Cleaning and Decluttering for the New Year

1/4/2021 (Permalink)

Wouldn’t it be nice to start the year off with a clean and decluttered home? You can, by decluttering now and getting your home sparkling clean – a great way to begin the new year and this year the new decade. Here are some tips for getting your home in tiptop shape for 2020.

Go ahead and donate those items you’ve been preparing to donate.

If you are like most people who binged on Marie Kondo's Tidying Up on Netflix, you probably obsessively purged your closet and got rid of all those nick knacks and clothes you never wear. Chances are, you probably have a bag (or two) of clothes ready to give away, as well as some boxes of kitchen items, toys, or other household items. Donating gently used items to a worthy charity’s thrift store, means not only getting your home decluttered, but also reducing waste and
possibly getting a tax deduction (tax-exempt organizations only).

Get rid of older model tablets, computers, and mobile phones.

Once you’ve upgraded, consider donating or recycling your old gadgets rather than tossing them in the trash.

Lose the unnecessary paperwork lying around your home.

You know, like those instruction manuals you’ve never opened, printouts from the doctors office (that are easily available on the office portal should you need it), old receipts and credit card statements, and such. Keep only what you need – birth certificates, car titles, social security cards, and paperwork you’ll need for your tax preparation.

Declutter your closet by ridding it of those items which no longer fit, are no longer on
trend, and you haven’t worn recently.

You’ll also want to toss stained or damaged items and pack away seasonal clothes for the winter.

Toss away items that are past their shelf life.

Start in the bathroom and get rid of over- the counter medications, old makeup and nail polish, and prescriptions medications. Remember to drop expired medication at designated collections sites for safety. Next, onto the kitchen where you will toss out expired items in the refrigerator and then the pantry (salad dressing, condiments, stale crackers and cereal, etc.). You might know, but cleaning supplies should also be tossed when they have passed their effective shelf life.

Once the decluttering is done, it’s time to clean. Since this is the busy season, it’s the perfect time to call on the SERVPRO of Fontana professionals to get the job of cleaning done for you. SERVPRO of Fontana’s team will see that your carpet, upholstery, walls, ceiling, floors, drapes and blinds are cleaned beautifully, and unwanted odors are removed successfully.