Be a star in your mom's eyes with these tips on getting a clutter-free home for Diwali from certified professional organizer and creator, Smriti of SortStory.
All the diyas, lights, sweets, new clothes, and long holidays aside, if there's anything that brings out the essence of the festival it's cleaning. A week prior to Diwali, all of us find ourselves entangled in cobwebs and tiny spaces at home, that we otherwise ignore. Organizing and cleaning become the top priority that no family member is allowed to ignore. The task may seem like a forced activity but considering the state of our own rooms, it's also something we know needs to be addressed. If there's anything that the internet has taught us it's that there's always someone out there making content and helping us solve our everyday problems and cleaning is one of them. Creator Smriti of SortStory is a certified professional organizer who is helping us have a clutter-free home for Diwali.
Here's what she had to share!
Whether you are at home with your family or in a city far away, you would definitely want to celebrate Diwali in the same manner that you have grown up celebrating.
Diwali is a festival in honor of Goddess Lakshmi. It's believed that we light up our homes to show her the way to come to our home. Surely, you would not want her to come to an unsettled and unclean home. Hence, the cleaning and organizing before Diwali!
And of course, something new can come in, only if there is space for it. Not when your space is stuffed with broken vases, non-functioning gadgets, or unfitting clothes. So pave way for the freshness by starting with decluttering.
Declutter, donate, or discard, deep clean, decide on a theme, and shop and decorate.
Day 1: Declutter
Over the past few months, you would have identified the clothes, footwear, and accessories that do not fit you or do not match your style anymore. This is the time to take them out and pack them in a carton. Next identify the gadgets which have been waiting to get repaired for years, but are still not done. There might be items that you have not used even once in the last 2 to 3 years; it's time to say goodbye to them!
Day 2: Donate or discard
If something is damaged beyond repair, find the right channel to discard these items. You can reach out to service providers like The Kabadiwala who process the waste in the right manner in collaboration with the local vendors. All the clothes and other household items that you choose to donate can actually brighten up someone’s home this Diwali.
Usually, NGOs like GOONJ arrange for various collection points in different areas of multiple cities. Reach out to them to find your nearest collection center and drop off these goods along with some fresh supplies of food materials and medical supplies. They segregate, repair, and upcycle how much ever they can, before ensuring that these things find a new home.
Day 3: Deep clean
Now that your home is decluttered, there is more space. You will notice that this is easier to clean too. No one cleans faster than an Indian who is on the clock to make their home prim and proper before Diwali. Don’t forget to change out all the bed linen, and clean the lampshades, fans, and windows too, in addition to the regular cleaning of your home.
Day 4: Decide on a theme and shop
This is probably the favorite thing for everyone - shopping. But being the professional organizer that I am, I will reiterate, “Don’t shop without a plan” Each item in your home should serve you a purpose. There is a very high chance that anything bought on a whim might be getting decluttered next Diwali.
Day 5: Decorate
Now that everything is in place, it's time to take the aesthetics up a notch. After all, Diwali is here! Place lights everywhere. Flowers, diyas, and fairy lights might be your best friends. Place a traditional lamp or urli near the entrance. The more natural materials you use for the decorations, the easier the cleanup will be post-Diwali too.
Hope you have a safe and happy Diwali!
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