I know that timing is a bit tricky as we are all busy celebrating the longest holiday of every Filipino Family but if you did manage to do a home cleanse for Christmas a huge congratulations to you!!! If you haven’t though, feel free to check out my Holiday Deep Cleaning Checklist tap -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CYDwe8KPUi8/?utm_medium=copy_link
Our family traditions have been carried on through generations, and a yearly cleanse is a big part of it to honour our spiritual roots. One common tradition we have is cleansing our house thoroughly on or before New Year’s Eve. We believe that this helps us get rid of not just the actual dirt and soot but also the intangible ones so that it doesn’t pour over to next year instead prepares it for new beginnings and good luck. We also believe that the people you’re with and the feelings you have during these times will be the ones you’ll have throughout the year. So we do all sorts to make this time as cheery as possible.
To date, I still practise it and now passing on to my kids. This is why Noche Buena and Media Noche are very important to us. I believe this is the same for every Filipino family too.
A Home cleanse echoes the same, a clutter free space will make things easier for you to navigate life with ease. A clean and organized home will set the mood for a fresh year. Do this with intention and in a pace you’re comfortable with so that you don’t get overwhelmed. As you clean, purging stuff that no longer serves you will be a great way to lift your spirit too. Practice detachment from useless things that takes up space in your home to make room for more important ones.
Today join me in decluttering our minds, our hearts and our homes, sharing with you my top 12 things to toss to welcome and embrace new hopes and dreams of 2022.☺️
You may throw it, donate it, sell it or repurpose it just definitely get rid of it.
Old receipts/Bill Statements
Old receipts and bill Statements tops the paper clutter problem we refuse to regularly deal with at home. Now unless you still need it filing (Tax and Accounting purposes, usually 5 yrs for businesses and 2 yrs for individual tax) you generally have no use for them so pls do not hesitate to throw it away. Remember clutter is a very powerful magnet that attracts more of its kind, also do Mother Earth a favor and subscribe to electronic statements instead. It’s the perfect win-win situation.
Out dated Magazines/News Papers/ Paper Bags/ Take Out menus
If you’re not inside it then this periodicals are just containers for more dust. Consider tossing or selling it away. And don’t worry if you feel you might need a few reference from inside it’s pages just put in your note App the Title and the date and you’ll surely find its content in the internet too.
Empty Shoe Boxes or empy boxes in general
Guilty of this myself. It’s true that I have shoe organizers but when friends and sponsors sends me shoes or those that I bought myself I normally just randomly stack it on our shoe cabinets and only pay attention to it when I need more space. Unless you are into repurposing then now is the best time to get rid of this because this only takes precious space from your cabinets or sometimes even your floors, admit it!
Old Make Up and Toiletries
Most make ups and toiletries are past their shelf life after 6-24 months. Over time it also becomes a host to ton of bacteria causing your skin to flare up and break out. Keep it healthy by discarding these items after its prime, your skin will thank you “wag ka na manghinayang!” This also includes the toiletries you’ve amassed over all your hotel stays hehe.. if you have not touch it for more that 6 months just toss it or donate it if it can still be used.
Old Clothes and Shoes that doesn’t fit anymore
This is pretty self-explanatory. If you can’t use it or you don’t use it and you’re no longer happy with it, then you must let go of it, else it will only gather dust and even mites or fungus esp if it hasn’t been aired for a while. And no, you’ll no longer fit on your 18 yr old clothes again, trust Marikondo when she said thank it and say good bye nicely.
Mismatched Hangers
a common organizing blunder. If you are taking hangers from Marks and Spencer or H&M every time you buy clothes then there’s a huge chance that you are now the owner of hangers of different sizes, shape and colors which doesn’t really help with organizing as this only take space and make your closet look and feel unkempt. Investing in a good hanger is always a great idea. Time to toss the mismatched, wired and bulky ones.
Chipped/Broken Table wares
We Filipinos always wants to maximize the use of everything we own, from toothpaste down to table wares. But while it is obvious that keeping chipped plates or mugs can cause minor injury broken table wares can also harbour bacteria and germs and not only that some may even expose you to lead. So don’t hesitate to toss it for a new one.
Expired Goods and Medicines
This is the perfect time to raid your pantry and purge all expired stuff as this might just attract unwanted bugs. It’s not true that expired medicines and good still works for 6 more months. Remember to toss it responsibly.
Old Electronic Devices
Most households will have a box full of old or broken phones, chargers, wires, and other devices. If you no longer use them but felt sentimental about it you can donate it to tech labs or find a provider that offers rebates in exchange for old gadgets. Ultimately you just have to get rid of them to make more room for other things.
Broken Toys or those with missing parts
My kids will pour all their toys on the floor when they plan on playing. However careful they maybe or even if they tidy up after it is inevitable to end up with missing or broken pieces. Unless, it is something that your child really values and can’t part without like my son Kurt’s toy soldier then there’s really no reason to keep it.
Broken Furniture
We rarely have time to attend to fixing and patching so if you are not good with DIY’s and replacement parts are more expensive that buying a new one then consider just giving it up.
Toxic Chemicals
Our home is full of potentially harmful household chemical that unknowingly makes us ill. I have shared with you before that the air quality we breath inside our homes is 95% more polluted than the outside. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to many serious respiratory illness this is why a Home Detox is a huge part of cleansing. Start by tossing chemicals and bring in new products that is more sustainable and safe for you and the whole family.
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