Do you get overwhelmed by the idea of decluttering? Do you find it difficult to purge personal belongings, even when you really want to clean up and get organised? For many people, decluttering is more than just an organisational task – it can become an emotional one. We hear several common excuses for not decluttering. When we hear those excuses, as valid as they are, it’s immediately obvious that the clutter owner needs a little emotional and mental support to get them into the right mindset.

Start with the Easiest Room

The room that fills you with dread is a challenge for later. Start with the easiest room in the house – like the bathroom or a chest of drawers.
Decluttering is a process that gets easier as you go, so start the momentum in a small section that does not have too many items you’re emotionally tied to.
When you see the results of the first decluttered room, you’ll be more motivated to continue the process and tackle the next room.
If a whole room is too overwhelming right now, that’s okay! Start with a drawer, a closet, or a section of a room and build from there.

What if I need it later?

This one is common when two households merge into one. Suddenly, it seems prudent to hold on to that second potato masher or toaster oven for the day when something happens to the first one. Lots of people have these tendencies because they were taught to “waste not, want not” by earlier generations that had lived through hard times. This results in full to overflowing cupboards, full boxes in the garage, or even worse, paying huge amounts for storage sheds that costs more than the items are worth!
The truth is, we live in a time of abundance, and goods are much more inexpensive than they ever were in the past. Having a surplus in our homes at this point is counterproductive, and can weigh you down.
Donate all your extras, and cross the bridge of replacing something when you need to. Keep only a few reusable grocery bags, and take a moment to fold them down in between uses. Any excess, use as garbage bin liners until they are gone.

But it was a present!

When someone gives you a gift, their intention is to provide a token of affection. They want to delight you. They don’t want to burden you with objects that you might not love, and feel obliged to keep around. Give your gifter an appreciative thank you. Then, if you feel that deep-down nagging feeling that you just don’t really love it, take a photo for the memory, return it for a store credit or refund if they gave you a receipt, re-gift it, or donate it to someone who will really appreciate it.

But there’s just “so much stuff” to get through!

Rome wasn’t built in a day! Don’t see it as a failure if you can’t transform your closets and rooms from chaos to lovely in one go. Start small and work in manageable chunks. Pick one area, say, socks, and do an honest assessment of all your current pairs. Once you finish, you can decide to continue on to another category, or pick it up later.
What if I regret giving something away?
There is a great trick to handle this apprehension – it’s called the limbo box! Give yourself a nice big box or basket that you’ll store in an out-of-the-way place. Remember, out of sight, out of mind. Anything you’re unsure of, store it in there. Reassess in 3 to 6 months. If you’ve needed or missed an item in there, you’ve probably already fished it out. But if you haven’t thought about that stuff, it’s time to give it away.

But the memories…..

It’s time to separate memories from things. A big box of social ticket stubs and holiday visit brochures that you haven’t sorted in ages will only become more annoying as time goes on, not less. Honour your memories! Take digital pics of them and put them into a ‘Memory’ folder on your computer. Write a journal about them. Post them on social media. Frame a piece or two, or do a framed montage of the really special pieces so that you can hang them out in the open and really appreciate them regularly.

The bonus is that the less clutter you have, the easier your home is to clean, and the lighter you will feel, mentally. Ask our Personal Concierge’s to help. They are masters at decluttering and will happily work through every section of the house alongside you, assisting in those ‘difficult, borderline’ decisions. Happy decluttering!

Just Start!

The hardest part of decluttering is the start. Procrastinating does not help reduce feelings of being overwhelmed – in fact, procrastinating makes it worse. Don’t overthink the process! Get started with one place in your house and the rest will follow.

And remember, if you are feeling overwhelmed or just don’t want to do it alone, Clean to Concierge in Melbourne has both Personal Concierge’s and Cleaners ready to help! They are all highly trained and can either do the job with your guidance or brief, or work alongside you to get it all done. Many hands make light work and our professionals are ready to help. Call us now to discuss your ideas on getting your place into tip top order!

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Why is disinfection important in COVID-19 pandemic?

With the current COVID-19 pandemic, cleanliness is much more emphasised and critically important. On top of your usual cleaning routines, frequently cleaning and disinfecting your entire home is essential for keeping yourself and your household safe and healthy.

While studies have shown that person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 poses a much greater risk than transmission via surfaces, the Department of Health (DHHS) recommends cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches and benchtops at least once a day or any time items such as mail, groceries or takeout come into your home, as it allows for the risk of exposure to the virus.

A recent study found that the Covid-19 virus can remain in the air for up to three hours, live on surfaces such as cardboard for up to 24 hours or remain alive on plastic and stainless steel surfaces for up to three days.

Here are some ways to ensure that you are properly cleaning and disinfecting your home to keep your household as safe and germ-free as possible.

The difference between cleaning and disinfecting

There are have some difference between cleaning and disinfecting. It’s important to note that cleaning a surface (that is, simply removing dirt and particles) is not the same thing as disinfecting it to kill viruses and bacteria.

Soap-based products are effective at breaking down COVID-19 as it breaks down the wall of the virus, rendering it useless. Disinfectant products kill the virus on touch.

However, not all cleaning products are effective on all types of germs, so it’s important to know exactly which products effectively kill COVID-19.

The Department of Health provides a full home-safety plan. You might already have some suitable products in your homes, such as antibacterial wipes, isopropyl alcohol or hydrogen peroxide.

While using effective virus-killing products is key, it’s also crucial to follow the proper techniques to thoroughly disinfect surfaces. Health officials advise letting the product sit and remain wet on surfaces or objects for ten minutes – this kills 99.9% of germs.

