Texas Living

The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Guide for a Clean, Clutter-Free Home

By Peter Simek 5.15.20

We’re all spending a lot of time at home right now. That means a clean, clutter-free home has never been more desirable — or attainable. We’ve rounded up our spring-cleaning tips to keeping your home in shipshape to create the ultimate manifesto. Begin here:

Go Clutter-Free

Out with the old! Create a saner, healthier living space by getting rid of unwanted clutter. Even better: Turn it into a good deed by donating what you can to those who need it more.

Declutter your whole home. That’s right. No big deal. It sounds daunting, but by following our eight-step guide, you can tackle one room at a time with help from organization experts. It can be tough to make decisions about what needs to stay, what can go, and how to store everything. But it all starts with a simple tip: Imagine your ideal space. Then, make it happen. It’s all in a day’s work.

Donate used items. As you declutter, think about what should be tossed and what could be paid forward. Here’s a guide to helping your fellow Texans by donating household items to trustworthy organizations across the state. (Check first if your local organizations are accepting donations during the COVID-19 pandemic.)

Safely dispose of items. For those items that can’t be donated, here’s a guide to disposing of them safely. Learn how to properly dispose of cleaning products and keep old electronics out of landfills.

Clean out your medicine cabinet. Make sure you’re storing medicines safely and disposing of them safely too. That includes checking for expiration dates. Here’s a handy guide to what you should look for.

Get Organized

Once you’ve gotten rid of the clutter, turn your attention to organizing what’s here to stay so you can prevent clutter from creeping back again to keep your living spaces clean.

Become a laundry Jedi master. Find new motivation for this household chore with our four-level laundry list that will make the whole thing simpler, snappier, and snugglier. 

Tackle your closet. Once your laundry is all clean and folded, you’ll want it to stay that way. Follow these tips for storing clothes that are out of season to give your closet that zen, airy feeling — and know that when the weather turns again, your warmer clothes will have hibernated safely.

File your papers. Now that most of us are working from home, the home office is likely getting a lot more cluttered than usual. Whether you have a whole room or just a desk (or the kitchen table), working is easier when your life is organized. That means your important documents. What papers should you save forever? Which ones can you toss? And is your filing system prepared for an unforeseen event like a flood or a fire? Here’s a step-by-step guide to storing your important documents.

Be Sparkly Clean

We’ve probably never been more into disinfecting things. And even if the stores are out of stock, you can find everything you need to make powerful, effective cleaners at home. Get your newly clutter-free home spic-and-span with these homemade cleaners.

Make homemade disinfectants. Skip the trip to the store and make your own hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and other pandemic-ready cleaners.

Make homemade lemon cleaners. Make your home citrusy and fresh with these seven recipes.

Do pretty much everything with vinegar. Use this all-purpose miracle cure around your house.

For more spring-cleaning tips, tackle this spring maintenance checklist.

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