As we approach the beginning of Spring so many of us get the itch to “Spring clean.”

Get Organized First

Before you start dusting baseboards, crown molding, registers and blinds make the whole process easier by getting organized first! The less mess you have to work around, the quicker you’ll be able to clean and get out and enjoy the warmer weather.

Begin Your Organization in the Attic

I like to take a top-down approach and start in the attic. It’s best to take all of your items out of the spaces you’re used to seeing them in and look at them in a “new light.” So, empty out that attic! Take all of those empty boxes, decorations and extra paint out and really decide if you need to keep it all.

Questions to Ask Yourself When Organizing Your Attic

• Did any of the items that those boxes come in break over the past year? Recycle them!

• Did you choose not to put out some of your decorations last year? Donate them!

• Has the paint, caulk and mortar you were storing gone bad? Trash it!

After you’ve decided what to keep then categorize it into groups and put it into the attic neatly. If you choose, you can buy storage bins and labels or simply use boxes and sharpies to keep everything tidy throughout the year.

Pro Tip: Choose a spot to collect your trash, recycling and donations and bring whatever you’ve chosen not to keep to that area. I like to do this in the garage so that I don’t have to see it often and so that I can throw it in my car and get rid of some of it every time I leave the house.

Organize Your Bedrooms Second

Depending on your layout, you’ll likely choose to organize your bedrooms next. Empty the nightstands and dressers. Get the items out from under your bed. Clear off all of the décor on horizontal surfaces. Now it’s time to make decisions again!

Questions to Ask Yourself When Organizing Your Bedroom

• Are there any undergarments that are dingy? Trash them.

• Are there gifts you forgot to give out? Gift them.

• Are there decorations that no longer match your style? Donate them!

Take all of these items to your designated “get rid of” space and start organizing and putting away what you’ve decided to keep.

You’ll now have uncluttered spaces to bring the clothes from your closet to.

Organizing Your Closet

Follow the same steps to declutter. Give yourself some rules to make it easier to decide what clothes and shoes to do away with. Holes? Rips? Stains? Missing buttons? Too small? Too big? GET RID OF THEM!

I won’t go room by room for the rest of the house, but by now you probably get the idea. Do one room at a time, empty it out completely, make your decisions, get rid of things right away and organize the remaining items back into your spaces. Once every room, drawer, closet and horizontal surface is decluttered and purged, you’ll have so much less to Spring clean around! As for cleaning… you’re on your own there. It’s so not my favorite thing to do!