with a big pile of either unsorted or unwanted mail on the counter. It never clears the threshold.
Sort It Out.
I bought this organizer at a home store. I added some stickers to label each pocket.
Now, when papers do come in the door, they go in the appropriate slot in the organizer. When my kids ask me where a certain school paper is, I ask, “Did you check the slot?”
Consolidate and Remove Stuff Not Used
Paper isn’t the only clutter on the counter. Fruit, veggies that don’t get refrigerated, bread, the toaster, the coffee and coffeemaker…you get the idea.
Instead, corral like items in pretty containers to keep them from spreading all over the counter.
Remove any small appliances or anything else you don’t use on a regular basis.
A clean, decluttered counter makes me happy.
Office and Desk
My office desk also becomes a repository for piles of paper and junk that doesn’t have a home…yet.
Here’s how I tackled my office.
Make Piles.
To start cleaning off my desk, I sort the paper into piles.
I have an indoor paper recycling bin handy, so I don’t have to walk to the outdoor one until I’m finished.
Make Files.
Once I sort through all the paper, then I can file it away. A file cabinet or system need not be expensive. I bought this file cabinet at a thrift store for about $7. I painted the outside gloss white and the front of the drawers with chalkboard paint.
I labeled each drawer with a chalkboard paint marker. Now it’s cute and functional!
Happy spring cleaning, everyone! What space in your home needs decluttering?
Great tricks here. All four of our main living areas are open to each other, so I’m especially manic about keeping the dining and kitchen surfaces nice and clear. But my office/studio is often messy, so I’ll need to work in there. Like the file cabinet w/chalkboard fronts. I have an old beat-up on that I’ll try that on.
Always enjoy the Mohawk Homescapes posts. Thanks.