Easey-Peasey New Year Clear Out and Clean Up Vintage Style!

 

Here we are with a brand new year and as we take down the Christmas decs home can feel a little drab, unloved and cluttered, so it's the perfect ( and traditional) time to do a little gentle cleaning, tidying and de-cluttering. Clearing out unwanted bits and pieces gives you a happy clutter free home ready for the Spring and you can even clean up (financially) with those unwanted bits and pieces.
Thanks to the many vintage housekeeping books i've read over the years, i've compiled a little easey-peasey  Vintage Style Spring Cleaning Guide.

• Go through you home room by room or if it's really full of stuff, section off a part of a room at a time to attack.
• Get out some boxes and plastic bags and tackle the clutter. First remove and recycle or bin any actual rubbish.
• If you spot and unwanted items pop them in a box - more on how to dispose ogf these and make some cash later.
• Once the space is a little clearer, get a good long handlled feather duster and remove cobwebs & dust from from walls and ceilings, working from top to bottom.
•  Get a bucket of warm soapy water and a clean cloth and again, working from top down, wipe shelves, furniture, doors and surfaces, don't forget to clean behind furniture, you never know what lost treasure you'll find there! But, don't move large pieces of furniture on your own, and be careful not to injure yourself. Also do take care that the surfaces you wipe will not be damaged by the water, and if in doubt, dry dust or use and appropriate polish.
•  Once its all clean and dry put back the items you want to keep, washing or dusting delicate items, first, again if you think water might do damage, just dry dust them.
• The final stage is to brush, vacume and wash the floor. If you have rugs and it's a dry day you can hang them on a washing line or fence to air and give them a shake and bash with the back of a hand brush to remove dust.
• Repeat these steps for each area and room and you'll soon have you're home sparkling vintage style!

Once all the cleaning is done, then it's time to decide what to do with your unwanted items. Throwing things away is a recent concept and really in today's economic climate it seems ever more silly!
Firstly, there may be items you can sell and raise a little cash - good for your purse and the planet (less landfill). Check out our guide to selling your How To Sell Your Vintage Stuff For Free guide. Even if your items are not vintage, they may be collectable or just have value, so take a look at our guide.
Modern items and electricals can be sold at auction just like antique and vintage items or there are now a number of online services that will buy old CD's DVDs, electricals and even Designer clothes and accessories - so do your research and again check out our selling guide for tips to help. Make sure the company you're dealing with is well rated and that you are happy you'll get a fair deal, check the contract carefully, especially for details about what happens if they don't buy or make you a good offer - are there fees who pays for returns postage etc.... You can do a web  search for the company name for reviews and comments about their services.
If you cann't be bothered having done all that cleaning then why not give your unwanted items away, it's a great way to share the love and has a top feel-good-factor. Is there anything that you think a friend or loved one might like to have and if not then make a great donation to your local charity shop. Even worn out clothing and fabric is useful to them - they will get money for it from the Rag Traders, so don't throw anything away. Some charities will even collect, if you give them a call.
Finally, once you've done all your hard work, you might want to add a little extra vintage sparkle, with some pretty vintage home ware ......