Spring Cleaning!

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Next, consider your clothing closets. Go through your shoes and discard footwear that is broken, or that you simply know you will not use again. Avoid the maybe one day thoughts. If you haven’t worn that brown pair of loafers for four years now, let them go. Do the same thing with your clothes, the elephant leg jeans with beads from your raver days, or the skinny leather tie from the 80s… I understand that you may want to save some of those things as keepsakes of your personal eras, but they should not be cluttering your closet. Make your own keepsake box. 

The clothes that no longer fit, the ones that are too old and ragged, put them in bags (together) and drop them by Goodwill within the next 10 days. Even your ratty broken clothes go to Goodwill because whatever they can’t use they sell by weight to cloth recyclers; yes, folks, cloth can be recycled. If you ever buy a garment that says “made from recycled materials or fibers” that will be it, the clothing that gets recycled. There’s another perk benefit to be gained from donating to Goodwill. They will give your donations a specific monetary value and give you a voucher, and next year at tax time (link article here) you can deduct the donation from your taxable income.

Finally, your household closets. That’s the place where you stuff everything, from the useful and basic, to the broken that you plan to fix, and those items that you have saved for the day you need them:

Basic and needful things. Sort and organize those. I recommend using labelled boxes, I used to scoff at the idea but the reality is that things fit better when boxed and the labels help you find them.

Those broken things: if they are electronics, please either have them fixed now, for real, or decide if you will recycle or donate them. If the problem is easily fixable then you could donate it to Goodwill, but if the issue is big then it should be recycled. If it’s electronics, check out e-Stewards for where to recycle.

If they aren’t electronics, apply the same rule. Repair now or donate. If neither’s an option, do away with it, and remember to be kind to the environment: recycle. Alternately, if you have friends or relatives are handy with things, consider asking them if they want the stuff. One person’s trash…

And now to those items you have never used, have been storing for years and keep, because you think that you might have use for them… don’t be like my father-in-law. The garage building in his yard can’t hold a car because it’s full of those things that someone might need some day. Last year for Father’s day his kids agreed to give him a weekend in which they would come and do away with all the junk, organize what has to be kept, and put racks on the walls for tools, skis, and the likes. We’ll be doing that in May of this year (that’s when spring comes to Finland). As I said, avoid turning into him. Donate the stuff, or ask around for someone who could use it. If they are relatively valuable items, consider selling them on Craigslist or a Facebook second hand market. Just do something about them, you will thank yourself later!

A note on appliances: I would be pressed to find among you a single person who hasn’t seen an abandoned refrigerator or washing machine in a field, ravine, or creek out there. If you have large appliances (fridge, washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave) I beg you not to fall prey to the “others do it” adage.

These appliances have components that are extremely damaging to the environment, and it’s illegal to dump them. Every city has a way to recycle them, be it the municipal trash system (you pay to have them taken away), the certified scrappers who can buy the item and sell its components legally, or a recycling center with the means to help you. Here’s a relatively good map of recyclers in the United States via the Responsible Appliances Disposal network. Please recycle responsibly.

That’s the general gist on spring cleaning. Of course, spring cleaning will lead you to dust, wash, and clean as you organize and sort. You need not rush to do everything in a day or weekend. If you’re a busy person/couple/family, work out a plan that divides the cleaning into manageable sections and stick to it. 

Also, keep in mind that you should also spring clean your work area at the office, and your car. They can use some seasonal loving, too!

Ferns are good for places
with medium to low light

And finally, my personal suggestion for singles living alone: After you’re done with cleaning and sit down with a cold drink and feel great about your newly cleaned and organized home, go online and read this article, then go get a houseplant. Don’t be intimidated if you’ve never handled plants before; find plants that fit your home environment and start with something that you can take care of easily. Plants not only brighten a home and are good for the air; they’re a small, rewarding lesson in responsibility and constancy, and everyone should have something that they take care for exclusively.