As winter is almost here (it officially begins on December 21 this year), now is the ideal time to take care of some responsibilities that you might normally put off until the spring cleaning season. If you do them right now, on the other hand, you will not only be better prepared for the feast-heavy winter holiday, but you will also be ahead of the game when it comes to spring cleaning.
Why now?
Think about it: spring cleaning is a generations-old ritual that began when homes were heated by fireplaces. They had to be buckled up tight to keep the heat from escaping, so by the end of winter, homes were filled with soot.
Winter cleaning, on the other hand, has a two-pronged purpose. It’s about preparing all the spaces you’ll deep clean in the spring and getting the home ready for holiday guests.
Closets
This is a perfect time to clear out all those clothes you’re never going to wear again, those that need repairs you know you’ll never make, and those that have gone out of style.
Make piles to keep you organized, one for dry cleaning, one for things you want to give away, and one for those items that are beyond help and should end up in the landfill.
While you’re in there, organize everything in a manner that makes sense to you. Some folks do better when their clothing is organized according to colors, while others group items together (blouses, slacks, etc.)
Get the shoes up off the floor, even if it means having to buy a shoe rack or hanging holder. If there are folded items on shelves, organize those as well.
After that, take a step back and examine the results of your labor. You can’t say that your hour of labor was a waste, can you?
Tackle the kitchen cupboards and drawers
Getting more organized in the kitchen is something you won’t regret once the holidays roll around and you’re preparing a feast for company. Plus, getting it done now leaves plenty of time to donate what you don’t need to the local food bank or soup kitchen.
Kitchen cupboards tend to overfill quickly right around Thanksgiving. Then, many people tend to stock up a little more because they don’t want to feel forced to hit the grocery store when the weather turns.
Start with the pantry, since that is the most-used storage area in the kitchen. Be honest about what you will and won’t consume in the near future and donate any canned items that will expire before you can use them.
Then, go through the rest of the kitchen cupboards, organizing your cooking utensils, pots, pans, and spices. A good rule of thumb is to place frequently used items toward the front of cupboards.
Paperwork
Didn’t they tell us we were headed toward a paperless world? Obviously, it hasn’t happened yet because many of us are buried in paper.
Take some time to go through that home office and all of the papers you need to scan, file, or toss. You’ll find it’s the perfect way to get a jumpstart on your taxes (your accountant will thank you for it).
And, perhaps you can even schedule those annual appointments (such as visits to the dentist and car services).
These days, there’s very little stopping you from a complete spring clean in the middle of fall or winter. We think you’ll find that spreading the work over the course of the year makes each task just that much easier.
