Spring Cleaning!

Okay, so I've been a little antsy lately. Who isn't? It's the end of April, school is winding down and the weather is heating up.

For some reason, this kind of weather makes me want to clean. Maybe it's not the weather, perhaps it's the large amount of final projects that are due soon, and how my house always seems to magically become before I begin a project. Another procrastination device I use is StumbleUpon... and one of my 'favorites' on stumble is organization. So lots of the websites that pop up have to do with cleaning, and inspire me to procrastinate even longer... here are a few of my favorite organizational discoveries!

Here are a few things I have been implementing in my apartment-

1. CHEMICAL FREE CLEANING
I have cats, and they tend to lick everything, so chemical free cleaning products are important to me. A few months ago I learned that white vinegar and water work just as well as any product on the market. I have been spraying it on everything, guess what.. it works! More chemical free recipes here.

2. ORGANIZE IN SECTIONS
Start small. Don't look at the entire house and think, "I'm going to clean the house today!" Instead, think "I'm going to organize the spice cabinet!" Take your organizing by sections, and organize the sections into organized spaces. Instead of looking at the entire house and getting overwhelmed... just think about a certain kitchen cupboard. Yesterday I turned up the volume on the TV and turned my organization rage on the kitchen. This started after I couldn't find the hot sauce in the spice cupboard... I pulled out all the spices, coated the space with vinegar, organized the spices into a nice little brownie tin and organized all my tea bags in a box. By eliminating the tea boxes, I saved half the space, and had more room for other things. The brownie tin was a good idea because now if I'm looking for a spice I no longer have to climb up on the cupboard and dig around. Instead, I can just pull out the tin and find the spice much easier! After the spice cupboard was finished... I turned my rage on the pots and pans, the bowl and mug shelf and the utensils. While I was doing this, I threw things we never use onto the kitchen table and after I was done, boxed the unused things and stuffed them in a closet. The kitchen is much more usable now! Check out GetRidofThings.com for more information!


3. HALF EVERYTHING, THEN HALF IT AGAIN
It's AMAZING how much crap we have cluttering our lives! Sometimes walking into my closet terrifies me. It's impossible to put together an outfit when you're overwhelmed.

Less is more. Really, it is. Go through your closet and half your clothes. Then wait a few days, and half it again. If you have clothes that are too small for you, box them up or give them to goodwill. You may be a dreamer, but it's doubtful you'll fit back into those clothes while they are still in style. Just give them up. (Don't give the diet up, just give up the clothes! Sometimes getting rid of the clothes can be a motivator... when you reach the goal, replace the clothes you gave away with some new cute tops!) I finally gave up my size 4 pants... they have been hanging for a year now, and haven't moved.



After you get done with your first purge, drop the clothes off at the Goodwill or sell them to Plato's Closet, and do it again! You'll get cash in your pocket, and space in your closet. Another tip I read about for getting rid of old clothes is to turn the hanger backwards every time you wear an article of clothing, after a certain amount of time you'll know what clothes you don't wear by which hangers are still facing the right direction!

4. Location, Location, Location!
Do you have problems finding your bills or your mail? Or your keys when you're running out the door? Give them their own spot! Keep things were they make sense. Keep keys on a peg by the door, paper by the phone and CD's by your computer. Things will become so much more simple and your productivity will go up once you stop searching for those everyday things!

5. Find a Drop Zone!
Do you have piles of things you use daily piling up all around your house? Designate a cute basket or box to drop those little things in everyday. Take time every week to empty the basket out and organize the loose change you didn't know you had!

6. Eliminate Homelessness
Everything in your house should have a home. No boxes filled with a random assortment of hardware and paperwork, no catch-all consisting of menus, mismatched socks and old rubber bands. Invest in some boxes or plastic totes, put like things together and then clearly label them. Knowing where to find things is a big step toward keeping your life organized.

7. Eliminate nasty from your fridge!
One of the most important parts of your house to keep clean is your fridge. For some reason, it's often forgotten during cleaning sprees. Do you really want to eat food out of a bacteria infested fridge? Really? Yuck... Go shelf by shelf and organize your fridge by levels. Spray a vinegar mix and clean as you go. You'll be surprised how many old meals and expired food you have forgotten about! While going through your fruits and veggies, keep an eye on spoiled produce! (A great resource I recently discovered is a seasonal fruit and vegetable calendar... check it out.) Also, ditch the vegetable drawer and move them up to the top of your fridge and into a bowl. If you keep them out at eye level, you'll be more likely to grab for veggies when you're hungry.