In the spirit of the Milan Cortina Winter #Olympics, try “gamifying” your household #cleaning and #decluttering efforts. One strategy is a 30-day minimalism challenge that asks you to declutter X number of items based on the date of the month — one on the first, two on the second and so on. In a 30-day month, that’s more than 400 items you can #donate or #trash! Even if you do the challenge for only a week, it can help your #decluttering and #organizing efforts snowball, Apartment Therapy says. Go for the gold by scheduling a #free #donation #pickup with ClothingDonations.org. #OlympicDecluttering
Tag: clean
Schuss Your Way to a Clutter-Free Home
#Decluttering takes on an #Olympic bent when you attempt the “ski slope” method. “Much like skiing, where you don’t start by going straight down the hill, the ski slope method allows you to crisscross a room, one small section at a time, building momentum as you go,” says its originator, “home therapist” Anita Yakota. “By focusing on smaller areas, I found that I could actually clean up the space without feeling completely defeated — and it worked! This method gave me the freedom to take breaks while knowing I could finish by the end of the day. No more procrastination or paralysis.” Let the Games begin! #OlympicDecluttering
Declutter to Create an Olympic Environment
#Olympic athletes are used to spartan conditions. Housed in temporary dorms during the competition, their #focus is on training, nutrition and performance. No matter what you do on a daily basis, your environment may not lend itself to that kind of #focus if you are surrounded by #clutter, says Medium. “Decluttering isn’t just about #cleaning. It’s not about perfection, or buying matching baskets or becoming a #minimalist monk who owns two forks and one beige shirt. #Decluttering is about #energy. It’s about focus. It’s about emotional relief. There’s something deeply empowering about intentionally shaping your space.” #OlympicDecluttering
Sweep Your Home Clean Like an Olympic Curler
Watching the curling competition at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics over the weekend had the unintended consequence of reminding the authors of The Organizing Blog that there are a few areas of the home that could use a good #sweeping. In curling, sweeping the ice clears the way for “the rock” to travel faster and straighter, allowing competitors to direct it into a scoring circle or knock the other team’s rocks out of the way. Similarly, #cleaning and #decluttering your home makes it easier for you to accomplish other tasks of labor and leisure, unfettered by a bunch of useless #clutter or built-up grime. #OlympicDecluttering
Start Your Spring-Cleaning Engines!
Thursday, March 20, marks the beginning of #spring. The Organizing Blog’s favorite season, spring gives people everywhere a great incentive to #clean and #organize their homes.
#Spring #cleaning is a time-honored tradition. Over a long winter shut tight against the cold, homes tend to gather dirt and grime. It’s time to throw the windows open and sweep, mop and wipe away that buildup.
Four out of five American households engage in spring cleaning at least once a year, according to the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), and nearly as many — 78% — spend an average of six days spring-cleaning their homes.
ACI’s survey notes that Americans don’t like to clean hard-to-reach places that attract considerable dust and grime, such as vents. Most would rather clean their own homes than do their own taxes, however, and often concentrate on windows, floors and toilets. Still, it can be tough to get started.
The first step is to get rid of #clutter — clothing that doesn’t fit, old paperwork, broken knickknacks and other stuff that’s just taking up space. Put these items into the trash, storage or a #donation bag; cleaning will proceed more quickly with them out of the way. And as always, contact ClothingDonations.org for any lightly used castoffs you’d like to get rid of for good.
Next, make sure you have the equipment and supplies necessary to do a thorough cleaning, including gloves, cleansers, sponges, rags, and a good broom, vacuum cleaner and mop. A new broom sweeps clean!
Create a checklist of to-dos in order to make what might seem like a monumental task more approachable, The Spruce says. “Walk through your house and take note of the things that need to be done and tackle those first,” says Clean Mama Becky Rapinchuk.
Having an immediate impact on your home environment may make you want to tackle more tasks, so continue down that list. You might not get to everything in a week or month, but you’ll see progress toward a #cleaner, #healthier home — and that can get you energized to do more. Start your spring-cleaning engines!
#SpringCleaning