While in self-isolation, you’ll likely have a little more time on your hands. Make the most of it by tackling jobs around the house you have been putting off. It is spring cleaning time, after all.
Here are a few decluttering projects that can be completed in less than 30 minutes. You’ll be surprised at the difference these will make to your house.
Sort through your spices
If you enjoy cooking, chances are you’ve accumulated an impressive array of spices across the years. Take some time also to check the expiration dates on the containers and get rid of the older ones. While spices don’t spoil per se, they can lose both their flavor and their potency over time.
If you haven’t got a designated space for them, now might be the time to get on that. Opt for a spice drawer, rack, or even just a stepped-shelf in the pantry to keep your spices from taking up valuable space on the counter or getting lost in the back of the cabinets.
Recycle any papers you no longer need
Old papers, flyers, junk mail, and catalogs have a habit of accumulating on surfaces or in drawers, waiting to be dealt with at a later point in time. Now’s the time. Check through old letters to see which ones need to be filed or shred and send everything possible off to be recycled. You’ll instantly free up a whole lot of space that can be dedicated to storing something else that might be cluttering up another part of the room.
To prevent any re-accumulation, set up a specific space for mail where it can be placed in sight so that it doesn’t get forgotten about, and so can be dealt with promptly
Organize the medicine cabinet
Medicines likewise have a habit of building up and taking over as you keep hold of ones you think you might use at some point in the future. However, as with all consumables, they do have a shelf life. So take a look at them and get rid of any that have exceeded the expiration date, or are likely to before being used again.
If you don’t have a cabinet to house your medicines, it’s well worth having one so that you can keep everything stored safely and tidily away, and so they are not taking up valuable drawer and cupboard space in your bathroom.
Check through your toiletries
Toiletries, even though we use them every day, are also frequently overlooked when decluttering. However, they can end up dominating most bathroom surface spaces. Anything that is not used regularly can easily be stowed away in a drawer or cupboard.
As for those fancy lotions and potions that were gifted to you for your birthday or Christmas – be honest with yourself whether you will actually ever use them. If you will – get to it, if not, you can likely send them over to your local homeless shelter or refuge.
Tidy up your Tupperware
Many people have a food container cupboard that has become a little disorganized as they wash tubs and lids and then just shove them back in. Now’s the time to take all those containers out and give them a sort. Chuck away any stained or cracked ones, check that they all have lids that properly fit, and then stack them away in such a way that it is easy to return cleaned ones back to their prior space.
If this isn’t possible with the storage you currently have, consider installing a pull-out cabinet drawer with designated areas for the containers and the lids. This will help with both storage and access, making your life much easier.