Spring Cleaning In Brooklyn, NY
First things first: love it or lose it. Nostalgia is a wonderful thing, but if an item doesn’t hold value beyond a few great memories, it is probably time to get rid of it. We’re not talking about your late uncle’s famous patent certificate or your great-grandmother’s handkerchief from Lincoln’s funeral. But the napkin you got at the restaurant where you had your first kiss might have to go.
Small spaces get cluttered quickly since storage is at a premium. It doesn’t take much for your Brooklyn apartment to start feeling like it’s closing in on you. The first thing to do is to make time. Everything else in your life gets put into the calendar, right? Commit to a particular day or even one to two days per month.
Look around the apartment and make note of all the items about which you can remember saying, “I need a place for that.” It may turn out that you need a few more functional pieces of furniture. For example, ottomans often double as sneaky storage, which makes it easy to hide shoes or video games and controllers. Put a few by the door, and you’ve got a place to sit down to put on shoes or boots, as well as a place to hide away seasonal items such as hats, gloves, and scarves.
Don’t underestimate your wall space. Keeping clutter off of counters is one huge step in making your apartment look and feel neat and tidy, so any extra stuff that doesn’t fit in a drawer, closet, or hidden compartment might fit nicely on a hook or pocket. Got a lot of hats you’d like to keep accessible but don’t have room for? Channel your inner artist and arrange them on the wall in a way that adds flair to the room. This is a great tip for the kitchen too if you’re looking for ways to store bulkier items such as hot pan holders, oven mitts, or even a spice rack. Make room in a kitchen drawer for miscellaneous items by taking out the knives and arranging them on a magnetic strip on the wall.
Now that you’ve got things more under control, it’s time to think about ways to keep your living space tidy. The key is to do a little bit every day. Even the littlest things make a huge difference. For example, just by making your bed every day, your bedroom automatically feels neater. Also, focus on keep surfaces clear. If you pull something out of a drawer, put it back when you’re done. Keep your sink clear of dirty dishes, and don’t let them pile up too long. Before bed, quickly wipe the crumbs off the counter, do a quick sweep of the floor, that sort of thing. Good luck cleaning and organizing your Brooklyn apartment!