By Mary Cornetta
From BHG.com
There is often a lot of talk surrounding spring cleaning, but many tips and guides don’t mention an important first step: decluttering. After all, if you fail to declutter your home first, your hard work scrubbing won’t be as effective. Too much unnecessary stuff makes it harder to clean around, and can hide dust, dirt, or, worse—mold and mildew. So by letting go of excess junk, you can perform a whole-home cleaning that is much more successful.
1. Cleaning Products
If you plan to polish your home from top to bottom soon, take a few minutes now to declutter your cleaning supplies so you’ll be prepared when the time comes. If products are scattered, corral them together in one spot and sort them by their purpose. You’ll most likely discover half-empty duplicate bottles, so combine what you can to cut down on volume. Take note of which products you’re low on so you can restock before your cleaning spree.2. Expired Allergy Medicine
The fall is a good time to declutter most medications, especially because it signifies the start of cold and flu season. But as spring nears and green pollen begins to cover everything in sight, this is the best time to go through your household stash of allergy meds. Check expiration dates and get rid of bottles and boxes past their prime by dropping them at an FDA-registered drug take-back location. Don’t forget to scan eye drops and nasal sprays, as well as replenish what you need before the first sniffle of the season.3. Expired Sunscreens
Applying expired sunscreen can have damaging effects. While you might wear SPF on your face year-round, spring and summer mean more exposed skin, so your leftover spray and lotion bottles might not have been touched since last year. Search the linen closet, medicine cabinet, and last season’s beach bag and gather all of the sunscreen you can find—including lip balms and SPF products meant for your scalp or hair. Throw out anything expired, and make a list of the products you'll need to replace before your outdoor spring activities.4. Outdoor Equipment
This is the time of year we find ourselves daydreaming about spending time basking in the backyard sun. Do something to distract from the still-chilly temps by getting your gear ready.- Furniture: Have your patio cushions or lawn chairs seen better days? If you know you can’t sufficiently clean old outdoor furniture, let it go.
- Decor: Whether it’s no longer your style or it has been too weathered by the elements, be ready to toss (or donate if they’re in good, working condition) garden flags, statues, and string lights.
- Toys: Torn pool floats, yard games with missing pieces, and sports equipment that your kids have outgrown are also game for donation or trash.
- Outdoor dining essentials: As you look forward to your first barbecue of the season, sort through your outdoor dining sets, cups, and tablecloths to weed out the things that are broken, worn out, or you have too many of.
