We all live our lives day to day thinking that nothing bad will happen. We never think that we will be the ones dealing with the cleanup of a house fire. Unfortunately, there are many, many families that suffer the impact of house fires each year. Last year, a close friend of mine was a victim of a house fire and since then, my life has been different. I have spent many hours researching fire prevention, causes, and teaching children about fire prevention and what to do in the case of a fire. It is my hope that my research can help those of you concerned about house fires make the necessary changes in your home and teach your kids what they need to know about fire.
Spring cleaning probably isn't on your list of favorite things to do—but if you're moving soon, it should be. The very best time to do a big cleaning is right before you move out of your home. Here are some tips on how to clean it up before you move it out!
Cutting Out The Clutter
One big part of preparing for a move is eliminating the unnecessary. Try to be as ruthless as possible when you're de-cluttering. Consider weight when you're trying to decide what to throw out. For example, books are quite heavy, and thus harder to move. Use the one year rule. If you haven't read it in a year, donate it or sell it. Naturally, books with special meaning or valuable books are exempt to the rule.
With clothing, PopSugar recommends following the two year guideline. If you haven't worn it in a couple of years, it's time to donate or sell it. Apply this same rule to personal knick knacks. Remember, if you have it stuffed away in a junk drawer or it's sitting forgotten in a closet for years, you don't need it.
Other items, like furniture, are both heavy and hard to move. Ask yourself honestly, "Will I really use this in my new home?" If the answer is no, it can be given away or sold without you missing it. This is especially true if you aren't even using the furniture in question at your current home!
Organizing While You Pack
Right now, your home may be a disorganized disaster, but that can change before you make it to your new abode. After you've done the de-cluttering, you will still be left with plenty of stuff that needs to be sorted in preparation for moving.
The best way to sort is to organize as you pack. Packing labels are your best friend in this situation. Pack boxes by room, and label each box with the contents and the room where the box belongs. For example, "plates and silverware, kitchen."
If you organize while you pack, you can easily clean most of the smaller items out of the way well before the movers arrive. Bonus: You won't have to instruct the household moving company about where to put all the boxes. All they have to do is glance at your labels.
Use the tips above to do some cleaning up and cleaning out before the residential moving van lines, such as Wheaton World Wide Moving, arrive. A little bit of extra time in the days leading up to the move will really pay off when you settle into your new, clutter-free home.
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