Chic vs. Geek: Spring Cleaning!

It’s the time of year when we come out of hibernation and wake up to the fact that we have way too much stuff! So where do you start with whittling things down?

CHIC (PEARL)

Start by getting organized. Go room to room and make three piles: Trash, Shred, and Keep. The names should make the contents self-explanatory. Aim for about a 30-30-30 split, with 10% flex area for all of those items you can’t imagine living without but can’t quite justify keeping around. And if you’re on the fence, just pull a Marie Kondo, spin around, and go with your gut.

GEEK (KEVIN)

You still need room for all those piles, so my suggestion is to get the big stuff out of the way first. Most residential waste collectors offer a certain number of free large item pickups per year for things like old furniture, appliances, and exercise equipment. You can generally find out who collects the waste in your city by calling the 3-1-1 non-emergency info line.