Break Free From Clutter: The Refreshing Power of Spring-Cleaning
Spring is in the air, and there’s no better time than the present to start digging through closets and breaking out the cleaning supplies to freshen up your house. I love the concept of spring-cleaning! It’s a great feeling when you can refresh and tidy your home. While I greatly enjoy cleaning my home, I don’t always get rid of unneeded items immediately. Oftentimes, I want to hold onto these objects for sentimental reasons; other times, I worry I’ll need them sometime in the future. I struggle with the idea of being wasteful. I don’t want to throw something out that still works well. To put it simply, it’s just hard for me to let go of things.
Recently, I’ve tried to view “getting rid of something” in a completely different light. I’m allowing these items to move on to the next stage of their journeys. That’s why I like to donate my unneeded or unwanted items instead of tossing them in the garbage or letting them pile up in my home. It’s important to remember that an item could still be a blessing in someone else’s life, even if it no longer serves any purpose in your own. I’ve found that the more I donate and declutter my space, the more it brings me peace. I’m able to relax and enjoy my environment much more.
The conclusion of winter provides the perfect opportunity to open our shutters, let the sunshine in, and tidy up the house, but we don’t have to wait until a specific date or season to clean up our living spaces. We can do it all year round. Every other month, I try to remove some unneeded items from my house and donate them. It’s a work in progress, and I do better during some months than others. The six-month decluttering rule states that if you haven’t worn or used something in six months, it’s time to let it go. I have yet to commit to the six-month rule. It can take me six years of not using something before I finally let it go, but I’m improving!
A few weeks ago, I donated 10 suits I hadn’t worn in about a decade. The suits will go to an organization that helps young women learn job skills and find success in their lives. They’ll be able to wear those suits to upcoming interviews and try to land the jobs of their dreams. I’m so happy my suits gained a second life, and now I can help other people reach their goals!
Spring-cleaning and decluttering the house isn’t an activity I do all alone. My kids also like to jump in and help! We’ll look at their toys together to determine which ones they’re done playing with and donate them so another little kid can have fun. I try not to make it overwhelming for my kids. I simply ask them what three toys they’re done playing with, and those are the ones we donate. It teaches them the spirit of giving and helps them learn the benefits of charity. And we certainly don’t get rid of all their toys! We hold on to plenty for when they have kids of their own.
Participating in spring-cleaning will benefit you, your family, and your community. It takes time, but the rewards are well worth the effort! I hope you all have a wonderful start to the spring season!
