As springtime rapidly approaches, a lot of us here in Sydney and the Northern Beaches area are starting to think about our deep cleaning routines. After all, plenty of folks make it an annual tradition, and if we have not yet, there is some good incentive to start that sort of thing up now! It is easy to forget just how much clutter we have around our homes.
While it might sound surprising, there are actually a lot of reasons to try to keep our homes as neat and tidy as possible, and it goes beyond just being a neat freak or something like that. There are links between the cleanliness of our spaces and our mental health, as just one example.
What we are really getting at here, though, is that doing annual spring cleaning (or any other type of tidying up) is pretty important, and hauling clutter and junk out of the home is also a big deal. Unfortunately, whether we are doing a deep clean or just getting rid of some excess rubbish, the normal bin pickup schedule in our area might not work out for us.
Beyond that, there is also the fact that most of the rubbish companies from the city are not going to take big items like furniture. So, you can probably start to see some of the pickle, here. Make sure to stick around if you want to know how to solve these problems, as well as why cleaning up is so important!
Story Stages
Cleaning: Why it Matters
To start out today, we would like to examine some of the reasons why we would encourage you to declutter at the next opportunity that you get. Trust us – it is not just to encourage you to bring in extra trash collection services. As we mentioned earlier, the main thing that we would like to highlight here is the fact that there is a strong, demonstrable link between how cluttered our homes and living spaces are and our mental health.
Sites like this one, https://mhaustralia.org/, can give you an idea of what we are talking about. However, let us dive a little deeper into the matter to give you the best understanding possible. At the end of the day, which is the main goal here anyhow.
Anxiety
One of the strongest links that mental health professionals have found between cluttered surroundings and issues that we experience is anxiety and rubbish. It probably sounds a bit strange at first, admittedly. Social media and reality television have somewhat desensitized some of us to the fact that by “clutter,” we are not really referring to something that you might see on a show like Hoarders.
Rather, we are referring to any pockets of trash or junk that you do not need onto which you are still holding. Half the time, we are holding onto stuff unintentionally – we may not even notice it if we pass by it every day. Unfortunately, though, the more stuff that piles up around us, the more anxious it can make us.
Now, this is not to say that if you clean up, pre-existing mental health conditions will vanish overnight. That is certainly not how it works. However, if you have been noticing elevated levels of anxiety, it may be time to take inventory of the items in your home and consider cutting down on them.
Depression
Another thing that we often see linked with cluttered homes is depression, which can come in a few different forms (at least, according to the official literature). Admittedly, one of the biggest things to consider in this regard is the fact that one symptom of depression can be having little energy or motivation to complete daily tasks.
This certainly could include tidying up. In that sense, it can be a bit of a vicious cycle. If we are feeling down or depressed, we probably won’t want to clean up much. Unfortunately, the cluttered surroundings could end up making those negative feelings compound and become worse.
If you find yourself in a loop like this, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Consider asking for help, whether it is from a trusted loved one or from professionals. This can help you to break out of that toxic cycle and instead start to reflect otherwise on the situation.
Decluttering – How do We do it?
Now that we have covered some of the nitty-gritty when it comes to why we should prioritize cleaning things up, let us delve into how it works in the first place. Chances are that you’ve seen coverage on this topic from Ridly (or an organization similar) already, but we’d like to go further in depth.
Something to keep in mind here is that everyone will have their own individual processes for cleaning the house. However, learning your own style can take some time. One of the first things that you will want to do is take inventory of how much you have – especially if you have duplicates of certain items that you do not necessarily need.
Furniture can be tricky `to deal with in this stage of cleanup, so it may be something that you want to save for last. Of course, if you have a ton of furniture pieces that are clogging up your hallways or something, those might be the things that you want to handle pretty early on.
Wondering why you would be fussed about that in the first place though. We can certainly understand that. The thing is, if you are doing a deep clean or are planning to dispose of some bigger items, then you will likely need to bring in an external rubbish removal service. It is pretty safe to assume that no one really wants to do that sort of thing multiple times in a week or even a month, so you will want to plan out when and what you are getting rid of to line up with a scheduled visit from one of these services.
Set Goals
One of the primary ways that you can plan this type of process is to set goals for yourself. How much are you looking to get rid of? Are you planning on trying to recycle or remove furniture pieces or appliances from your home, or is it a different type of cleanup?
Do your best to establish those parameters early on. This will allow you to make informed decisions moving forward, and if you find yourself struggling to keep up the motivation to clean, hopefully, it can help to inspire you to continue.
Establish Some Guidelines
At first glance, this point probably seems quite similar to the last one. This is not entirely wrong, of course, but the big distinction is that when we say “guidelines,” we mean things like blanket decisions right off the bat (or anything similar). For instance, you could create a rule for yourself that if you have not worn a clothing piece in three months, you should get rid of it.
That is just one example, though. Make guidelines for yourself that fit your needs and lifestyle. Ideally, you can set some that align with your current goals as well!
Figure Out Who Will be Taking Care of the Rubbish
Off the bat, we would like to note that when we say “rubbish” here, we are referring to anything that you might be choosing to part with. Not all of it will be trash, depending on the type of cleanup that you are doing. The key is that you know how you will be disposing of all of it.
That is where rubbish removal companies can come into play, as you can probably imagine. There are tons of services available here in Northern Beaches, so you will have plenty of flexibility in terms of selecting which one might be best for you. Something that you could do is check out various reviews of the potential options and narrow it down to your top two or three choices.
From there, you can call or submit a form online to get a quote for how expensive the removal will be. Naturally, how much you are getting rid of, how many pieces of furniture, and some other details including timing will factor into the price that you will be offered.
Getting a consultation and quote also is not the equivalent of signing a contract, so you can do that with as many companies as you want. Once you have made your choice, though, then you can start to proceed with the scheduling portion and actually initiate the process. Decluttering and deep cleaning might not always be easy, but it does feel better once you finish them.
