Summer House Clearing

Whereas winter seems like one of those times of the year to stockpile groceries, clothing and other items summer is the perfect season to clear house. That’s when windows and doors are open wide and fresh air is supposed to be flowing through but often gets caught in unnecessary clutter.

Furthermore, the more clutter the harder it usually is to keep things clean.

That’s why now that it’s the middle of summer and most of the yard work involves occasional maintenance turn towards the inside of your home going room to room in an effort to see what can be purged from the winter wasteland:

• Kitchen: In the winter we often buy a little extra to have around in case rough weather makes it less appealing to go shopping. However, in the summer bugs are more likely to promulgate in places where nourishment is available. For this reason a form of preventative pest control is to go through the cupboards one by one and see what needs to be used up, especially unsealed or non-vacuum packed items which will probably get infested first. Anything you would like to keep but won’t be using immediately should be stored in sealed containers or if it won’t ruin the freezer is an option. That’s a great place to put spices that need protection.

• Closets: They have a tendency to fill up with seldom used cloths, shoes, and other items; especially during the winter when we are hibernating and collecting things. One by one take everything out of the closet and go through every article that may be stored there. Select a box for giveaways and things you may want to sell and return the rest neatly to its place.

• Attic: Every time we used to buy something the box was tossed up into the attic because if it needed to be returned we would need the packaging. However, that meant a collection of boxes grew until there was simply no more room. This probably happens with a lot of people that when they can’t decide on whether to keep something it gets sent there. Summer is the perfect time to clear out the stash of packaging and make the decisions you couldn’t make in winter.

• Basement: In a way the basement can turn out like the attic but there are other considerations. Old paint or chemical cleaners are often stored downstairs and though they don’t need to be tossed outright they should be scanned for corrosion. If possible dispose of toxic substances and replace with more eco-friendly products. It’s also important to give the basement a good clean once in a while since it is usually below ground and susceptible to mold and mildew.

• Garage: There’s a lot of gook and dirt brought into the garage over the year. Much of it is related to the car but debris also falls off garden tools and yard machines like lawnmowers and weed whackers. When there’s a nice day with little wind haul everything out into the driveway, wash down the garage and the equipment, and put it all back in an orderly fashion.