The weather outside is the opposite of “frightful.” It is, in fact, gorgeous. Whether you love the heat or can’t wait for the snow, nobody can deny that the past few weeks in NYC have been as close to perfect as it gets. That’s right everyone, fall is upon us!
There seems to be more excitement around fall and spring than the other two seasons of the year. It’s probably because these two seasons represent the change that is coming. We “fall” into winter and we “spring” into summer. What better way to do both of those things than with a Decluttered, Organized, Clean home!
You always hear the term “spring cleaning.” We believe that you should apply it to fall. Perhaps “fall cleaning” is more logical? We are all about to retreat in from the cold and actually spend more time in our homes. Why not take advantage of that time?
Fall is also the beginning of holiday season which means there is going to be a lot of traffic inside your home. You are going to want to throw parties and cook for your guests and you are going to be buying gifts and receiving gifts. There will be costumes and candy and ribbons and clothing that you purchase, but never remove the tags from. So, do not fall into bad habits during this time of year. Fall into winter even more mindful than usual about what you are allowing to take up real estate in your NYC life!
Just as the seasons are rotating, so should your drawers and closets. Now is the perfect time to take stock of what clothing you want to keep or donate. If you rotate spring and summer clothing to the less frequented part of the drawer or closet, then you make space for fall and winter. As you are doing this, take a look at what you wore last season. If it still has tags on it, maybe let it go. If it is old or if it brings up an unpleasant memory, definitely let it go. The same rule applies for pulling your fall and winter clothes to the front. Do you even remember it? Do you need it all? Do you really love it? If there is no clear answer to those questions, then having the space in your drawers and closets might just be more meaningful than holding onto that jacket or sweater or those jeans. We all have that pair of jeans… just let them go. It feels so good.
Earlier we mentioned throwing parties and cooking for guests. You can take this same rotation idea and apply it to your kitchen! There is certainly some new recipe you want to try this season. It’s so easy to read the ingredients and run to the store. What many people forget to do is take stock of what they already own. Spices, dry ingredients used in baking, anything that might have a shelf life. Let’s do a little inventory and see what can be tossed. While you are doing that inventory, you might realize that you already own two bottles of cinnamon and nutmeg so there’s so reason to buy more for that recipe! We think you should be taking inventory of your kitchen as frequently as you cook a large meal. You can do this as you are pulling items out before, or you can do it when you are cleaning up. Either way, know what you own. Toss what has gone bad. Use what is good but taking up space. Put the fun in functional!
Do not wait until the other time of year to think about cleaning your house. It is 100% time for your “fall clean.” This way, spring is less difficult and you are ready to leave the apartment and go outside to play. You can continue our fall rotation concept into every part of your house. We believe that EVERYTHING SHOULD BE TOUCHED. Sometimes it is as simple as turning an object on your bookcase a little bit to the right. This kind of attention is what changes the energy in your house. If you touch everything then it activates energy that has been laying dormant. You are literally bringing your home back to life.
Lastly, dust it all! Wipe it down! You’re checking in with everything already. If you keep a damp rag with you throughout the process then it is the perfect time to clean it too.
We can never emphasize enough the importance of having a positive relationship with everything that takes up space inside your NYC apartment. Your space is so valuable in this city and we want to make sure it is filled with the things you want and enjoy. Fall is a perfect time to check in on this. It will make your spring clean much easier and allow you to go out and live a full and rich life!
Hello. We are Caleb and Cole. We each share a passion for organization and cleansing the home. We think of SimplifyNYC as not just a service, but a philosophy about life that we pass on to every client with whom we work. Our backgrounds are both in the performing arts. Through intense study of the arts, we gained greater perspective on how to tell a clear narrative, how best to determine focus and articulate goals. We think of your life and your home similarly. Too much clutter obscures clarity. Our goal is to better your quality of life by ridding it of negative, cluttered space and creating a clear, safe space outside the hustle and bustle of NYC. To reach us directly click here and follow us on Instagram.
