Spring Cleaning

by | Apr 3, 2018 | Men, Myths, and Misinformation |

We had a wonderful event on March 29th.  A gather of 25 + women and we discussed the ins and outs of spring cleaning and how it will affect your home and health.  The following is my lecture outline that I presented at the event.  Its a mis-match of Pinterest posts, literature searches, and personal experiences.  I hope you find  it helpful.

Spring Cleaning

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful

~ William Morris textile designer 1800’s

Declutter

  1. Pick a spot to start
    1. Start with the flat surfaces

EVERYTHING:  MUST HAVE A HOME

MUST HAVE A PURPOSE

MUST BE IN GOOD WORKING ORDER

MUST HAVE A LABEL

  1. Everything must have a home
    • Box for “other room”
    • Toys must fit in assigned baskets
    • Not every drawer or cupboards need to have anything in it
  • Sunday basket “the biggest mess in out house is paper”
    • Deal with it / File it
Keep One Yearyou don’t have to save monthly and quarterly statements once the year-end statement has arrived.   Keep Three Years Credit Card Statements Medical Bills (in case of insurance disputes) Utility Records Expired Insurance Policies Keep Six Years Supporting Documents For Tax Returns Accident Reports and Claims Tax related medical bills Property Records / Improvement Receipts Sales Receipts Tax-Related Bills Keep Permanently CPA Audit Reports Legal Records Important Correspondence Income Tax Returns Income Tax Payment Checks Investment Trade Confirmations Retirement and Pension Records Yearend mutual funds and IRA Contributions   Special CircumstancesCar Records (keep until the car is sold)   Credit Card Receipts (keep until verified on your statement) Insurance Policies (keep for the life of the policy) Mortgages / Deeds / Leases (keep 6 years beyond the agreement) Pay Stubs (keep until reconciled with your W-2) Property Records / improvement receipts (keep until property sold) Sales Receipts (keep for life of the warranty) Stock and Bond Records (keep for 6 years beyond selling) Warranties and Instructions (keep for the life of the product) Other Bills (keep until payment is verified on the next bill)  
  • Decrease paper
    • Cut down on mail
      • org
      • Electronic bills
      • thedma.org
      • National do not mail directmail.com
  1. Everything must have a purpose
    • Don’t save it for later, maybe, or what if’s
    • Why do you need 4 loaf pans?
  2. Everything must be in good working order
    • If it can’t be fixed get rid of it
  3. Everything must have a label
    • You need to know what it is, how it works, and where it goes.
    • Outdated, expired
  • Prepare you mind
  • Prepare your family
  • Prepare your schedule
  • Prepare your supplies
    1. What do you need to stay organized / picked up
  • Prepare your space
  • Plan your day
    1. Chunking
    2. Plan ahead
      1. Wake up time
      2. Get moving/stretch/work out
  • Avoid black hole of technology/screen time

Procrastination thus appears to be a self-defeating behavior pattern marked by short-term benefits and long-term costs  Dianne M Tice, Roy F. Baumeister

  • If it need to go, get it out FAST
    • Consider before and after pictures
    • Know where you are going to take it
      • Goodwill
      • Consign/hand-me-downs
      • I seal up the
      • I don’t share the boxes with the kids
      • I kept a tally of how many boxes I have gotten rid of
  • Don’t forget your calendar
    • pick a calendar format
    • assess your priorities
    • clear out the unessential
    • make lists and use them
    • block out time for activities/chores/etc

Don’t put off tomorrow what can be done today