Cleaning Refreshes for the New Year
After the indulgence, busyness, and hectic pace of the holiday season, the first few months of the year are ideal for assessing where you are, what you have, and what you can let go of. Visual clutter becomes mental clutter, so reducing the number of items in your home that no longer can have an impact on many other areas of your life. So if your home needs a cleaning refresh for the new year, read on to find out where to start.
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Clean out the pantry and refrigerator
After a season of entertaining and indulging, cleaning out the areas where you store food can help the start of your year feel lighter. Remove all food, wipe down the shelves and drawers and throw out any expired or spoiled items. For added organization, purchase clear bins to group food in the refrigerator and air-tight containers to store dry goods in the pantry.
Tip: Decanting all all the food items, baggies and other supplies will make it significantly easier to see everything you have, keep it more organized and prevent overbuying.
Focus on the overlooked areas
Spend some time cleaning the often neglected areas of a home. The baseboards, fan blades, light switches, bottoms of cabinets and more can accumulate dirt, dust, food and other debris. Thoroughly clean these areas to give your home an entire top-to-bottom clean.
Tip: Folex is the holy grail stain remover for carpet, rugs, upholstery, etc. Be sure to do a spot test first!
Refresh the bedding
Replacing work or outdated bedding can help make your bedrooms feel updated and refreshed. The start of a new year is an excellent time to purchase new pillows, and a fresh set of sheets and to replace any comforters, duvet inserts and covers or throw blankets that need updating.
Tip: All-white bedding will create a crisp, clean and calm bedroom. You can layer in additional colors with the rug, pillows, art and other accents.
Clean out closets and drawers
Emptying the coat closets, bedroom closets, bedroom drawers and kitchen drawers to assess what you have is an excellent way to determine what can stay and what needs to leave. Then, keep what you need, and separate the rest into piles that you can donate, sell and throw out.
Tip: Create a plan to make it this feel less overwhelming. Whether it’s by room (i.e. the entire play room), by smaller area (i.e. the coat closet), or by person (i.e. the baby’s bedroom and baby gear in basement), a plan will make it easier to take action.
Appeal to the senses
Appealing to your senses can play a significant role in how you feel. For example, selecting a fresh new scent for your home, curating a new playlist to play throughout your home, restyling the surfaces, and adding fresh greenery and florals can revive your senses and even make you feel like you’re living in a new space.
Tip: This is the fun part! Save this until the end of your cleaning refresh, to have something to look forward to.
Commit to not bringing in any new items the first few months
Once your space is refreshed, organized and cleaned out, commit to not bringing in anything new for several months. Use this time to assess what you really need and avoid purchasing items on a whim you don’t have a place for.
Refreshing your home at the start of the new year can help you begin the new year in a space that feels lighter, brighter and easier to navigate. If you’re looking to update your home after you clean, let’s work together. Learn more about different home design packages here.
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