Spring Clean your Life

At last it really feels like Spring has arrived……after tantalising us last weekend with some warm days, the Weather Fairies were merely teasing us and delivered high winds and cooler temperatures during the week.  It was very disappointing and I, for one, felt a little cheated.  Imagine my delight when this weekend the weather once again became warm and I began to believe that maybe Spring has, as they say, sprung.

Spring has an odd effect on me. It makes me want to clean, to sort and even to de-clutter.  That pile of glossy mags that I have been amassing over winter was soon relegated to the recycling bin this weekend.  I even feel driven to clean windows, wash blinds and sort out drawers.  It is the ONLY time of year I ever feel this urge and then is struck me why.  It’s because Spring is all about renewal, rebirth and the exciting possibilities that the longer days hold.  When Winter has you in its grip and you only have seven or so daylight hours per day, during which you are working, the thought of sorting and tidying is as far from your mind as your Summer holiday seems to be.

Spring however means shiny, sparkling days, longer daylight hours and I believe it provides us with the opportunity to clean and declutter our lives so that we can make the most of Spring and the forthcoming Summer as we’re not as weighed down with “stuff” at home. 

So how do we achieve this?

My first tip is to sort out your drawers.  I had a drawer full of half used aerosols……why, I’ll never know! Hairsprays, dry shampoo, deodorants, hair smoothers….the list goes on.  It was simple really.  Do I use it? No. And the answer was invariable no. Well throw it out!

Just by clear one drawer a day or sort  one cupboard a week and I promise you you’ll feel better.

Now, do the same with the fridge and your food cupboards.  Be honest – do you really need that opened box of Italian Mixed Herbs, with the sell by date of September 2001?  You haven’t used them for eleven and a half years, so are you really likely to need them now?  As for that Fray Bentos pie, well, need I say more.

Ok – bathroom now.  Hands up who doesn’t have a drawer/basket/box full of half used tubes of antiseptic cream, that course of amoxicillin you (or a loved one) never quite finished because you/they felt better or even endless semi-popped foils of tablets that you don’t even know what they are.  I’m confident there are no hands being held aloft here as we are ALL guilty of medicine hoarding!  The only answer here is to bag everything up and return to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.  It will take you five minutes, that’s all.

My next target – the book case.  Despite the fact I read everything on a Kindle now, I still have mountains of books – I’m going to resell them via Amazon or take them to the charity shop along with those clothes I no longer wear.  I will get back so much space!

Yesterday’s news!  My magazine and newspaper collection has a life of its own, multiplying at a rate of knots and don’t even get me started on the take away menus and the local magazines.  All in recycling now.

If your desk is anything like mine, it will be covered in piles of paperwork, each piece masquerading as something dreadfully important, when in actual fact some judicious sorting will give you a small pile of things that must be dealt with, whereas the rest may be shredded or filed.  Use a diary or calendar to record the important dates and recycle everything you don’t need to keep.

Let’s make-up. What lurks at the bottom of your make up bag?  Are you still hoarding that Yardley lippie your Nan gave you, when in reality you’re more of a Rimmel London girl?  Did you know that you should renew your mascara every three months as all sorts of bacteria beasties can lurk in there?  You’ll be doing your skin a real favour by having a make-up make over.  If it’s out of date – bin it!

When you’ve had the make-up bag purge, use this as a reason to update your look; treat yourself to a new blusher or even a change of hair colour.  After all, Spring is all about renewal – renew your look!

Finally, look at your wardrobe.  If like me you still have that dress that you will definitely slim into and are hanging onto, I have three words for you: “let it go”.  If you’ve had it four years and not yet worn it because those extra ten pounds are being stubborn, be realistic and ask yourself if you ever will shift that weight?  Clearing out your clothes can be amazingly liberating and time saving.

Take a trip to the charity shop or give things away to friends and sort what’s left.  I found it really useful to group my clothes into casual, work, going out and special events – saved so much time in the morning as my favourite work dresses are always where they should be.

If you have clothes that you have worn and loved but have pushed to the back of the wardrobe because they need dry cleaning or mending, then give us a call and we can sort everything out for you, with our dry cleaning and alteration service. We can even get your shoes heeled for you.  All with free collection and delivery.

A good ol’ Spring clean will make you feel better – physically and emotionally – and will leave you feeling re-energised and refreshed.  What have you got to lose apart from a manky old lippie and a dress you’ll never wear anyway!?