De-cluttering For The Summer
The busy summer season is full of active opportunities, and it’s easy to neglect the condition of your home. However, taking some time to de-clutter can be truly gratifying. You will feel a sense of accomplishment as you restore order. You will also find that much of the clutter can be repurposed. Prepare your organizational strategies before you begin your task. Attack the clutter and gain control of your home.
Bins or bags are perfect for organizing clutter. Some of each will allow you to sort as you clean. Start with a strategy. Some people are thrilled by an all-day event, feeling that they can better enjoy the remainder of the summer if they jump in and complete the cleaning in one fell swoop. Others need to break the job into smaller tasks. If you love the all-at-once approach, set the date and mark it on your calendar. If you need to take it a little bit at a time, break your task into areas and set the dates so that you stick to your schedule.
In de-cluttering, you are bound to encounter some treasures, things you forgot you owned but can’t imagine not having. These will need special treatment. Have a treasure bin handy for your must have finds. You will probably encounter usable items that you are ready and willing to eliminate from your home. Add these to a yard sale or giveaway bin. Of course, you will probably encounter a lot of useless paperwork. If it’s labeled or carries important identifying information, send it to the shredder. Otherwise, toss it. Of course, you are bound to find some useless junk that needs to be thrown out. Junk hauling should be set aside for days when you have a helper available to take things to the dump. Alternately, you can hire a junk hauling service to dispose of your truly trashy discards.
After you’ve made your way through your project, getting other materials to their intended destinations is important. Your giveaway bags can be taken to a second hand shop or to a local charity. Many organizations are happy to collect your giveaway materials, and some even solicit such merchandise by leaving collection bags at your door.
Planning for your de-cluttering yard sale is fun. Decide on a purpose for your funds. Will you throw an end of the summer bash before the kids return to school? Maybe you will find a new furnishing for your now organized home. Perhaps you will tuck your earnings away for a special occasion. The satisfaction of regaining control will be worthwhile, regardless of how much you earn or how you spend it.
