By Janice Simon
April 14, 2018

After winter months, spring brings a fresh promise of rebirth. It’s nature’s do-over. Sprucing up for spring is a great to have your own do-over. It’s time to clear the clutter and celebrate Earth Day!

By clearing the decks, my fellow Savvy Aunties, you can create a comfortable environment for those darling nieces and nephews, particularly those with allergy and asthma issues. You also earn some Auntie points by showing the kids how valuable it is to donate unwanted items, recycle, and create a peaceful, clean environment. To quote my own niece Jeanna, “I just love a clean room.”  Your older nieces and nephews can help!

Ask the kids for their favorite playlists and get that energy-boosting music going as you get started with these quick-and-dirty ways to clean. You can do a couple of action items at a time each day - or do it all in one weekend. Do what’s best for your energy level and schedule.

LIVING ROOM

Recycle the newspapers, magazines and catalogs. These can stack up quickly. Cancel subscriptions if you’re not reading them.  

Tidy and straighten bookshelves. Use an app like Decluttr to see if you can make some money for any books, CDs, DVDs and games you or the kids no longer want.

Dust all the pictures frames. Change out any photos especially since the kids keep getting bigger.

Dust the ceiling fan blades.

Vacuum everywhere. Vacuum the air vents, underneath and behind furniture. Pull out chair and couch cushions and vacuum the crevices of the furniture.

Wipe down the remote controls.

KITCHEN

Clean out the refrigerator and pantry. Dump the expired foods and wipe down the refrigerator and pantry shelves.

Wipe down kitchen counters and everything on them. Clean all the appliances, microwave, blender, and every else that accumulates dust and splatter..

Toss the coupons. If you’ve cut out coupons and never use them, it’s okay to let them go. Most stores are offering digital coupons these days.

Toss those restaurant menus, too. If you’re ordering online or via food delivering apps, you don’t need the paper menus.

Burnt offerings. If some of your cooking adventures haven’t gone quite right, it’s okay to toss any utensil, pot holder or towel that is burnt, cracking, or permanently stained.

BEDROOMS

Pack up the winter clothes and take out the spring and summer wardrobe. As you pack the winter items, pull out the pieces you didn’t wear this season or no longer want. Add them to your donation pile.

Take coats to the dry cleaner. They will be fresh and ready when you need them in the fall and winter.

Freshen up bedding. You can freshen your comforters and pillows in the dryer with a dryer sheet, which also reduces allergens. You may need to do this more often if you or your nieces and nephews have allergies. Take it one-step-further but washing the comforters and pillows.

Vacuum the mattress and padded headboards. I know this sounds a little ridiculous, but it’s a good thing to do on occasion.

Turn the mattress. Pillowtop mattresses need to be turned, and other mattresses can be flipped over.

Tidy-up your bedside tables.

BATHROOMS

Refill the soap dispenser.

Toss cosmetics and beauty items. The older products you no longer want or are past their prime should be thrown out. If you give cosmetics to your nieces, make sure they are unused or have been wiped down with an alcohol swab. Donate or throw out unwanted cosmetic bags.

Toss expired medications. Do not flush the pills. Either put them into a baggie mixed with coffee grounds or food. Some pharmacies may take them back to dispose of them. This will keep medications out of the water supply.

Inventory your supplies. See what you already have so you don’t spend buying even more of them.

HOME OFFICE

Get shredding! Shred those papers you’ve been meaning to shred. You can only use your shredder for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and then it must cool down. If you are in the market to buy a shredder, there are shredders with safety features to prevent small children from injuring themselves. Older nieces and nephews will love to help you shred papers. Tip: If you don’t have a shredder or access to shredding companies, put the papers in the bottom of a trash bag, and then clean out the refrigerator and freezer.

Reset your passwords. If you haven’t reset your passwords for accounts in a while, go ahead and update them.

File the papers you’ve been meaning to file. Purge any files that no longer work for you. Sign up for paperless statements whenever possible.

Wipe down your laptop.  For that matter, wipe down all your electronic devices, like your tablet, keyboard, mouse, and computer screen. Don't forgot your e-reader!

Recycle your old electronics. Stores such as Best Buy will let you bring electronic waste for recycling, and some cities hold periodic recycling events.  Earth911.com has great information about recycling.

OTHER SPACES

Change your smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries.

Dust your washer and dryer. Use a special dryer lint brush to remove excess lint.

Run a cup of bleach and hot to warm water in your washer without any clothes. This will help disinfect your washer.

If you have a garage, sweep it out or use a shop vacuum. Replace cardboard boxes for plastic totes. Cardboard tends to attract insects and dust.
 
When you’re all done, relax, buy yourself some nice flowers, take a nice long bubble bath, and toast the spring.

Humming “Let It Go” from Frozen is optional.

Photo: CHOReograPH