Spring-cleaning checklist
When you spring clean, you not only eliminate any cobwebs that accumulated
over the winter, you also lighten your mood by getting rid of unwanted clutter.
Use this list to identify areas around your home that need work.
- Clothes closet. Time to retire anything woolen, tweedy,
heavy or dark. Be sure to pack clothes with cedar balls and lavender sachets
to protect them from moths and other fabric-loving pests.
- Linen cupboard. Give the woolen blankets, flannel sheets
and winter-weight duvets a good shake-out and a few hours in the sun before
cleaning and storing for the summer.
- Sideboard. Consider streamlining for summer by packing
seasonal table linens and drapery, holiday-themed items, dark table cloths,
heavy dishes, stemware and flatware you don't use in the summer, to make lighter
summer entertaining easier. (No more lifting out dishes to get to the ones
you really want.)
- Home office. Get your home office area under control so
you'll spend less time indoors doing paperwork this summer and more time outside
having fun. Exchange your system of stacking up piles of paper for a container
or filing cabinet. Colour code and label files for fast retrieval.
- Overflowing closets, basements, attics, bookshelves. Don't
forget to tackle the hidden spaces that are usually the worst offenders. (For
more tips on de-cluttering, read 7
steps to clutter busting.) Plan a garage sale to get rid of anything you
no longer need, or donate it to a charity shop.
- Garage, shed, cleaning cupboard, medicine cabinet. These
areas can harbour hazardous unwanted or out-of-date items that can't be disposed
of with the regular garbage: expired medications, cans of paint, cleaners
and solvents, pesticides and other chemicals and cosmetics. Plan a date to
drop them at a municipal hazardous-waste collection depot.
- Junk drawer. Every home has one. But even the junk drawer
needs to be cleaned out from time to time. Discard anything you haven't used
in the past year. Add simple dividers to make it easier to find stuff that
gets stashed.
- Backyard and pool. Make sure all your summer things are
in place: barbeque utensils hanging ready for use; bathing suits, beach towels
and flip-flops fit and ready to go; outdoor candles and lights in working
order; furniture cleaned and mended; and the hose wound up and leak free.
- Car. Clear out garbage and put unnecessary items (umbrellas,
dogs' or kids' toys, books, that DVD you've been meaning to return) where
they belong. Give the seats, floor and dashboard a good wipe down and vacuum.
Stock the glove box with essentials: maps, a flashlight, a stash of garbage
bags and quick wipes.