CLEANING Spring

Spring cleaning can be timeconsuming, it can be tedious, and it can be a burden, but now that winter has thawed, it’s a necessary evil in order to start out the new season on the right foot.

It doesn’t have to be all about scrubbing–below, Spinnings writer Lauren Reicis shares options and ideas that will help refresh and recharge your home.

First, make a list. Look around your home and identify your toppriority chores and figure out which ones can wait. For my household, a scrub down of the fridge goes right to the top of the list!

Break tasks down into short, productive chunks of time. Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be a marathon! Using the list you just made, assign yourself two or three 10-minute tasks a day. I like to perform these during the week while my son is still asleep. You can also consider doing one 30-minute task a day.

Next, declutter. A de-organized home can add to your stress level. Labels, bins, and boxes are some of my favorite organization tools. If you have a lot of items in good shape that you want to get rid of, see our suggestions towards the end. The most important piece of advice I have after you declutter is that when you find a ‘home’ for an item, train yourself to always put it back in its spot. This will help keep your home tidy all-year round. As they say, “a place for everything and everything in its place.”

Always work from top to bottom. If the ceilings and ceiling fans are on your list, start there! Starting at the top ensures you aren’t doing double the work. Dust and debris will naturally fall all while you are working, so if you start from the top, it ensures you don’t have to reclean that space.

Don’t forget the walls and windows! Sure, we all know the kitchen floor must be scrubbed but oftentimes the walls, windows, and blinds miss out on the cleaning action.

If you start to feel overwhelmed, simple fixes can make your home feel refreshed. Light a candle, rearrange some furniture, or swap out some table décor. These small changes can breathe new life into your home.

Lastly, remember to not get carried away. Marie Kondo, the queen of tidying up, recently admitted that after the birth of her third child her home is “messy” and she’s at peace with it–if she can prioritize family life over cleaning, anyone can.

Decluttering is done, now what?

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. If decluttering is part of your spring-cleaning routine, there are plenty of organizations and even apps that will gladly take what you don’t need. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites:

Donate:

Catch My Thrift, run by Harvest House

2406 Calder Ave, Beaumont

Wednesday–Friday: 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Items accepted: Home decor items, furniture, accessories, and more.

Habitat ReStore

610 Trinity St, Beaumont

Monday–Friday 9:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Items accepted: Furniture, home accessories, building materials, and appliance

Goodwill

4715 Calder Ave, Beaumont

Monday–Saturday 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.;

Sunday 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Items accepted: Clothing, home furnishing, books toys, furniture and more

Restored: run by Dream Center of Southeast Texas Items must be dropped off at Dream Center’s main location at 3890 FM 3514, Beaumont

Email to arrange: info@dreamcentersetx.org

Items accepted: Clothing, home decor, electronics and more

Earn:

Plato’s Closet

4420 Dowlen Rd, Beaumont

Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Sunday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m

Items accepted: Gently used clothing for children, teen and twenty-something boys and girl

Once Upon A Child

4340 Dowlen Rd, Beaumont

Monday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Sunday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m

Items accepted: Gently used kids’ clothes, shoes, toys, and baby gear

Apps such as Poshmark, ThredUp, The RealReal, Mercari, Facebook Marketplace, Vestiaire Collective, Vinted, Kidizen can be great platforms for selling any unwanted items, from clothing and household items to whatever you find in your junk drawer