How to give purpose to your spring cleaning

The seasons are changing! Or at least they are where I live (today should be a balmy 44 degrees). That means it’s about time to consider packing up the winter gear, be it clothing or lingering winter decorations.

Generally, I find the process of packing and unpacking seasonal gear to be somewhat annoying – just something else cluttering my to-do list. Until relatively recently, I was all about shoving it in a huge tupperware bin and sticking it in storage.

Now, I take a little extra time to go through all my winter stuff and ask myself these questions:

Did I wear or use this item this winter?

If so, did I wear or use it enough to justify keeping it another year?

If not, when was the last time I actually used it?

If I’m honest with myself, and get over the weird nostalgia I have for some of my lesser-used items, I can collect a nice pile of stuff that would be better served going to a second hand store or donation center rather than a storage closet. Check for organizations in your area who take winter clothing (or any kind of clothing) such as women’s shelters and homeless shelters. If you can’t find one, or don’t know how to find one, a local Boy Scout troop would most likely be more than happy to assist.

Going through this exercise biannually (I wrote about this idea about six months ago in less detail) has a number of benefits:

It helps keep your clutter under control. Less “stuff” is always preferred, especially when it’s not being used! It’s such a wonderful feeling knowing you’ve trimmed the unnecessary from your life/home/environment. I’m enough of a geek about this that I get a bit giddy when I can easily close a dresser drawer that was once overly-packed with clothes I rarely wore.

You’re doing it at a convenient time. You don’t have to make a special event out of decluttering. You’re pulling out your stuff anyway, so you might as well make the most of the opportunity.

Less to deal with. Well, you’ll have less to deal with next Fall.

Serve those less fortunate. By donating your used items to charity, you’re helping someone else stay warm (or, in the case of festive decor, enjoy the holidays a bit more). In some cases your donation may be tax deductible too. Check with the individual donation center to find out for sure.

While it may take a bit more time to make the transition from winter to spring, the benefits of sorting through your stuff and asking yourself those three questions are well worth it.

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