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| Bluebells blooming along Luray Avenue |
Spring always
brings to mind a new beginning. The weather turns from cold and
unforgiving to warm and welcoming. The grass grows lush and green and
trees and plants start blooming. The days get longer and everyone from
the bugs and birds to children and adults enjoy it. People get out their
bikes and start riding. Gardeners get their hands in the dirt and start
making magic happen. We will soon see the reopening of farmer's markets
and the grills will start up for the season.
Spring also brings to mind some not so pleasant things. While I have no cure for your allergies: Spring cleaning can be made a little more –
well – clean.
First step is
always de-cluttering. I love to get rid of things. But I have
a hard time getting rid of the kids' stuff. Something about taking their
toys or books and getting rid of them makes my stomach ache. What if they
want to play with it again? It’s easier around Christmas and the
birthdays to start purging because I know more will come in. But toys
multiply faster than rabbits and it’s easier to say goodbye to items when you
know they will be doing more good outside of your home than in. Our MOMS
Club of Front Royal does a SWAP table at our monthly meetings. Everything
from clothes (both MOMS and kids) to toys, dishes and books find their way to
the table. Anything a member doesn’t want to take home gets donated.
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| Decluttering for Spring by Kevin Sharkey |
We donate clothes
to C-CAP and toys and household items go to Second Chance Thrift Store. There are a lot of thrift stores in our area
but Second Chance benefits Harmony Place Women’s Shelter and so that is usually
our pick. Books can go to any number of places: Check your local library (I donate my books to
Samuels Public Library). Also check
doctor’s offices and hospitals and your local schools. A great place to donate blankets and towels is your local Humane Society. They even take washers and driers! Here is a great article about other places to
donate used items to help those outside your community: Milkshake
Spring Cleaning with a Purpose.
Before just
piling stuff in your trunk and hauling it to a thrift store – you should call
ahead if you have any large items and also inventory all items for tax purposes. My receipts totaled around $600 last year
from all our donations. And I didn’t
inventory well! Now I make notes and
then staple it to the receipt and file it in our tax folder. It should save me and our wonderful tax
people at MRS Tax
Services time this year. They even
let us send in receipts before our appointment to take less time while we are
actually in the office.
Check online for
places to recycle items you would normally throw away. I check sites such as Earth911 to find out what we can recycle, where
and how. Some items, such as the
microwave that shoots sparks, tend to stump me.
I can’t donate it because it isn’t safe but I would hate for it to just
end up in a landfill. Other items such
as the computer that died can be taken to Goodwill
and will be recycled. It takes a little GoodSearching but in the end it feels
better to know that your items are not going to be harming the planet or
cluttering your home.
Are you feeling
up to a little cleaning? If you aren’t
on Pinterest (seriously – you aren’t?) then there are plenty of places to find recipes
for natural cleaners. One of my
favorites is Vinegar
and I use it on everything from glass to the drain to the microwave to the
coffee pot. I even poured vinegar in a
carpet cleaning machine rather than super strong chemicals. Some other items you can use to clean are
lemon juice, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Here are some links to check out:
If you aren't up for making cleaners there are two green cleaning lines I love: method and seventh generation.
And remember the essentials! Two items out for every one in (fight clutter before it starts!). Take your shoes off at the door. And make sure that everything has a place! Baskets are a common find in thrift stores and can help corral everything in your home. Another big clutter item is paper and if you follow the "one touch" rule you will find that paperwork is more manageable. Once a paper comes into your home - whether mail, school papers, medical documents - handle it immediately. You should decide to recycle, shred, file, or take action on it as soon as you touch it. I tend to print on the back of any one-sided school paper that comes home.
Now that I have finished this post - I guess I should get started on my own spring cleaning. But first . . . another cup of coffee.
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