At the start of every new year, many people set personal goals for themselves, whether the goals relate to health, career, or family. One area that many people fail to include in their New Year’s resolutions list is their home.
Given most of our lives happen at home, it makes sense to include home restoration into your New Year’s plan. In fact, taking the time to show your home a little extra love can be a great way to kickstart the new year so that it is productive and helpful. Here are some ways to bring in the gnu year with a clean home:
Why should I kickstart the year with my home?
Your home is arguably the most important place of your life. You eat, sleep, and relax in your home. If it is not organized, productive, and indicative of a healthy life, how can you expect for your life as a whole to be any of those things either?
At the start of every year, it is a great idea to clean out your home so that you get started on the right foot. In other words, do your spring cleaning a bit earlier. Just by cleaning your house in late December or early January, you can really reach the goals that you have been putting off.
How to Clean Your House for the New Year
1. Get Rid of Things You Don’t Need
In order to clean your house, you have to make a mess first. Start by going through all of your items and getting rid of anything you don’t need. Whether it is a shirt you’ve been hanging onto since high school or three of the same spatulas, get rid of items that you do not want or use.
Whenever going through your items, it is helpful to ask yourself whether or not the item brings you joy. If it does not, donate it or throw it away, depending on the condition and item. In addition to joy, ask if the item is something you have used within the last six months. For example, snow pants may not bring you joy, but you may use them every winter when sledding in your backyard.
If you look at each of your items with a critical eye, you will quickly see that there are tons of products that you don’t want or use. Make room for the new year by getting rid of things from your past that are not indicative of who you want to be in the future. Only keep items that have a place in your current life.
2. Deep Clean
Once you go through all of the things you want and don’t want, it is time to get your hands a little dirty by deep cleaning your entire house. Yes, I mean it. Your entire house. From your closet to your bathroom, make sure everything is spic and span.
You want to dust off any corners that you have been ignoring, wash clothes or sheets, vacuum everywhere, wipe down baseboards, and anything else involved in deep cleaning. Expect this step to take a couple of days to finish.
Deep cleaning is the perfect time to look for water damage or mold. In the case you find either of these items, you may need to hire a Richmond water damage restoration professional to help modify your home. Doing so will ensure that your home is safe and healthy for the year to come.
Even though deep cleaning is no one’s favorite part of the cleaning process, it is essential to get started on the right foot. Only if you declutter and clean your house can you truly expect for your mind to be decluttered and renewed as well.
3. Set Up a Working Organization System
Now that everywhere in your house is completely clean, set up a working organization system. This includes organizational boxes, a cleaning routine, and anything else that will help keep your house clean throughout the rest of the year. The dollar store offers some great boxes and baskets to help you stay organized on a budget.
One crucial part of setting up a working organizational system is creating a cleaning routine. Keep a list of how often you clean certain areas. For example, you should clean your kitchen everyday, bathroom every week, sheets every week, and laundry once a week. There may be other items in your home that require less frequent cleaning. Just keep a list of how often you want to clean each room.
4. Keep It Up!
If you went through all of the trouble to create a working organization system, keep up with it! Don’t let yourself get lazy in a month or two. Instead, keep your house clean and organized for the entire year. This will help you stay on top of your other resolutions and make your New Year’s cleaning easier next year.
Sometimes, you may not feel like cleaning. Occasionally, it is OK to take a break. Relax one night and get back on the horse the next day.
To help keep you motivated, it may be helpful to plan events to encourage cleaning. For example, perhaps commit to a weekend for your parents, in-laws, or friends to stay at your home. This will keep you motivated to at least clean your house before that trip.
Due to COVID-19, it may not be capable for people to visit your home for a weekend. In that case, find other ways to motivate you. For example, treat yourself to a spa night after you deep clean your bathroom. That way you reward yourself for your work and you get the double benefits of a clean bathroom.
Conclusion
Make sure that you are motivated for the new year by starting with your house. Declutter, clean, and organize your home so that your living area reflects a more productive and efficient view.
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