Spring Cleaning: How to Organize & Clear Out Your Drawers
DAY ONE: Ok, it's time to sort your stuff. Before we can get our deep clean on, we have to sort and toss. This will be painless and easy and feel so good when you're done!
Pick a drawer (any drawer) and make a start. This is a great way to get into your cleaning groove and it's one of the most satisfying jobs you can do. I like to work from the top down, or back to the front of the house. Maybe start with your nightstand, your sock drawer or the junk drawer in the kitchen. Once done, let that feeling of orderly accomplishment serve as motivation to keep going. Try to just keep to drawers. We'll get to the pantry, your closets and the medicine cabinet later.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- A few empty bags or boxes to donate/toss
- Good, sturdy boxes or caddies to corral smaller, random stuff.
- A used Bath Sheet or Turkish Towel on its way to the laundry.
- Flour Sack Cleaning Cloths
- Cotton Buds (like Q-Tips)
- Leather Cleaner
- All-Purpose Cleaner
- Optional: Drawer dividers from The Container Store
HOW TO DO IT:
- Have your bags/boxes ready to sort through the things you want to throw away and those things you want to keep.
- Spread your used towel out on the bed or floor and dump out your drawer.
- Spritz the inside of wood drawers with Leather Cleaner (or use All-Purpose Cleaner on MDF drawers) wipe clean and let dry while you sort. I like to use cotton buds (Q-Tips) to get into the corners.
- Once you’ve sorted through and thrown out everything you don’t love (be ruthless!) put the good stuff back and move onto another drawer.
- TIP: Use a timer and allow yourself no more than 10 minutes per drawer to sort and clean. Don't get stuck looking at old letters or photos or you'll lose your momentum.
REWARD: It may sound trivial, but the reward portion of this exercise is a key part of achieving your daily targeting goals. It’s super important to assign yourself something you like as a reward for doing the task to completion. It can be linked to the job you’re doing (like using the spare change/coupons you find to get yourself a small treat) or something completely random like a bubble bath; new exotic tea, a hair mask, or whatever floats your boat. The main thing is to visualize your reward goal and get there.
Congratulations! You’re on your way to a cleaner, more organized home.