DECLUTTER YOUR HOME FOR A SUCCESSFUL SPRING CLEANING!

Cleaning includes a number of tasks to make your home truly spotless: dusting, washing, disinfecting and so on. But there’s one gesture above all that completes all your efforts: decluttering. Getting rid of things you don’t need makes all the difference!

Many of us have the bad habit of accumulating objects (most of which are actually garbage, even if we don’t like to admit it), which clutter up the house, create unsightly jumble in the rooms and even encourage the accumulation of dust and dirt.

And yet, the key to an Impec home is decluttering, especially as the end of the year also rhymes with spring cleaning.

So how do you declutter your home effectively?

Here are some best practices.

Start by sorting out

To start decluttering, identify and select the items that absolutely must be discarded:

• Broken or damaged items whose repair would be neither useful nor cost-effective;
• Items you no longer use;
• Products that are out of date;
• Duplicate objects or toys;
• Old clothes that have gone out of fashion;

If some items are still in good condition, but no longer of use to you, you can also donate them. In this case, place them in a box and don’t wait to give them to the needy or associations who can take care of them for you.

After sorting these items, you’ll already have made some room, and can start cleaning the house. You’ll probably notice that dust has accumulated on surfaces. You can start dusting and cleaning by using Impec disinfectant cleaner, which effectively loosens dirt and leaves surfaces shiny.

Select 3 favourite stuff for each type of item to make your task easier

Accumulation is a reflex that soon becomes a habit that’s hard to get rid of. So don’t be surprised if you find it hard to let go of the things you’ve accumulated in your home over time. The good news is that there’s a trick to making this process easier: simply keep a maximum of 3 items for each category of items you need to throw away or give away. You’ll feel less guilty about throwing away those items you hold so dear, and it’ll force you to get rid of the rest. What’s more, it may even help you realize that very few of the discarded items are salvageable anyway.

Quarantine in the event of doubt

Clearing out the excess stuff in the house isn’t easy, especially if the items in question are in good condition or can be fixed fairly easily. Most of the time, this is because we’re afraid of regretting the gesture the day we really need the items in question.

The best way to take a step back is to place these items in a box, note the date of storage on the box, and then “quarantine” them for 6 months. If, at the end of this period, you haven’t used the items in the box, it means you don’t need them after all. So you can give them away or resell them (if possible), guilt-free. Why 6 months? Because it’s the ideal time to get your house sorted again! It’s also an opportunity to quarantine other items that you’re still reluctant to put away.

Start with the most cluttered rooms

The best way to succeed in your decluttering project is to start with the most cluttered rooms. Once you’ve tidied up and made space in these areas, you’ll feel even more satisfied and motivated to move on to other, less cluttered rooms.

Remember to take before and after photos to see what you’ve achieved. !

Beware of storage units

This title may surprise you, but you should know that while storage units are useful, even essential, for a tidy home, you must avoid accumulating them. Having drawers and storage boxes all over the house will lead you to store even more useless stuff. The best thing is to have everything superfluous right in front of you, so you can get rid of it in good time.