Self storage and spring cleaning

For many people, this is the time of year when the dirt and grime of the dark winter months can finally be banished by having a good spring clean in preparation for the warmer days ahead.

The tradition of spring cleaning has actually been around for a very long time: around 700 BC, when the ancient Persians celebrated their new year on the first day of spring, they engaged in a practice called khooneh tekouni (shaking of the house), when their dwellings would be purified by cleaning everything.

Jewish families have also traditionally cleaned their houses at this time of year, in order to prepare them for the Passover holiday. They particularly seek to get rid of crumbs, as the house has to be cleansed of all leavened foods in order to commemorate the eating of unleavened bread by the Jews who fled Egypt, as recalled in the Bible.

Whatever its origins, spring cleaning remains an excellent idea for everyone, as it provides an excuse for dealing with that annoying clutter you’ve been dying to get rid of all year.

What’s more, self storage now presents a great option for people who have items they want to hang on to, when they haven’t got room to keep them at home.

Decluttering

Here’s some good advice that should help you get started.

The first thing you should do is make some clear plans about what you want to achieve and when you will be able to do it. Some experts would recommend starting with an area you have to pass every day, where the clutter is most annoying, as you’ll notice the results there more than you will anywhere else.

It’s very important to be realistic, and only choose an area that you think you could actually clear out in the space of one day. It might be a good idea to start with the part of the house that contains the most clutter, as tidying the rest of it will seem easier after you’ve done that part.

Separate things into boxes, including one for self storage

Then, you should invent a system for quickly classifying items as you sort through them. The easiest way to do this is to get 4 large cardboard boxes and write a label on each one, dividing them into ‘keep here’, ‘keep in storage’, ‘sell/give away’ and ‘throw out’. Then you can very efficiently go through the items in the part of the house you’re doing, making quick decisions about which box to put each unwanted item in.

You’ll surprise yourself with how speedily you can sort through things by taking this approach.

You need to adopt a certain ruthlessness to be successful. If in doubt about whether to ‘keep or remove’, ask yourself if you’d really miss an item that you may not have used for a very long time ‒ especially if it is one that you’ve told yourself is worth hanging on to ‘just in case’.

The likelihood is that there’ll be a number of items you only realise you still have every time you spring clean. If you’re not using it, or appreciating it, get rid of it.

Once each box has been filled, you then need to be ruthless about emptying them in the way you planned to. Everything from the ‘keep’ box can be put back somewhere else inside your house. This should be the box with the fewest things in it  ‒ and if it’s not, go through them again.

The other boxes should contain the majority of your stuff, and each should be emptied in a different way. You’ll need to go through the ‘sell/give away’ box in a bit more detail to work out if it contains anything of value; such items can be resold through eBay or specialist retailers, but judge for yourself if it’s worth the hassle to do so.

If not, everything can just be given to charity shops, most of which will be grateful for donations (although they might be a bit swamped with the results of a lot of spring cleaning at this time of year; smaller charities are often given less stuff than larger ones with greater brand recognition, so they may be more welcoming towards what you have to offer).

To self storage!

The ‘keep in storage’ box should be full of things you definitely want to keep but don’t have room for in the house any longer. For these, self storage presents an excellent option. For objects of low value, outdoor, containerised self storage units may be the ideal; but partitioned, indoor self storage is probably better for more valuable items or objects that are sensitive to temperature.

Bin the rest!

Finally, the items in the ‘throw out’ box should just be got rid of. Many of these things may have to be recycled: check the recycling pages on your local council’s website.

Willpower, determination and efficiency ‒ that’s what spring cleaning demands. As the days get longer and the sap rises, this is the time to summon your energies. And as long as you don’t give up, you’ll enjoy a much tidier home this Easter.

2 Responses to “Self storage and spring cleaning”

1. Tom says:

   May 6, 2011 at 2:19 pm

   Helpful advice and its interesting to see how long spring cleaning has been carried out!!!

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