Contributed by Nicole of Hamilton Hippie, @hamiltonhippie
Spring is officially here, and I have been in the mood for a huge clear out of our home. I think this urge also has something to do with the lockdowns. Being all cooped up in the house, we are all forced to really examine our spaces and the things in them.
Speaking for myself, I came to the realization that I have collected a number of items that I rarely use or that I had forgotten about entirely! I found myself thinking about how I could simplify around the house and make our home more functional, as well as a cozy place I want to be.
In this blog post I wanted to share how I tackle what may seem like the impossible task of cleaning out my home in a way that focuses on sustainability as well as making and saving a little money.
< STEP 1: Home Audit
My first suggestion is start one room at a time! Take a moment to really look at your space and see what items or areas catch your eye for clutter or mess, or start in the area of the room that you know has lots of things that need a look through. Like a closet in your bedroom, or a shelf for example.
It can be very easy to become overwhelmed during a deep clean. This is why I like to focus on one area at a time and really take my time looking through and re-organizing. I also like to ask myself a few questions when I am considering letting an item go:
- Does the item work or fit me currently?
- Does the item have value? And if so what kind, personal or monetary?
- When was the last time I used this item?
- Is it comfortable? What do I not like about this item?
These questions help me determine if this item is something that I really need in my space or is something that could do more for someone else. For me, the bottom line is the function of the item for me currently, and if it’s not something that I need a great option is to donate it.
STEP 2: Get Creative >
So once you have done all the hard work of going through your spaces and you have collected items that you no longer need you can move on to step two of my process. This is where I like to get creative and think about how I can save money or sustainably reuse an item to fill another need I have, for example, I will repurpose old t-shirts into rags for dusting or cleaning around the house or using old scarfs or clothing as unique gift wraps. I know this seems like a timely extra step but choosing a sustainable option rather than throwing away goods can actually help you save money.
Any time you donate to The Salvation Army Thrift Store, you receive a coupon that you can use towards your next purchase, saving you money on your next thrifted find. When you choose to donate, you are also positively impacting your community while decluttering your space and saving you money! Here are some suggestions of items you can donate NOW to your nearest Salvation Army Thrift Store.
I hope this blog post inspired you to clean out your space and to hopefully choose some sustainable options rather than throwing away items that no longer serve a purpose to you.
Happy cleaning!
Nicole
@HamiltonHippie