Guest post- Clear some space!

This post is brought to you by Sam Peters.

Once or twice a year, it is good to do a thorough cleaning and clearing of the home. The best time for you to do this may vary. Many like to clear up space in the house right before the holidays, in the early spring or after a garage sale. Careful planning makes the process go more smoothly and more quickly. Collect supplies, such as boxes, plastic storage bins, adhesive tape, moving containers, and labels or felt tip markers in advance.


The Interior

It is easiest to clear the home room by room; that way, if you are not finished by the end of the day, only one room will be messy, rather than the whole house. If you have several people living in your home, each could be responsible for one room or one could be responsible for packing up items and the other could be responsible for cleaning the room afterward.

Label one box as “trash” or purchase a small trash bin for items that you are going to throw away. Label another box as “charity” for items that you may donate to a charity or to friends. Label other boxes or plastic bins according to their contents – for example, “winter clothing,” “holiday decorations,” or “magazines.”

Go through all drawers, shelves and closets in the room first. When you find items that you have not used for over a year, ask yourself if you really need to hold onto it. Heirloom items, such as your grandmother’s jewelry, can be placed in a safe or a safety deposit box. Old mobile phones, a costume bracelet no one wears and many other items can be donated or recycled in other ways.

After you have tackled the small items, take a good look at the larger things, such as exercise equipment, old tools, old coats, and old toys. Consider selling or donating anything that you feel you can part with. Many people have items just collecting dust around the home. Keep items that have sentimental value or that you are sure you will use, and get rid of the rest.

If you are clearing the house in preparation for a move, get an early start. You can use moving containers and pack your household items in those as you go.

The Exterior

Keeping the landscape clear and neat makes you a better neighbor and prevents mice, snakes and other small animals from moving into the yard. If you are a gardener, keeping your garden area tidy is important for pest control and disease control. Garden pests prefer to inhabit areas where there is plant debris and other material to hide beneath. Plant diseases can proliferate wherever there is rotting organic matter.

Mow the yard and prune back all trees and bushes at this time, before you start clearing up debris, so that you do not have to double back.

Have a rake, a wheelbarrow, a shovel and a garbage bin handy in the area. For scooping up dry leaves and plant debris, a wide plastic snow shovel works well. Do a small area at a time so that it doe not feel overwhelming.

Disclaimer: I have received compensation in return for publishing this article.