We have so many things today! When a household started a 100 years ago, usually a bride and groom started with a traveler’s trunk full of clothes, a set of dishes for each of them, some crafting items, and bedding. They made due with making tools, and creating their life with small use of items and things. Today, we have more things in our hallway closet than they may have had in their entire house!
Start Anew
One of the best ways to begin a new clean and organized house is to start with the kitchen. Often, this is the place where everything ends up. Here is how to do it!
1. Clean off everything in the cupboards and the counter
Move it all into the dining room or living room. Then, begin to wash down the cub boards and the counters with hot water and white vinegar. You can get a great amount of dirt this way!
2. Section and Divide
You are going to find a lot of things that you forgot about. Donate these items. There is no reason to keep them. Then, if there is any paperwork, coupons, or other business papers, off to the office area these go. If you office in your kitchen, you may want to rethink this idea. It is counter productive, unless your run a cooking business in your kitchen.
Place any item that you have not used in one year in one section of your living room floor, and any item that you have not used in over a year in an area where you are going to donate it. If you are reminiscing about your cost of purchase, or who it belonged to, take a photo of it, and get rid of it. You still have the memory of the item, and reminder, but one that will not take up space. The value of removing this item from your clutter stash is high-you can save money by cooking at home, and you are going to eat better than you ever thought you could.
3. Only return items you use frequently
Stop the useless collection of refrigerator magnets, and dusty dried flowers. Replace with one small growing plant. Remove any thing, kid made or otherwise, with a clean slate. Think hotel kitchen.
This will be a new start for you. You will be able to easily clean your kitchen, and think of all the great use you will have when you actually can cook in your kitchen again. You are going to love this new lifestyle!