5 TIPS TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR HOME INSIDE AND OUT

 

(Family Features) Spring cleaning isn’t just about purging dirt and grime. It’s also the perfect opportunity to take inventory of items around your home. As you tackle this season’s cleaning, look for ways to improve your overall living space, from getting rid of things you no longer need to adding items that can work harder for you.

Consider these five ways to tackle your home inside and out this spring.

Make organizing easier. As you clean each space, look for easy ways to reduce unsightly messes and improve organization. If your entryway always becomes a jumbled pile of shoes and coats, consider adding a storage bench and hooks to bring some order to the area. If the kids’ toys always accumulate in the living room, add a storage chest or large baskets to store them when not in use. If tools and equipment make the garage unusable, install shelving units to keep everything in place.

Eliminate the excess. Spring cleaning is also an opportunity to declutter and make way for something new, either by donating or selling unused things. Whether it’s last season’s fashion and accessories or unused tech and fitness gear, that item you never used – or haven’t used in a while – may be exactly what someone else is looking for. Online platforms can make the process easy and be a way to earn extra cash or help fund other home upgrades. Look for marketplaces that help you maximize your return; eBay, for example, is giving sellers 200 free listings every month, meaning you only pay after your items sell.

Reimagine your living space. If one area is becoming too crowded or doesn’t serve your family’s needs, consider items you can repurpose for another part of the home. For example, move an unused chair in your living room into a bedroom to create a reading nook. Keep your focus on function as you make changes that accommodate your lifestyle.

Make smart additions. Once you’ve cleared your space, and sold things you no longer need, you can convert that extra cash into reliable home appliances and tech. For example, purchase or upgrade items like vacuums, lawn mowers, power washers, drills and more to help take your spring cleaning to the next level. You can make your money go further by choosing certified refurbished products; some marketplaces like eBay offer inventory that has been professionally inspected by the manufacturer, or a manufacturer-approved vendor, to look, feel and work like new.

Commit to revisiting regularly. It’s easy to let clutter and disorganization slide when you get busy with life’s demands. Once your spring cleaning and reorganizing is complete, commit to reassessing your home on a monthly or quarterly basis so you can make small adjustments along the way, rather than face a major project every year.

Shop Smarter
Considering refurbished products for your shopping list can expand your options and make it easier to purchase top-of-the-line brands without going over budget. From tech and small kitchen appliances to outdoor power equipment, you can discover a breadth of items often in like-new condition.

Shop for Multi-Purpose Items: When upgrading your arsenal of gadgets, tools and small appliances, look for items that can serve multiple purposes. For example, many vacuums can transform into steamers or include mop attachments and some pressure cookers can also be used as air fryers.

Feel Confident in Your Purchase: Sometimes upgrading means investing in a premium product you can count on to last longer than entry-level models. With eBay’s Certified Refurbished program, you can find popular, professionally inspected name brands at up to 50% off, all of which are backed by industry-leading two-year warranties for peace of mind.

Keep Sustainability in Mind: Keeping functionality in mind and buying like-new items not only saves you money now and in the future but can also help protect the planet by extending the life of products and reducing unnecessary waste.

Learn more about buying refurbished at eBay.com/CertifiedRefurbishedHub .

 

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

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eBay
 

SPRING FORWARD, DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS MARCH 14, 2021

This weekend is the perfect time to replace the batteries in your smoke detector. And if your alarm is more than 10 years old, it’s time for a new one.

 

CLEVER STORAGE IDEAS FOR SMALL SPACES

 

(Family Features) No matter how cramped and cluttered your living space may be, you can almost always find a spot or two for extra storage. It’s often just a matter of getting creative and utilizing a few clever solutions.

Consider these simple ideas to create some extra space in oft-used rooms:

Kitchen

• Metal rods with hanging hooks can create storage space on your blank walls. Use them to hang coffee cups, cooking utensils, dish towels or pots and pans.
• Magnetic strips mounted on the wall or the inside of a cabinet door can be a simple way to hang knives and free up counter space normally taken up by a knife block.
• If your countertop is cluttered with small spice containers and oil bottles, elevate them with a decorative cake stand. Place small jars below and top with pretty decanters and additional spices.
• If you’re using prime cabinet space for items you only use once a year, such as holiday cake pans or a big serving bowl you pull out for parties, consider storing them in the attic or a closet instead.

Bathroom

• Instead of hanging just one towel bar on the back of the bathroom door, hang multiple to maximize your drying space.
• Most modern cabinetry has adjustable shelving. If you haven’t customized the heights of your shelving to accommodate different sized bottles and containers, give it a try.
• A three-tiered fruit basket might seem perfect for the kitchen, but it’s also a handy way to store bathroom essentials right beside the sink.
• Flour and sugar canisters can also be repurposed in the bathroom to keep makeup, toiletries, cleaning supplies and soaps contained. Make sure to buy bins that stack easily.

Bedroom

• Nix those nightstands and hang small shelves on either side of the bed. This cuts down on the clutter you can keep and makes cleaning underneath a breeze.
• Rolling bins that fit under the bed are perfect for storing linens, out-of-season clothing and children’s toys. They’re also the perfect way to slide building block projects out of sight without destroying your child’s latest masterpiece.  
• Closets with a single hanging rod are one of the biggest space-wasters in the bedroom. Double their storage capacity by hanging a second rod or shelf below shorter jackets and shirts.

Find more ideas to maximize your space at eLivingtoday.com.

 

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

SOURCE:
Family Features