Spring is almost here, which means the time change is coming up as well, and with that Spring Cleaning normally happens across the nation. While my home cleaning projects are all still a work in process, I want to share a list of 14 things you probably have in your home and should think about throwing away (or replacing) while getting down and dirty with your mess!
1. Old Towels - This may be obvious, but your towels
need to be replaced when they no longer are soft and absorbent or when they are stinky! I think a good time span on towel life is probably 2-3 years (in circulation and laundered regularly) at the most, but that's just my personal preference.
2. Medicine - Go through all your old medicine, I know we all have a stash of allergy pills, pain relievers, etc. Check each and every bottle and packet of meds to make sure that none are past the expiration date!
3. Pillows - This is another obvious one to replace, but some people hold on to their pillows far to long *ahem, my husband*. Replacing your pillow is important for several reasons, mainly because they gather dust and can irritate your allergies and make you sick without you even realizing it. I also think it's a good idea to replace decorative pillows every few years, for new style reasons
and so they don't spread allergens as well!
4. Old Clothes - I may or may not have a stack of clothing that I plan to do something with... Something like oh I'll tie-dye that stained shirt or I'll really scrub at that stain on my white dress, I'm sure I'm not the only one guilty of this horrible habit. I also am pretty guilty to holding on to "chubby" or "skinny" favorite articles of clothing, shorts that were a size medium now fit me so that benefited me greatly this time around... But I'll be ridding my closet of all the clothes that are now too large! If your items aren't too stained or worn in, be sure to consider donating them to the Salvation Army or a local thrift shop!
5. Mail - In my home, we stock pile mail. It's not something we are proud of... but after it's read, it gets piled up until we decide to go through it again. What's that I hear? You do the same thing in your home? Well, today is the day to go through the mail pile and get rid of everything that has no importance! Expired coupons, out of date business correspondence, etc - it can all go!
6. Expired Make Up - I'm so incredibly guilty of hoarding stock piles of
make up, it's a bit ridiculous actually. So this year I've decided to
get rid of everything that I should have let go of a long time ago. I'm
not just saying it's outdated -
It actually expires, so note the date when you buy a product to make sure you aren't applying
bad make up!
7. Outdated electronics - I'm pretty notorious for breaking phone screens, which means I have several phones laying around the house in a shattered, dead state. I'm going to donate or look into selling these out of date and damaged electronics, they take up too much space and have no value to me, time for someone else to use them!
8. Take Out Sauces/Menus - When you order Chinese from a place nearby my house, they
always deliver the food with another menu and about a million sauce packets. We also have packets from late night runs to Taco Bell, munchie sessions at Chik-Fil-a, and more. While these sauce packets come in handy at times, they aren't saving any space in my fridge and they have to go as well as their take-out menu counterparts!
9. Neglected Projects - You may be like me, a creative soul with a passion for seeing things not always as they are but for what they could be... and while that's a beautiful habit to have, it also means that you probably have about a million and one projects currently going on. I know you really want to learn to cross-stitch but that complex pattern you picked up on clearance probably won't be the best way to learn. It's time to let go of the half-way done or "there's no hope" projects. I have a few canvases that I just need to scrap or use as a practice painting surface... no harm in admitting you made a mistake, just don't let that mistake eat up your creative space!
10. Tupperware - While Tupperware may seem like it lasts forever, containers with recycle codes 3 or 7 may contain BPA! What's BPA? It's a
hormone-disrupting chemical that leaches into food as containers age or
get heated in the microwave or dishwasher. Don't allow your family to get poisioned by your leftovers, check each piece of tupperware and replace it with a new BPA-free option or glass!
11. Old Magazines - I used to be a freebie junkie, which some how allowed me to continually receive free subscriptions to magazines that seem to last a lifetime. I'm not complaining about getting free magazines but we have millions, it seems. We donated what felt like hundreds to our church last year but it looks like it's time to look into donating some again. If your church or your kids school has no use for your magazine collection, look into donating them to your local library or a waiting room that you frequent.
12. Dish Sponge - Your dish sponge should actually be replaced about once a month,
so go ahead and grab a big ol' pack of sponges the next time you hit
Target. If your sponge still seems able bodied after a month, keep it to
use while cleaning the tub or to help with a craft project, but make
sure it's clean!!
13. Junk Drawer Oddities - I grew up in a house with a junk drawer full of treasures, while it's nice to keep all the odds and ends in a "junk drawer" it's also a good idea to make sure your not hoarding a collection of ridiculous items in your junk drawer. Go through and make sure that everything in this drawer serves a purpose of some sort, if it doesn't then I suggest you donate or toss it!
14. Anything else weighing you down - Admit it, you have that one collection of items that just isn't necessary! For me, this year, it has been boxes...Yep, cardboard boxes in case I plan on shipping something - while it's been useful, I'm saying goodbye to these boxes TODAY! There's no need to collect something I can find pretty much anywhere!
I'd love to hear what Spring Cleaning tips and tricks do you have to share? I'm always looking for new and inventive ways to make my house look organized!
