This week (16th – 22nd March 2020) is Spring Clearing Week and according to the Association of Professional Declutters and Organisers (APDO) it is apparently the ideal time to have an annual review of our ‘stuff’! The task of tackling clutter can often feel overwhelming, in her guest blog, Jenn Jordan of Orjenise shares her 5 tips to help you rid yourself of excess clutter this spring.
5 tips to have a great clear out for Spring
- An alternative to going by category is to give yourself a number of items per week/month to get rid of. I recently did an #Orjenise100 challenge on Instagram where we gathered 100 items each over a month to declutter. It is surprising how this focuses the mind as you wander around and how quickly you can get to 100. I had one follower get to 100 in two hours!
- If at Christmas you watched in horror as the presents piled up then March is a great time to see what has been used and what has not. Also look for duplicates or similar toys, your child will probably prefer one to the other. Try to involve them at the end once you have sorted the toys and explain that someone else will enjoy them.
- This is a great place to gain some space and clarity. If things don’t fit, you don’t wear them or are damaged/need dry cleaning then try to move them out of your day to day wardrobe and ideally onto a new home. Using a wardrobe, which is full of things you like and that fit is a much more positive experience every day.
- Kitchens can be full of things that we don’t use or food that is out of date, hidden away in cupboards. If you don’t want to get rid of an item just yet then give yourself a three month deadline to use it, if it has not been used by then it probably never will be.
- A controversial suggestion that can shock clients is getting rid of books. I read a lot so understand the pull of keeping every single book you read. My rule now with books is if I can borrow it from the Library I will do, if I buy one that I won’t read again it goes to the charity shop or a friend. Having a lot of books is great if they are of use but still having a copy of Richard II from my A-Levels was clutter.
Finally, my main tip for keeping on top of things is to live by the rule one in and one out. This works as it makes you think about what you are buying while being mindful of similar items that you already own. Leeds has lots of places you donate to such as charity shops or the tip, which has a shop for sellable items at Seacroft and Kirkstall.
For more details on the services I provide please visit my website www.orjenise.com or follow me on Instagram.
