Tag: decluttering

A New Year and a Fresh Start for Your Home!

Posted on by Jordank

We’re only a few weeks away from the end of 2015—can you believe it? While it’s fun to reflect on the year and see all that you’ve accomplished, it’s time to look forward to all that’s to come in 2016. It’s also time for the age-old traditions that accompany a new year.

Resolutions. Many people use the start of a new year to set goals for themselves. For some this means getting into better shape and becoming healthier. For others, it’s a chance to start that business they’ve been dreaming about, or time to plan a trip they’ve been wanting to take.

For those who may have a difficult time keeping their homes organized and clutter-free, though, 2016 resolutions might be focused on staying organized throughout the entire year. Does this seem daunting to you? It doesn’t have to be! Here are a few techniques you can use to help make your clean-home resolution a reality!

  1. One room at a time. Don’t feel like you have to organize your entire home by January 1. Instead of tackling the entire house at once, go room-by-room. Start in the kitchen and work your way into the living room. Once those rooms are done, move onto the basement.  Then repeat. This can help keep the task of keeping your entire home organized less overwhelming!
  2. If it doesn’t have a purpose, donate it! While cleaning and organizing each room, if you come across items that you don’t remember buying, or can’t remember why you ever needed them in the first place, there’s a good chance you don’t need them. If the item is new or gently used, don’t just throw it away—donate it to us! Simply fill out our donation pick-up form on ClothingDonations.org. Then put the items in a box marked for “donation, ” and set it outside by your mailbox. We’ll pick it up for you!
  3. Once it has a place, keep it there. Cleaning and organizing at first seems daunting, but it’s actually the easy part. The hard part is keeping your home organized. While it might seem easier to just leave your clothes on the floor after a long day at work, take the extra time to hang them up in your closet. It’ll keep your home organized for longer, and you won’t feel overwhelmed by clutter!

A new year means a fresh start for keeping your home clean. If you start now, you’ll have a head start on the new year. Take this opportunity to keep your home organized!

Put Them to Work!

Posted on by Jordank

With the kids home over the summer chances are that things are a little bit more cluttered at your house than usual! As they dig out old toys and games, outdoor sporting equipment and other sundry items used to keep them amused during those long, lazy days of summer things can pile up.

With school looming in the not-too-distant future, now’s the time to get a head start on summer clutter clean-up. And what better timing than when the kids are at home to lend a hand!

Whatever their ages, your kids can be put to work on helping to clean up the clutter in preparation for back-to-school. One added benefit—as they get rid of the old they can keep a list of what replacement items they may need. Whether old clothes are torn and tattered, or simply no longer fit, now is a good time to begin those back-to-school shopping lists.

Don’t have kids? Summer time still means some added clutter for all of us. There’s no better time to declutter than when the temperatures are warm and the nights are long!

Here are some additional tips to help you get on top of summer clutter:

  • Do it in stages. Maybe one week you assign a task of emptying old dressers and closets, another week you focus on the basement, the garage, the family room, etc.
  • Keep that list handy: ask everyone to keep track of the replacement item “must haves” that they will need when they get rid of no-longer-need/want items.
  • Separate “need to be tossed” from “someone else may value” items so you can readily donate your still-in-good-shape, but no longer needed items.
  • Don’t overlook adult clutter: spend some time focusing on all of the areas of your house that lend themselves to clutter: “junk” drawers, kitchen cabinets, pantries, etc.
  • Give us a call! When you’ve cleared through the clutter and have identified items that can go to good homes, give us a call—we offer free pick-up.

Finally, gather those lists together and plan for some fun end-of-summer, back-to-school shopping to replenish your closets for fall!

Home is Where the Heart (and the Stuff) Is!

Posted on by Developer

Summer represents different things for all of us. For some of us, it means spending hours sitting beside a pool or lying on a beach soaking in the sun. For others, it’s a time for summer camps, fun summer school classes, and taking family vacations.

