Has summer done a number on the cleanliness of your car? Kids’ activities, road trips and visits to the beach and dog park can add to interior dirt. With the weather turning cool and winter on the way, now’s the time to give your car’s cabin a thorough scrubdown. Start by grabbing two garbage bags, A Mess Free Life suggests; use one for trash and the other for things in your car that really belong elsewhere. Then “go to town” with the vacuum cleaner to get into cracks and crevices, the article says, and wipe all surfaces. Finally, clean the glass with a cloth or newspaper, using a reach-and-clean tool for slanted windshields.
Author: Jordank
Editorial Coordinator
Kick off Decluttering in Time for Football
Even though the temperatures may still be muggy outside, the Labor Day holiday marks the symbolic end of summer break. Now complete, the kids are back in school throughout the country and the leaves will soon be starting to turn in the northern climes. Fall is on the way.
Also synonymous with fall is the start of the football season. When the players hit the gridiron in earnest, it’s time to hole up indoors in front of the TV — or bundle up at the stadium — and root for your favorite team. But you may still be ill-equipped to have people over for game day.
For one thing, your home may be too cluttered to entertain in, even in the most casual beer-and-chips kind of way. The answer is to gather up all of that extra stuff that’s lying around and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup. Once clear of clutter, you can have people over without having them trip over your old junk.
With summer nearing its end, you can get rid of the T-shirts and shorts that didn’t get worn, and store or toss those bathing suits and pool toys. And once you start to get those fall sweaters and coats out of storage, you may find a few things that you know you won’t be wearing in the seasons ahead. Get rid of them now, before they can take up valuable closet space.
You may need some fan gear to cheer on your favorite team or teams. Thrift stores supplied by donations to ClothingDonations.org can be a good source of lightly used jerseys advertising your team preference, as well as housewares to help you welcome gametime guests. Thrifts can also be a good source of cold-weather gear that you’ll start to need in the next few weeks.
Think of clutter as the opposing team — the immovable object that you must continuously advance against to score a “win” on the playing field of your home. Unless you are a football player yourself, outdoor activities will be less of an option as the weather gets cooler, so the time to start reclaiming your space — yard by yard — is now.
Don’t Bring Garage Sale Items Back Into the Home
When your Labor Day garage or yard sale is nearing its end, “Don’t bring anything back inside your home!” says Apartment Therapy. Slash prices, make a “free” pile, and invite friends and neighbors to take what they want. Better yet, make an appointment for a donation pickup with ClothingDonations.org immediately after your sale, so that you can get rid of the things you no longer want or need. Garage sales are great for making a few extra bucks from that extra stuff, but the ultimate goal should be to get rid of it and free your physical (and mental) space of clutter.
Labor Day Garage Sales Can Pay
Though some people will be traveling, having a Labor Day weekend garage sale can pay off, since there will be less competition. Consider starting your sale on Friday afternoon with firm prices, Garage Sale Tips says, then allow haggling or slash prices on Saturday. If you have a small amount of quality items and a good location, you can also keep your garage or yard sale short by holding it only in the morning or afternoon, and have the rest of the day to yourself. But don’t kid yourself — a successful sale requires a lot of decluttering, organization and planning.
Garage Sale Signage Tips
Some towns and counties can get rather picky about the placement of yard sale signage, says the Yard Sale Queen, and limit their use on public rights of way such as sidewalks and medians. Check with your local government to find out if there are any restrictions. Even if your town allows such signs, be careful to post them the night before your sale using heavy-duty cardboard and directionals to your location. Use crayons or permanent markers to make your signs legible and waterproof, and avoid stapling signs to utility poles (where they might pose a hazard to linemen) or trees (where they may damage the tree itself).