With spring so close we can almost see lime green buds peeking out from the plants, it’s time to shake off winter lethargy! Since it’s still a bit icy out, there’s no better place to start your seasonal de-shelling than inside your home. Below are a few fantastic spring cleaning tips for spring cleaning, organized by problem area, that are eco-friendly, DIY, and (believe it or not) fun!

Overstuffed Closets

Closets are sneaky beasts. One day they’re well curated and clean. The next day, they’re erupting with pants, dresses, shirts, and more. And flabbergastingly, people only wear a jaw-dropping 20% of all clothes they own, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Bring order to closet disarray and disuse by use by purging your wardrobe and swapping excess items online. Sites like Swapdom.com make this to-do easy and—dare we say it?—addictively fun. Swapdom is free to use and its special circle swap system means less effort and higher success than traditional swaps. Plus, you can trade your items for clothes, kids’ gear, or (this last one launching soon) home goods!

If your clothes aren’t quite fit for giving away, though, you can upcycle them or use them as rags for spring cleaning.

Disorganized Odds and Ends

Mason jars aren’t just the glass of choice for hipster bars nationwide; they’re a great organizational device as well! Glue or nail jar lids to the bottom of a shelf, fill the jars, and screw the jars into place for a neat way to organize office or craft supplies, or simply stack jars sideways to create good-looking holders for pens, pencils, or utensils.

Another set of interest upcycling ideas puts your worn-out denim to work. Cut off pockets and stick them to fabric stretched over an old frame to create a nice organizer for office tidbits, or weave together long strips of denim to create a handy denim basket, perfect for storing toys, knickknacks and more.

Overused, Undercleaned Surfaces

Giving the house a thorough scrubbing may not be as fun as skydiving or winning the lottery, but nothing beats starting spring out with a house so fresh and so clean, clean, even OutKast would be tempted to write a song about it.

Instead of turning to the harsh-on-the-hands, bad-for-the-earth cleaning supplies that shout out at us from advertisements and grocery store shelves, concoct your own grime-fighting solutions. With a few natural, around-the-house ingredients, you can create great DIY cleaning products that cut down on dirt, soap scum, and polluting chemical use. Simply look online to easy recipes! 

Armed with these tips, we foresee you fighting your way out of winter stagnancy with adamancy! Good luck and happy spring! 

The post Spring Cleaning Tips That’ll Rock Your World appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

After returning home from a long day at work, a weekend soccer tournament or an all-day shopping excursion, it’s natural to want to drop everything and relax. However, literally dropping everything can cause a tremendous amount of clutter in the home, leading to stress, misplaced items and wasted time. To eliminate the clutter that busy lifestyles create, try establishing designated drop zones throughout your house to regain a sense of order. Don’t worry, you can still drop everything and relax when you come home – just drop everything in the right spot.

Entryway

As the first and last access point of your home, a lot of activity occurs here. Coats, scarves, hats and bags are dropped everywhere, while dirty shoes are kicked off and left behind. Basically, the entrance to your home can become a minefield.  To control unruly entryway clutter, try creating a drop zone near the door.  The addition of a coat rack or hooks make it easy to hang up outerwear, while a storage bench, like ClosetMaid’s 3-Cube Bench, is a convenient place to take off shoes and neatly stow them away.   

Kitchen

Since the kitchen is the heart of the home, many family members congregate here. Establish a corner of the kitchen counter to drop lunch boxes, bottles and coffee mugs used throughout the day. To prevent a pile-up of papers and misplaced items, set up a command center with enough space to file mail and bills and store your keys and other small essentials.

Living Room

Don’t let relaxation be delayed because of disorganization. Depending on the size of your living room and how you use the space, you may need to establish several drop zones. For example, a coffee table tray or basket is ideal for storing remotes and chargers. Add storage cubes with bins as a convenient place to store and hide laptop cords, tablets, gaming equipment and children’s toys. Consider labeling a bin for each family member to “drop” or stow their stuff.

Bedroom

To clear clothing clutter, use a valet rod to hang up tomorrow’s outfit or clothes that need to be taken to the tailor or dry cleaner. Additionally, try designating a dresser drawer as a drop zone for jewelry, watches, your wallet or other valuables.

Make it a habit to use your strategically placed drop zones and your house will be organized and clutter free in no time. For further information on how to organize your home, visit www.ClosetMaid.com, www.StorganizationBlog.com or call 800-874-0008.

*Family Features

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