Guest Post - Declutter Your Home in 21 Days

Clutter can really take hold and ruin the appearance of an otherwise beautiful home. This infographic from our friends at HappyCleans looks at how you can make your home clutter free in just 21 short days. One area of concern in many homes is paper and this can pile up needlessly with the amount of bills, mails and other random bits around the house. The reality is the majority of these items can be thrown away or recycled.

The fridge & freezer is one appliance in that also needs regular decluttering. Old jars of peanut butter and other random concoctions we never plan on consuming are often kept needlessly. Spend one of the 21 days just clearing this area out and it’ll be like having a new fridge.

Magazines and books can also tend to pile up and the majority of these will never be read again. Sort through them keeping your favourites and consider donating the rest to local charities. They would sure appreciate them and someone would of course benefit from reading them!

The entertainment area is another place we tend to needlessly store piles of DVDs and CDs. With the advent of streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify the majority of these have become redundant. Again, these would be perfect for local charities.

Check out the full infographic now and begin your decluttering journey today. Today is the beginning of your brand new home, enjoy!

Author bio

Kat Buckley is the owner of a local services company called HappyCleans. She is passionate about giving people a little extra time to spend with loved ones by cleaning their homes.

Interview - Campus Quilt Company

Our clients are always asking us what to do with their vast number of old t-shirts, so we asked Megan with the Campus Quilt Co. for some solutions.  

For busy homeowners, how would you explain Campus Quilt?

Campus Quilt takes all of those sentimental items that are just taking up space in a closet and transforms them into something homeowners can use every day, a custom t shirt quilt! We understand the difficulty of parting with so many special t shirts, which is why we love transforming them into something brand new that holds all of those wonderful memories in one place. 

What is the process, how do people get you the T-shirts?

To start the process, you can go on-line to www.campusquilt.com or call us at 502-968-2850 to place the order. We will take a $100 deposit per quilt and email you a design kit. We will charge the remaining balance when your quilt is complete. The kit will include an order form, some instruction sheets, and an optional layout guide. The customer is then responsible for printing off the order form and shipping the shirts to us. We ship via UPS, but customers can use whatever mailing service they prefer. However, free return shipping is included with the final payment of the quilt. 

Is there a limit, any concerns about cleanliness or stains?

Not at all! Some customers prefer that we cut out stains so they are not included in the quilt, while others love the shirt because of the stain, and ask that we ensure it is included. We do ask that customers wash the shirts before sending them, but we can certainly work with shirts that have stains. For older shirts that are particularly thin, we can always add backing material (usually extra t shirt material) to ensure that the shirt is strong enough to endure the quilting process. 

Are there other products available in addition to quilts?

In addition to quilts, we also offer t-shirt tote bags (using 1-2 shirts), small pillows (1-2 shirts), and large pillows (4-8 shirts). 

Can people use items other than t-shirts?

We are certainly able to use a variety of materials! Essentially, we can use any material that we can get a needle through! 

You must see a ton of either ugly or amazing t-shirts, any projects that stand out?

I may be a little biased, but I love every quilt we complete! Some of my favorites are the ones made from baby clothes! 

There's an App for that!

Not the One from Frozen

One of the many things we often hear from our clients is that they are busy. Time can be a barrier when it comes to getting rid of unwanted items. While many organizations offer pickups for donations it can be time consuming if you want to sell items. Sites like eBay can sometimes work well for valuable items that are easily shipped. However, large pieces always present a challenge. For a long time Craigslist dominated the market but now there is a new kid in town. Letgo is a free mobile app that is very easy to use. Once downloaded you simply post a picture of the item you want to sell adding a brief description. Since you are using your phone you take and upload the picture basically at the same time. If you allow location services than even that step is taken care of quickly. What’s the catch you ask? Currently, there is no fee to list, buy or sell. In other words everything is free for now (the app is part of the tech bubble phenomenon where your stock price is huge but your company doesn't make a profit). Another option allows you to list the item for free which works well for treadmills and other large items since paying a hauling service to take unwanted items can get pricey. Since people have to come over to pick the item up it is best to make sure they bring enough help to carry the item and a suitable vehicle to take it away.  You do need to be comfortable with the buyer coming to your house and if you can, it works best to have the item in the garage or outside when they arrive. Additionally, if you list multiple items try and book all the pickups near the same time as to free up your day.