Spring Clearing Week starts today. Why Spring Clear?

Today marks the start of Spring Clearing Week; an opportunity to reflect on our lives and ensure that our home (our sanctuary) supports us to live our best life. It’s a chance to remove any physical clutter and create calm, order and space for what’s important.

What is Spring Clearing Week?

You’re probably familiar with Spring Cleaning – the practice of turning everything out and giving the house a deep cleaning. But did you know that 50% of the UK population have abandoned the traditional spring clean due to apathy and a lack of time (MoneyMagpie).

Happily, the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO) is keen that we don’t lose this valuable chance to clear our homes of any physical (and associated mental) clutter so have launched Spring Clearing Week.

Isn’t it an outdated tradition anyway?

Spring cleaning is this thought to have many origins (read more here) but regardless of how it came about, Spring Cleaning – the act of turning out the contents of the home to clean, gave our ancestors chance to review their possessions and clear out what they no longer needed.

Arguably there is no longer the need to clean up the mess left from burning wood and whale oil and with modern inventions such as the vacuum cleaner it’s much easier to maintain a clean home. However, whilst our homes may be cleaner than days of old, they are substantially fuller. We have the technological and economic capability to acquire more things, but the lack of time to manage our ‘stuff’. We also know more about mental health and that our full homes are having a negative impact on our stress levels and ability to focus. It’s more important than ever that we maintain a tradition of sorting through our things.

The psychological benefits of creating a calmer more organised environment to live and work are well-known.

A good declutter will:

  • create a sense of confidence by practising decision-making skills
  • address the disorder that causes feelings of frustration and anxiety
  • enable mindfulness whilst engaging in physical activity
  • free up physical space for thinking and relaxing
  • remove distractions enabling focus and productivity

So Let’s go for it!

Have I convinced you yet? Come on! I want you to have a go – it doesn’t have to be your whole house, but try to tackle one area of your home as we step into Spring!

I’ll be joining you too! Every day this Spring Clearing Week, I’ll be sharing my experience and tips as I declutter our spare room and create space for a much-needed office.

See my progress and read my tips on social media:

Spring clearing!

Spring clearing ideas and my exciting new competition to win time with a professional organiser!

I love snowdrops. I saw these and just had to take a pic of them!

What a beautiful first sign of spring, peeking through the grass after the recent snow. Snowdrops are a delicate announcement that Spring is truly here! They bring promise of better weather, longer days and a renewed energy after what feels like a loooong winter (and a renewed inclination to get out my running shoes!).

Spring cleaning; thoroughly cleaning or organising ones home, is traditionally carried out at the end of the winter. As the weather warms, it’s an opportunity to throw open the windows, wash curtains, shake out rugs and freshen the whole house!

It’s also a great time to use that spring in your step to do a bit of Spring clearing – have a good sort out and get organised for the year ahead!

Here are some projects to try:

  • Give bedrooms a good clear out. Pull everything out from under beds and on top of wardrobes and have a good look through – do you still need it all? Give away any winter clothes and shoes that have not been worn recently. Re-organise your wardrobe to make sure you can see your clothes easily and can choose easily as you navigate cooler and milder days in quick succession!
  • Ask the children to review their toys. If they didn’t have a sort out after Christmas, now is a good opportunity to pass on any toys that they no longer play with – ask them the questions below and get them to make some choices! They will appreciate having move space to play!
  • Sort through the books and possessions in your living room. As the weather improves, the light will change and you will see the possessions that are cluttering up your space. Rather than feeling cosy and comfortable, you’ll want the room to feel more airy, spacious and inviting for guests. Are there any books that you’ve read during winteOut with the old and in with the new! (2)r nights that you can now pass on for someone else to enjoy? Are there any other items that you want to remove or replace for a fresher look?
  • Freshen up your kitchen? Empty out cupboards, give them a good clean and exam items you’ve removed – does it all need to go back into the cupboard or are they better off with someone who will use them? Or are you going to start using them and cooking up new delights? Let’s face it, we always want more space in our kitchen not less! Anything that won’t be used needs to go!

If you’re having trouble deciding on whether to pass an item on, ask yourself these questions:

  1. Is it useful? When was the last time you used it?
  2. Is it precious? Do you love it?
  3. Why are you taking up valuable space in your home storing it?

If you need positive, non-judgemental, practical help organising your home this spring, contact Laura.