Currently we are all cooped up inside our homes, because of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Having to spend so much time at home creates much frustration and unhappiness. One of your frustrations might be an untidy and cluttered household.
With spring in the air, now is the ideal time to clean your home thoroughly and get it ready for the summer season. Tidying up your home is considered therapeutic and will make you feel more positive and happy.
Get your summer wardrobe ready
- Remove all your winter clothes and shoes.
- Sort clothing into 3 piles. One for items you are keeping, another for items that you need to fix or clean and a third pile of clothing you want to discard.
- Discard anything that you haven’t worn this past winter or any old items.
- Wash or dry clean coats and suits.
- Store your winter items on the top shelf or the back of your wardrobe. Dedicate a hanging space for winter items such as coats and jackets. You can also use plastic containers to store your clothes.
- Go through all your summer clothing and discard all unwanted and old clothes.
- Store clothes by category and colour.
- Make a list of new clothing items you need to get for the summer season.
- Check fashion articles in magazines or on social media to get a good idea of what is in fashion.
- For those of you who have established your own unique style, look out for essential items to extend your existing wardrobe.
- For more advice on wardrobe organising read my blog post on Wardrobe Detox.
Clean and store your winter bedding
- Collect all your winter blankets and bed linen.
- Discard anything that looks worn or old.
- Wash everything and make sure it’s dry before you fold it.
- Always fold items in rectangular shapes.
- Store blankets on the top shelve and winter linen in the back of your linen cupboard.
- It’s important that you store your linen in a cool, dry place.
Prepare your garden or balcony for summer
- Prune shrubs, trees and roses.
- Remove weed and clean up dead leaves and branches.
- Fertilise existing plants.
- You might want to rearrange the layout of your balcony or garden.
- Make a list of any new plants or seeds you want to buy.
- Check your hand tools and buy new ones if needed.
- Maintain your outdoor furniture by cleaning them with soapy water. Varnish wood furniture if needed.
Clean your windows and curtains
- Wash windows with a bucket of hot water and some liquid dish detergent or distilled vinegar.
- Wipe the windows with a wet cloth and finish it off with a dry cloth.
- If there are any stubborn stains, then spray some window cleaner on the stain and wipe it with a dry cloth.
- Also clean your window frames, while you are washing the windows.
- It is recommended to clean your curtains once a year.
- Most curtains have to be dry-cleaned. Be aware that curtains can shrink, even if you wash them with cold water.
- Dust off or vacuum fabric blinds.
- If you have metal or wooden blinds then wipe them off with a moist cloth, which you can dip in soapy water. Dry each slat with a clean cloth.
Tidy up and redecorate your home
- Remove, clean and store all seasonal winter items, such as decorative skins for chairs, knitted cushions or fake fur blankets.
- Return items to their proper storage places.
- Do a proper clean up of each room and discard any old and unwanted things.
- Clean your carpets with a carpet cleaner.
- Vacuum your mattresses.
- Fix broken or damaged things inside the house, like used light bulbs, dripping taps or a broken furniture piece.
- To inject new life into your home, change the colour scheme. This can easily be done with new scatter cushions, place mats or towels.
- Add plants to create a fresh and clean appearance. Houseplants help to remove toxins from the air.
- Make a list of all the new things you need.
- For every new item you get, you have to let go of one or two items. This will help you to reduce clutter.
- Visit Instagram or Pinterest for great ideas on how to decorate your home.
“When your environment is clean you feel happy, motivated and healthy.” – Lailah Gifty Akita
Follow my 52 Week Organise your Life Programme
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