It's spring cleaning time! Why not take advantage of this opportunity to give your home a BIG clean, reviewing all the storage space—and everything that's stored there?
Sometimes we forget we own something until we stumble upon it while looking for something else. Or we remember we have something, but then we forget where it is and we move on… (Sigh.)
We put off the big house cleaning because it seems daunting. And above all, the terrifying question: where should we start?!
The benefits of a tidy home are numerous. First and foremost, what satisfaction when the task is accomplished! We also gain efficiency when we know where things are and that they are easily accessible. And, after sorting through what is worth keeping and what not among all our possessions, we reduce our mental load. Yes, living light and well-organized brings a certain happiness.
Here are my tips for getting started on this adventure without tearing your hair out.
Two approaches to get off to a good start
Let's not kid ourselves: doing a BIG house cleaning will take some time. It's therefore best to schedule successive sessions, over days, weeks, or even months. Seeing the work progress will be a good source of motivation.
But more than that, having a game plan and proceeding systematically helps tame what can seem like a chaotic undertaking. You have two options: go room by room or by category of objects.
The first option, room by room, has the advantage of being limited in space and time. It's fairly easy to see what needs to be addressed—the other rooms will come later. In short, the bite seems easier to swallow. But from experience, this approach often leads more to a simple rearranging of objects than to a real sorting of what is necessary or not. Cleaning is certainly rewarding, but it goes less in-depth...
The second option, by category of objects, consists of first gathering all the objects of the same category, regardless of which rooms they are in. This is the method recommended by tidying guru Marie Kondo in her bestseller The Amazing Power of Tidying Up published in 2011 and her series The Tidying Up of Things that you can watch on Netflix. She established five categories: 1) clothes; 2) books; 3) paper (which I would call "paperwork", meaning accounts, invoices and the like); 4) miscellaneous objects (from kitchen accessories to cleaning products to bedding); 5) personal objects (mementos and other things that have sentimental value).
Photo credit: Editions de l'Homme
By gathering together, for example, all your clothes – those from the bedroom, the hall wardrobe, the summer and winter laundry bins, etc. – you realize how much you accumulate over time, and that you don't really need 10 scarves (some very similar), 8 pairs of jeans (half are no longer fashionable), 4 autumn coats...
The exercise demonstrates the absurdity of holding onto so much and encourages us to get rid of the useless. Once again, I speak from experience. The task is undoubtedly a little more difficult, but we act with more detachment. And the scale of the shedding is far greater and more satisfying than with the piece-by-piece option. The formula is simple to follow and goes as follows: gather, sort, get rid of. (Besides, getting rid of possessions will make people happy, whether they are friends, people in need, or yourself, by getting a little money in return via Kijiji or Marketplace!)
Types of storage
Once you've sorted through your space, the next question is: do you have the right furniture and accessories to maximize your storage, or should you get new ones?
Remember that there are different types of storage: open (to display beautiful objects) or closed (to reduce visual pollution); horizontal (which can accommodate various items on their long surface) or vertical (which have the advantage of occupying a smaller floor space while offering a lot of storage space); wall-mounted (shelves, cabinets above the bathroom or washer-dryer); hidden (under the bed, in an ottoman or a bench).
Photo credit: Umbra
Simple shelving, if you have a discreet spot in the basement, can also free up significant space in wardrobes in bedrooms, hallways, and other areas. In transparent bins, so you can see what's inside, you can store anything you rarely use—and wonder, in the process, if you really need it...
Also worth remembering are all the little accessories (files, dividers, hooks, baskets, shelves) that, placed in the right places, will make everyday life easier. Because, ultimately, the key to organization for a tidy home can be summed up as follows: "A place for everything and everything in its place," as the saying goes.
Photo credit: Angus McRitchie
Opening photo credit: H&M Home
Julie Deslauriers is an actress, stylist, interior design columnist, and eco-friendly mom. You've probably seen her on Chambres en Ville or other shows. Alongside her acting career, Julie has developed another passion: interior design.
We are excited about our brand new editorial collaboration and her valuable advice. You can follow her on Instagram @lejuliebazar .
Stay tuned for more decorating tips from Julie!
