Spring has sprung and we all know what that means – Spring
cleaning! The scent of fresh grass is in the air, the birds are starting
to sing, and your house has accumulated a year’s worth of clutter.
Decluttering can be daunting so we suggest to break it down. Over
the next four weeks, we’ll be featuring a room in the house with a
step-by-step guide and some tips to make decluttering a breeze, or
at the very least, doable. Start small with the bathroom. Bathrooms
tend to be smaller than other rooms in the house so we’ll ease into
week one of Spring there.

Week 1: The Bathroom

Step 1: Purge: First things first, if you don’t use it then lose it.
Those three almost empty bottles of conditioner in the shower,
you’re most likely not going to finish them. The old bottle of
Tylenol from 2006, it’s expired. And your collection of old
makeup, it’s time to toss it. Go through the shower, shelves,
drawers, and cabinets. Toss everything that’s expired, old or that
you just won’t use.

Step 2: Downsize: We all have our guilty pleasures – A collection
that keeps growing. It may be body washes, hand soaps, lotions or
bubble baths. You find one, you fall in love, and you have to have
it. Then it joins the ever growing collection and never gets used.
Declutter your collection and be honest with yourself – if
you will never use it, then toss it or give it away. For the ones
your heart can’t bear to part with make a rule; you have to use
two before you can add one more to your collection.

Step 3: Sort: Prioritize your space by decluttering your items into 3
groups and storing them accordingly. Group 1: the everyday essentials.
These include items like your hand soap, toothbrush, hair brush,
and bottles of shampoo and conditioner. The items you use daily
will take up prime real estate, counter space and the easy to
reach shelves or drawers. Group 2: the items that come out every
few days, hair dryer, tweezers, dry shampoo (well, the dry
shampoo may be more of a daily item for those of us who have
a love hate relationship with the snooze button). Whatever is on
your list, hide these items away in easy to access spaces. Group 3:
the once in a blue moon items; extra hand towels, hair curlers,
or candles for a bubble bath, these can take up the hard to reach places.

Step 4: Create Space and Boundaries: Bins, trays, and containers are
great for decluttering. Trays and bins keep things organized and
separate. A tray on your counter can be a decorative item, plus it
prevents your hair ties from slowly migrating across the counter
top. Use containers to combine items like Q-tips or cotton balls
and to get rid of the unsightly packaging they come in. Put like
items together in bins. You’ll know where to find them when you
need them and it will prevent everything from cluttering
into one big pile.

Step 5: Decorate: You should feel comfortable and happy in your
bathroom, it’s where you start and end each day. Wipe down surfaces
to brighten up the space and add a few items to make it your own –
a decorative soap holder, a small plant, or decorative clock, so you
can see how long you slept in after pressing that snooze button five
times. Make your bathroom a de-cluttered and happy place, you’re
in there everyday after all.

Bonus Tips: Use hooks instead of bars to hang towels. For those
of you who have that one person in your home who constantly leaves
their towel on the floor, or if you are that person, hooks may be a
good idea. Hanging your towel on the bar may not take much effort,
but a hook takes even less and that person, or you, may be more
inclined to drop the towel on the hook rather than the floor.

The Bathroom is done and now Feng Shui ready! You have turned
it into a clutter-free and relaxing space. Spring has sprung and the
cleaning has begun. Follows these tips and tricks with your clients
the next time you are decluttering their home. Next up, the place
where dreams come true – dreams of your stomach that is. In
week two, we will be decluttering the kitchen.

Happy Spring!