Here are some quick tips on easy ways you can get rid of clutter, clean up and organize without creating waste.
Purge Unused Items
Someone wise once said, “If you haven’t used it in 6 months, you don’t need it.” Maybe it was Oprah. Maybe not. Since we live in an extremely seasonal climate, I stretch this for a year. For me this is mostly a wardrobe purge but look in your closets and under your bed. Are you REALLY going to use that tennis racket that has been lying around for 2 years?
Collect all your good but unloved stuff and bring them to the Dump and Run! You may not be using the seashell adorned photo frame your aunt gave you for graduation but someone out there might just fall in love with it.
Don’t forget to look through your cupboards and pantry. Lots of dry goods can keep for extended periods of time but often, if it’s been hiding way at the back, it may be unsalvageable. Put it in your home or campus compost.
Clean Up Using Natural Cleaners
It’s very easy to make a wide array of cleaning products if you have the following ingredients on hand:
- Baking soda (scrubs, deodorizes and clears blockages)
- Vinegar (disinfects, deodorizes and softens fabric)
- Lemons (dissolves soap scum and mineral deposits, polishes wood and shines metals)
Keep It Up
Be sure to regularly assess what you need before bringing more stuff into your space. Is this going to end up in the far corner of your closet within two months? Another way to ensure that you use what you have is to keep everything where you can easily access it. If you can see all the contents of your closet/pantry/shelves etc. easily without having to shuffle stuff around, you are more likely to use it. You can donate your stuff all year round at the Free Store just in case you are looking for a place to send it all.
If you are fully using everything you have, you might be less inclined to get more stuff you don’t really need.
~tiana - guest blogger