AIR DATE APRIL 21, 2022

Title: Spring Cleaning

Time to de-clutter your home. Learn tips for organizing your living space and how your donations can help local organizations make a difference.

Guests and Locations

B Organized Today, President – Buffy Werle

Salvation Army, Orlando Area Commander – Captain Ken Chapman

Spring Cleaning Advice and Tips

According to a study completed by the National Association of Professional Organizers and Declutter, about 50% of Americans feel overwhelmed by their clutter. Even more, they find it complicated to deal with it or don’t know what to do.

Join me as I speak with Buffy Werle, owner of B Organized Today, and Captain Ken Chapman with the Orlando Salvation Army. Discover a few pieces of advice on spring cleaning and ways you can downsize clutter while also giving back to a community in need.

Are There Methods of Organization?

“There is no cut and dry answer to that. Every home is different; every personality is different; everything you have in your home is different. So, if your first thought is that your underwear is in the hall closet, then that’s where they are if that’s your first thought. Otherwise, you’re going to scramble around looking for it. So, if it makes sense to you, then that’s a method,” says Buffy.

Everyday Items vs Stuff

She explains further, “I always tell people if it’s not an everyday use item, it should not be in your eye line. It should be high or low or further away. ‘Cause, a lot of times that’s what you’ll see is your non-everyday stuff is getting mixed in with your daily stuff, and that’s when clutter sort of starts to happen. The cabinets are spilling out; the closets are spilling out because you’re mixing seasonal items with every day.”

You can also consider repurposing items like T-shirts into a quilt, organizing your closet by type of clothing, repurposing old baskets and boxes for organizing, and purchasing a clear plastic bin to store keepsake items safely. Once the bin fills up, its time to take another look at what you need to keep and what you can give away.

Give Away What You Don’t Need

The Salvation Army has been around for over 100 years, and they are still serving those in need to this very day. “We’re serving people on a daily basis. About 1,000 people a day come and go on this campus,” explains Captain Ken when asked about the local campus on Pine Street.

When you donate items to the Salvation Army, no matter if it is a couch or a pair of shoes, 100% of the profits (after it sells) will go into their drug and alcohol rehabilitation program. Captain Ken says, “Clean out all the old, bring it to us. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. So, this is a perfect time to do spring cleaning because it will clean people’s lives as well.”

Conclusion

Take organizing and spring cleaning one step at a time. You don’t have to tackle your entire house in one swoop. You can check out B Organized Today for more professional advice on reducing clutter and finding help to stay organized. If you feel called to donate what you don’t need to your community, you can leave items on-site at a Salvation Army near you.