Decluttering your closet this spring provides a fresh start for both the donor and people who need jobs in our community

 

Spring cleaning is a great time to sort out the clutter, but it can also be an overwhelming chore that intimidates us out of even getting started.  Below are five tips to get a jump start on your spring cleaning project:

  1. Have a plan. You don’t want unwanted clothes and items cluttering up your home any longer than necessary, so plan to spring clean and take your gently-used items to Goodwill on the same day.
  2. Start with success. For the first room or space to tackle, choose the one that will give you the biggest bang for your buck—one that will provide immediate daily benefits in efficiency and reduced stress. Do you struggle to find anything to wear from your closet in the mornings? Does your car not fit in the garage? Zero in on those areas so that when you succeed, you’ll be motivated to tackle another space!
  3. Clean slate. Once you’ve chosen your project, clear it out as much as possible and start from scratch. By stripping your shelves bare and restocking them only with items that make you smile, your whole house will become a happy and inspiring place. By donating your unwanted items to Goodwill, you help people find jobs and improve their lives.
  4. Make it fun! Shake up your spring-cleaning routine with a peppy playlist: after a song finishes playing, move on to the next area of the room. Create a fun contest for the family: challenge everyone to find 10 items to put away and 10 items to donate to Goodwill. This can become a race, with the prize of a traveling trophy (or a hot fudge sundae, if you don’t want any more clutter!) and you can repeat it once a week for the rest of March.
  5. Be brave. Inherited items may come with guilt and obligation. Are you keeping things you don’t want or need? Instead of keeping the items, take an artistic photograph of them, frame it and display it in your home. Then take the items to Goodwill South Texas to help you let go and move on. Wouldn’t you rather the items do good by helping people build their employment skills than take up space in your home?

Find a Goodwill location near you