What Ever Happened to a Good Spring Cleaning?

“A good spring cleaning” for most of us, means taking extra steps to deeply scrub out our homes after spending so much time indoors during the winter. As we prepare for spring, it just feels right to clean the house from top to bottom. For many of us though, clutter build up gets in the way of doing a good thorough cleanse, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and defeated before we’ve even started. Often, clutter needs to be addressed before we can clean properly. Luckily, so many unused and broken items can be donated and recycled now, and places like Island Return It Centers on Vancouver Island, are here to help. They are an important resource for those of us serious about clutter clearing, while keeping as much out of the landfill as possible.

Let’s break it down by room:

The Bedroom: Washing curtains and wiping down all surfaces feels great in a bedroom ready to embrace spring. Sifting through our clothes and putting away papers and random items that have built up, are all good starting steps. While sorting, make sure to fill a box with those items that don't work in the space anymore, such as dodgy table lamps, dysfunctional alarm clocks and electric blankets, and drop them off at Island Return It (or IRI for short). Putting everything else away will feel amazing as our surfaces become clean again. Leave all the objects d’art you enjoy gazing at such as like photos, plants and mementos.

Often considered the heart of the home, the Kitchen is a workhorse and can become cluttered easily. Taking the time to tidy and put everything away, as well as letting go of kitchen gadgets that are broken or no longer useful, will be essential before we start wiping down cupboards and washing the floor. Gather up all your empty aluminum cans and glass bottles, and bring them down to IRI to collect your returnables refund. Did you know they also take a wide variety of broken small kitchen appliances to be recycled including toasters, food processors and coffee makers to name a few? Refer to their website for a full a comprehensive list. These they take back at no fee to you.

Since the pandemic, more of us than ever have Home Offices. This room is a magnet for piles of papers, and those often need to be sorted and filed before we can start cleaning our desk properly. Broken and outdated electronics also build up on surfaces and in drawers. Taking the time to cull those no longer useful can be such a relief, and many items such as calculators, ink cartridges, used up batteries and desk lamps, are just a few of those items recycled at IRI.

The Bathroom’s expired and unused toiletries as well as forgotten grooming and medical devices, can make the bathroom hard to navigate let alone deep clean. Take some time to assess each item and recycle (or donate) everything no longer actively used. Did you know you can now recycle expired electric toothbrushes, hair curlers and towel warmers?

The Basement, the dreaded drop zone for all things disorganized and without a proper home. Ugh. Tackling the basement can be daunting to say the least. Gather up your old and broken power tools, irons, sewing machines, vacuums, smoke alarms and light bulbs to recycle. Then put everything back where it belongs before dusting out those cobwebs.

Lessening the amount of our personal belongs can release us from the stress of overwhelm from having too much to manage. The good news is, once you’ve clutter cleared, spring cleaning will be much easier. So rally the troops (or hire a professional) and set aside a day or two to tackle the excess stuff you may have lurking inside your home. You’ll be glad you did.

Happy spring cleaning.