For some of us, though, summer is a great time to move. The weather is great, and the temperature is warm, which makes this a favorable time to move. That being said, moving is often a task that people do not enjoy. Depending on how many items you own, packing can take forever, and trying to stay organized in your packing endeavors can be stressful. Then, on top all the packing, you have to make sure your old home is spotlessly clean.

All of this combines to create an emotional experience. It’s not easy to move all of your possessions from your old home that was filled with memories to a place that is brand new and feels more like a house than a home.

Fortunately, Michelle Sandlin recently wrote an article, “On the move: Be prepared for physical move when relocating, ” and she has some good ideas for making the moving process go as smoothly as possible.

Sandlin suggests scheduling a pre-move consultation with your moving company. Meeting them beforehand, as well as developing a strategy for moving your possessions, will make the process less stressful for you. Sandlin also suggests moving important items yourself, such as expensive jewelry, passports, social security cards, etc.

Another idea is to be as organized as possible. Consider taking inventory of each room in your house, and make a list of all the items that need to move to your new place. Then, if you come across items that you no longer want or need, make a list of items you’d like to donate. Place these items in a donation box, and fill out a donation pickup request form on our website. ClothingDonations.org will be more than happy to help you move by donating your items to someone who needs them!

Happy moving!

Let Your Garage Protect Your Car—Not all of Your Stuff!

Posted on by Developer

You may have already done your spring cleaning and had your garage sale, but often times there is one spot people forget to clean: the garage. This seems like an obvious place to clean and organize, but for many people, the garage is a place where things get stored when there’s no other place to put them.

This means that items actually meant to be in the garage—cars, yard equipment and power tools—become displaced because there isn’t room for them. Does this sound like your garage? Have no fear! We’ve done some research on the best way to tackle a garage that is overrun with clutter. Thanks to our friends at This Old House, we’ve been able to put together some helpful ideas for taming your garage.

  1. Pick a day to clean your garage. Circle it on your calendar, put it in your smartphone, or write it on a sticky note. Setting a specific date will ensure that you will actually clean your garage and not put it off.
  2. Go through everything. No box, crate, or storage shelf is off-limits. You never know what you’ve put in your garage. Think of all the hidden and forgotten treasures you can find!
  3. Put your findings into four piles: “keep, donate, sell or toss.” This will help you stay organized, and it will allow you to easily see what you have. Some items may be damaged beyond repair, so it’s best to ditch them. Some gently used items, though, would be great for donating!
  4. Place your donation pile in a box or bag. Then, give ClothingDonations.org a call, or fill out a donation pickup form online. We’ll come to pick up your donation, and we’ll make sure your items go to a loving home. The best part is that your donations help fund programs for our veterans—your contributions won’t go unnoticed!

These are just a few ideas for cleaning out your garage. What are you waiting for? Go uncover your buried treasure now!

Prepare Your Closets — It’s Time for Spring!

Posted on by Jordank

Spring is all about new beginnings and fresh starts. It’s a time when the idea of “spring cleaning” elicits excitement, rather than dread or drudgery, because we know sunshine and warm weather are right around the corner. We open the windows, let in the fresh air, and begin to think about the areas around our homes that need sprucing up or decluttering. One obvious area that generally demands our attention each spring is our closet. In fact, after a long winter of bulky jackets, sweaters, and boots, it’s difficult to actually know what’s even in your closet.

Better Homes and Gardens has some great ideas for decluttering your home this spring, especially your closets. When looking through your clothes, they suggest asking yourself these three questions:

  • Is it flattering?
  • Do I love it?
  • Does it represent who I am today?

If the answer is “no” to at least one of those questions, you should probably donate it. They also recommend cleaning your closet each fall and spring in order to keep your home feeling clean. To simplify this task, keep a laundry basket in your closet that’s designated for donations. Every so often, pick a piece of clothing that you haven’t worn in the last few months, and drop it in the donation basket. It’s that simple!

After you’ve filled your donation basket, give us a call or schedule a pickup online. We’d love to take your new and gently used clothes off your hands. And, most importantly, your donation will go to a good cause: programs that address the needs and concerns of veterans. So, fill up your donation basket, schedule a pickup, and we’ll take care of the rest.

Happy spring!