Starting a new year with an organized, uncluttered home is one of the best resolutions a homeowner can make. Experts say getting rid of excess things, such as clothes, shoes, newspapers, books, magazines, toys, etc., can benefit your mental health by making you feel calmer, happier, and more in control. A tidier space can make for a more relaxed mind.

Home maintenance and cleaning tips to start off the year

Here are some great tips from Credit.org (https://credit.org/blog/home-maintenance-and-cleaning-tips-for-the-new-year/)

1) Create Calendar Reminders for Long-term Home Maintenance
Your smartphone, computer or tablet will allow you to use the calendar app to create reminders for yourself for all of the maintenance tasks ahead of you. Do some advance planning now so you’ll have a clearly laid out calendar for when specific tasks need to be accomplished.

Some of the cleaning tasks on the list below will need to be done every three to six months, so go ahead and schedule them now. Have a calendar alert set to remind you a few days in advance of the next cleaning so you’ll have time to get any cleaning supplies you might need.

While you’re at it, mark your monthly calendar to remind you to check that all of your monthly bills have been paid. Having a reminder pop up on your phone once per month is a good way to make sure you don’t miss any payments.

As you move through your house, decide how often each task needs to be completed, and consider adding it to your calendar. Especially tasks that don’t come up very often, like cleaning blinds or cleaning out your house’s gutters. Any household chore where you can’t remember the last time you completed it is a good candidate for this list.

2) Take Inventory of Your Home Cleaning Supplies
Before you dig into the cleaning tasks, take an inventory of all of your cleaning supplies. Besides chemicals and cleaning agents count up:

• Trash bags
• Rubber gloves
• Sponges
• Mop heads/dusters
• Vacuum cleaner bags
• Pet-related cleaning supplies
• Fireplace cleaners
• Degreasers

Consider breaking this list up by room—kitchen cleaning supplies vs. bathroom supplies, etc. Don’t forget laundry detergent and the like—these are all the kinds of things you likely buy from the same location, so take an inventory up front so you only make one shopping trip and only buy what you need.

3) Start a Yard Sale Pile to Clear Out Your Home
As you clean and get organized, start boxing up things for a future yard sale. January is no time to host an outdoor sale in most of the country, but by starting now, you’ll accumulate more things over the next six months that can be included. By the time summer comes around, you’ll have a nice haul of things you can pass on. You’ll free up space in your home and make a few dollars in the process.

4) Maintain Your Home’s Systems
An annual cleaning spree is a good time to service major home systems and appliances you might not normally dig into like:

• Heating and air conditioning unit
• Kitchen appliances
• Water heater
• Lighting fixtures
• Fire alarms

Your heating and air conditioning system is a good place to start. Do you need new furnace filters? Have you cleaned your ducts and register covers? You probably don’t need to hire a professional to clean your ducts and just removing the air registers and cold air return grates will reveal some opportunities to clean out some dust and debris. Taking good care of your home’s major appliances helps avoid unnecessary expenses that can throw a wrench in your financial goals.

Don’t forget your ceiling fans while you’re at it. A clean house means clean air, so don’t skip this part of the checklist! While you’re checking light bulbs and the like, consider switching over to LED bulbs wherever you can. This will save you money on your electric bill going forward, and LED bulbs shouldn’t have to be replaced as often as incandescent bulbs.

Include your appliances in this cleaning. Clean out your dishwasher and run it empty with a cup of white vinegar instead of detergent to break up hard water deposits. Clean out the microwave thoroughly, as well as your stovetop and oven. Also, clean out your washing machine; run it empty with a cup of bleach to kill any germs that might be growing in it, and wipe down anywhere detergent or fabric softener might have spilled. In addition, clean the dryer vent—this is something you should do regularly as having a dirty dryer vent makes the appliance work harder and costs you more money in lost energy. Don’t just clean the lint off; wash the dryer vent under running water.

5) Clean Your Fridge and Freezer
Cleaning out your refrigerator and freezer should be a regular task, for your health and your budget. As you clean these out, inventory the food you have stored inside. After throwing out anything that is expired, formulate a plan to start using up everything you have stored or frozen. This is a new year so, make it your goal to prepare everything you have on hand and start fresh.
Part of cleaning and organizing your home is organizing your life. Having meal plans will help you avoid buying things you don’t need. It will also prevent items from spoiling before you get around to using them.

Bottom Line: We live in a consumer driven society. However, more and more people are coming to the realization that accumulating more does not always make you happy. In fact, it’s the opposite – too much “stuff” can make you feel stressed. Letting go of things is freeing and there is great satisfaction in knowing you can live better with less.

Related Links:
Can decluttering your house really make you happier? – BBC
Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life (The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up), by Marie Kondo

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