I don’t know what it is about the New Year that always makes me want to clean and organize my house. Maybe it is the prospect of starting things fresh that I need my physical space to be clean and fresh as well. Whatever, the reason I am now in full cleaning mode at my house. With Christmas coming down and furniture being re-arranged, I can’t help but also have the urge to wipe everything down and contemplate a purge of unnecessary items still left in the house.

To help start off this self-proclaimed week of cleaning, I am listing my process. I may not be the next Marie Kondo, but I know what works for me and hope you can find some take-aways too!

The Great Purge: I like to go room by room and get rid of anything I haven’t used in a year or no longer enjoy. I figure if I haven’t used it, or worn it in over a year, then I am pry not going to. Exceptions are pieces of nostalgia and specialty items, like the fine China I bring out only on special occasions.

Totes Galore: I am a big fan of organizing totes and particularly like the clear ones so I can see inside. I also like to get address stickers and use them to label what is in each tote so I can easily see what I am dealing with. I did this recently with my husband as we tried to organize our garage and my OCD loving self was in HEAVEN!

Once I have the house sufficiently organized I like to give it a good deep cleaning and my secret weapon?

Lysol Wipes: These are my handy go-to for anything and everything! We go through them in bulk at my house (hello Costco) It is so much easier and handier than bringing out the gloves, a scrubby brush and spraying cleaner everywhere. Now don’t get me wrong sometimes you need the big guns, but most surfaces just need a quick wiping up.

We also have four pets in our house so we get our fair share of pet hair. I also like velvet furniture…so you can guess where I am going. While I used to use a lint roller to try and get rid of the pet hair on all our furniture, I started using a small hand and nail brush that I got at the dollar store and it works wonders! It is gentle enough it won’t scratch the fabric but is super efficient at picking up hair. We brush our furniture just as much as our pets now!

Once everything is cleaned and put away I like to open all the windows, let some light in and light a candle for good ambience. Plus I don’t want my house to smell like a bunch of chemicals. With the house in order I now feel ready to take on the New Year with a clear mind!