Kind regards,
Abbie Martin
Lifestyle Manager

Spring Cleaning
by Kerry Roesler

Ever thought of having a life that is un-cluttered & simple, sounds great doesn’t it… my philosophy is to get to the basic principles of existence...by keeping things as uncomplicated as possible. The best way I’ve found is to de-clutter & systemise your environment for a less stressful life.

De-cluttering is one of the best ways of re-organizing your self & the benefits are many. Also from a Feng Shui point of view, clutter in any area can have a profound impact on the flow of positive energy in your life; basically clutter in your life can hold you back.

So with that in mind & being that time of year when the thought of Spring Cleaning comes into focus, I’ve put together a few basic tips & ideas that can help you on your way…

In the general living areas
• Clean before you clear & sort.
• Everything must have a home; try to store things where they are used.
• Clear out anything not used or loved – throw it away, store properly, donate or sell it.
• When storing – label clearly or you won’t remember what you have or where to find it.
• If it’s broken & has been for a long time or has parts missing – get it fixed or throw it out.
• Get rid of piles of magazines you will never read.
• Transplant or throw away plants that are dying or dead.

Bookshelves – sort into fiction, reference, non-fiction or alphabetically by topic or author.

Music library - find music easier, sort into theme, artist or alphabetically.

Videos - if you record regularly, make sure you take the trouble to note the name of the program or film & and it’s running time on it in pencil, so you can rub it off or change it with each new recording.

Kitchens
• Often function as a secondary living area where bills get paid, letters get answered or telephone messages are taken - set it up to work this way properly so you can do what you need to do more efficiently.
• Keep a running list of things you are about to run out of on your fridge so you can take it with you shopping.
• Purchase clear plastic containers/boxes to store your foodstuffs in & label clearly. Flat square or rectangular packages are less wasteful of space than round containers.
• In the pantry, group together the cans, packaged goods and food types, so you can see what you have in stock.
• Sort & discard chipped or cracked crockery & china, of old lids to saucepans or dishes that you no longer own, also, racks and fittings for old ovens or appliances.
• Tiered stands in wrought-iron or plastic coated metal are another good way of organising a basic range of cookware or consider hanging them off a ceiling suspended rack for easy accessibility.

Rubbish & recycling - Separate containers or designated areas for different types of rubbish makes recycling easier.

Cleaning
• A basket, plastic stacking box, bucket or wooden box with a handle is a good way of organising everyday cleaning items. You can transport the entire container from room to room.
• Cleaning agents can double up for many different types of cleaning jobs, decide what products you wish to keep and which are most effective for your purpose and stick to those. Discard the rest.

Linen Cupboard - Arrange bedding in sets for making up a bed at a time or fold neatly in piles according to type, colour or size.

In the Bathroom
• Toss out leftover medicines, beauty, specialty products & medicines and prescriptions that have passed their used by date.
• Use all products up before buying more.
• If you have things you will never use or do not like, get rid of them (actually this can apply to the entire house).

Kids
• Prefer to see all their toys on view all the time, display means accessibility.
• Group toys into open easy accessible or open containers and group them accordingly. Have a box for each category & label clearly – it makes it easier to teach them to clean up after themselves
• Put the dress ups clothes in one box, the dolls or cars in one, games, arts & crafts and have a general toy box in another. At least one container should be given over to the treasure box of bits & pieces that do not have a category.

Wardrobes
Discarding what’s not working for you is the first step in building a working wardrobe, one that is useful, that you’ll love going to & using. Perhaps think about seeing a professional image consultant to work out what colours suit you & your skin tone. The consultant can also help you work out what styles suit your body shape and frame, help make you look slimmer, taller, disguise bumps etc. You will find that shopping is an easier, less expensive exercise and will help you keep your wardrobe in order as well.

• Take out all your clothes and put them onto your bed or a surface where you can easily sort through them. Determine what you are going to keep, throw away or donate.
• If you are not sure about an item, ask yourself does it look great on me, does it suit me or do I love it, if not pass it onto someone who may receive some joy out of it.
• Get rid of any article of clothing that does not fit or has never fit properly.
• Also anything in poor condition or is of poor quality should be thrown on a pile marked for throwing out or even recycling as cleaning rags.
• Get rid of lone socks, shoes, earrings or any article or clothing that was once, but is no longer part of a pair, or stray accessories specific to an outfit you no longer own.
• Clothing that you one day intend to have fixed or would be more expensive to alter, repair or clean than to replace.

Organise your wardrobe in a way that works for you. You can either:
• Group outfits together as they are generally worn.
• Divide the wardrobe into clothes for work, play or social occasions.
• Sort into length, type of garment, or colour.
• Or sort your clothes into groups – suits, shirts, trousers, skirts, track pants, sports clothes, coats and jackets.

Shoes - throw out or donate shoes that are uncomfortable, do not fit properly, are dated, don’t match any outfits, scuffed, the wrong size or that blister your feet.

TIP: matching coat hangers makes a wardrobe look un-cluttered visually.

Storage / Space savers- It is a good idea to keep a list of whatever you have packed away in storage. Make sure that you are able to easily access what you’ve stored, that everything is stacked neatly and that all boxes or items are easy to get to.

• If you organise a range of items in a number of similar containers, labeling is essential to enable you to find everything.
• Racks or brackets suspended from the ceiling can create extra storage space in the laundry, shed, garage or in halls.
• Re-hang doors opening a different way for more space, or install folding or sliding doors for extra room in tight spaces.

Hopefully I have whet your appetite to whip yourself into action, now all you need to do is sort & de-clutter things that you no longer want or need. Organise and arrange the things you want to keep & use simple systems that make it easy to stay organized. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it!!

It’s important to know, this does take time, effort & determination, but the payoffs are well worth it, it’s well known that you can experience more fulfillment, greater emotional balance & peace of mind when being organized, by keeping things simple, it is then easier to know and decide what is important in your life. Keep at it & get over the ‘one day I’ll do it’ syndrome, it’s now or never. ...... ps. if you need help, give me a call….i’ll be firm but gentle….

Kerry Roesler is a professional organiser from All In Order - organising services for home and office. m: 0413 345 978 e: kerry@allinorder.com.au