The Checklist for disinfection control to kill viruses

It can sometimes feel overwhelming leaving or entering the home, and possibly risk bringing Covid-19 in. While it’s not necessary to give your home a complete clean every day, high touch areas definitely need a higher level of attention.

These are the most important areas to disinfect each day:

• Doorknobs
• Light switches
• Cupboards and drawer knobs
• Tapware and basins
• Toilets – especially the seat and buttons
• Remote controls and game controllers
• Kitchen and bathroom counters and sinks
• Table surfaces
• Staircase railings
• Refrigerator, dishwasher and microwave handles
• Computer keyboards and mice
• Mobile phones and tablets

Always wear disposable gloves when disinfect and discard them after use. And always remember to wash your hands before and after you clean and disinfect your home.

Regular and prolonged handwashing is the key

The message has been sent to us over and over –  the best way to lower your risk of contracting COVID-19 is to wash your hands often and in the most effective manner

The Department of Health recommends a vigorous 20-second scrub with soap and water that extends beyond the hands to the wrists, between the fingers and under the fingernails.

So keep up the hand-washing routine, stay home is much as possible, follow the government guidelines, and keep everyone around you safe. Clean to Concierge in Melbourne offers a full disinfecting and cleaning service, so if you need help, contact Clean to Concierge today either through any of the options shown on our Home Page or be reassured that those protocols are in place with our team, so feel confident to book online.

And remember, Clean To Concierge in Melbourne has both Personal Concierge’s and professional Cleaning Technicians ready to help! They are all highly trained and are matched to the requirements of our clients.

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Top Deep Spring Cleaning Tips

Spring cleaning is the perfect time to give your home a thorough sorting out and a freshen up deep clean.

It’s that time of year again – the days are getting warmer, you start opening your windows to let in some sunny fresh air, your boots and jackets return to the back of the closet, and there’s just a feeling of freshness everywhere you seem to go. It’s Springtime, which gives us all the perfect opportunity to prepare for the upcoming party season!

The warmer weather gives us the motivation and energy to get stuck into the task, and although it may seem daunting, the reward at the end is always worthwhile.

So without further ado, here are a few of our spring cleaning tips for the upcoming season:

Clean the windows

One of the best things you can do to brighten up your home and welcome in the sunnier days is to make sure your windows are cleaner than ever. So be sure to wipe down all the windows, frames and tracks in your home to let even more light filter in!

Get those hard-to-reach spots.

We always like to overlook those parts that we can’t be bothered to reach, including the spots under furniture, behind shelves, and the inside of drains. It’s important to clean up those hard-to-reach areas. Dust any light fixtures, vacuum under the couch, and every surface of your bookshelves – whatever you’ve meant to clean!

Re-organise your closet

With the seasonal change, it’s always important to make sure our wardrobe is all set and ready to make sure we have outfits at the ready for the upcoming months. This can mean organising clothes in cabinets or drawers according to shirts, pants, sweaters, etc. This is also a good time to take winter clothes to the dry cleaners, so no stains set it before next season.

If you feel like opening up more space in your closet, you also might want to consider donating or selling any unwanted clothing. Sites like eBay and Depop allow you to sell some of the items you either outgrew or don’t have the place for anymore!

Have a feel-good moment and drop your unwanted clothing and accessories to a local charity or Men’s or Women’s shelters. You will not just feel better when you see some space in your wardrobe but will be helping the less fortunate at the same time.

Rearrange the furniture

The placement of your furniture plays a huge role in making sure that you feel right at home, and sometimes it’s nice to change things up for the season. If you feel like moving the couch away from the wall and closer to the television screen or filling in that blank space with a cabinet, then feel free to get adventurous!

This can also be a great way to make your home feel more spacious and less cluttered.

Tidy up the kitchen

Cleaning up your kitchen can do wonders for your overall home, and it also happens to be the one place where small messes can go unnoticed. Look through your kitchen utensils and see if there are any that seem to need replacement, or just never used. You can also do a full pantry clean out and dispose of expired goods.

Some of the bigger things that we never think twice about like the inside of our refrigerator. It’s easy to forget that our bigger appliances can also get a bit messy over time. Take the time to clean the inside of your fridge – reorganize the items and wipe down any spills.

Put a cup of Bicarb Soda in the corner with a couple of Vanilla drops to keep it smelling fresh.

Don’t forget the little things.

It’s easy to forget about some of the little things when it comes to cleaning, but in the end, having a tidy space means making sure everything is in order – especially the things we tend to overlook.

Wash your hairbrushes, clean out your makeup drawers and dispose of any old and unused items. Wipe down computer monitors, keyboards, the mouse and sort out all of that paperwork that has been jammed into the drawers.

Some last-minute freshening up

The final touch to any Spring Cleaning is making sure your home is just as fresh as it is spotless! Putting some flowers and plants on display is the best way to ensure that your space can maintain that fresh, clean, atmosphere.

Reward yourself for a job well done!

When the job is done, don’t forget to reward yourself. Sit back and relax with a glass of wine or a lovely cup of tea, take a hot bubble bath, and enjoy your beautifully clean and organised home.

And remember, if you feel overwhelmed or don’t want to do it alone, Clean To Concierge in Melbourne has both Personal Concierge’s and professional Cleaning Technicians who specialise in deep Spring Cleaning ready to help! They are all highly trained and can either do the job with your guidance or brief or work alongside you to get it all done. Many hands make light work, and our professionals are ready to help. Call us now to discuss your ideas.

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