If we ever needed a spring cleaning, it’s now

Small steps towards a fresh start

By Kari Wishingrad

So here we are just over one year from our lives being flipped upside down.

I am aware that many households have used this time at home to purge and get organized, especially since we have been spending enormous amounts of time inside. 

If you haven’t yet, but want to, then this article is for you.

Since the springtime is usually associated with new beginnings and cleaning homes, it seems like a great opportunity for new beginnings on so many levels.levels. Many people find new homes
in spring and with the help of SRW services you’ll be able to move everything you love from the old to the new.

What better way to make a new start than to let go of the past and any pain associated with it? 

As we head into the Spring season, there’s added incentive to do a swift and uplifting, fresh cleanse through your home and personal spaces. 

Years ago, I made a decision that no matter how organized I am, I would get rid of one thing a day. I may be organized but I still could benefit from downsizing. I continue to do that on a very conscious level. I assess my belongings regularly so if I haven’t used something in quite a long time, then it goes. 

What I am really talking about are the collection of items I have not been using or are no longer useful to me that perhaps once were. As my priorities change and get redesigned, and life re-sets priorities, so do the items I keep around me.

So, take the Spring Clean 2021 Challenge. 

Find 100 things to discard from your home. It’s easier than you’d think. You can keep tabs on a piece of paper or just count as you move along.  More kudos to you if you go over 100.

Set aside 15 minutes a day for de-cluttering. Make it a daily ritual. Turn off your phone, play some music, and stay the course. Do a scan of your home, and pick the “easy” things first, items you know you want to be rid of but haven’t yet. Just do it. 

Rule of thumb: If it’s beaten up, old, torn, chipped, broken, throw out or recycle accordingly. Expired food in the pantry or fridge? Throw it out. 

Get rid of clothes, be they old, torn, out of date, don’t fit you, low-self esteem items. Extra sheets and bedding, too. Donate, consign, or throw out.

Liberate yourself from any gifts you may have received but you truly don’t like. This can be an emotional one for many, as often my clients say they are nervous about hurting someone’s feelings. But as with everything on the challenge list, if you don’t absolutely use it, value it, or love it – it goes.

Repeat and reassess again and again and again. A year of Covid will likely have you looking at things a different way. Isn’t it about time for a fresh beginning?

Kari Wishingrad has been a resident of Sonoma for 25 years and a Professional Organizer for over 27 years. Learn more about her at www.organizingbykari.com