Category: cleaning
As the days get longer and the sun begins to shine a little brighter, many of us feel the urge to throw open the windows and refresh our living spaces. But is spring cleaning good for mental health? The short answer: absolutely. A thorough spring clean isn’t just beneficial for your home – it can do wonders for your wellbeing too.
The Link Between Clutter and Mental Health
Numerous studies have shown a strong connection between a cluttered environment and increased stress, anxiety, and even depression. When our homes are untidy or disorganised, it can be difficult to focus, relax, or feel in control. This kind of physical chaos often reflects or even amplifies mental clutter.
Decluttering and cleaning can have the opposite effect – helping to create a calm, peaceful space that promotes clarity of thought and a greater sense of wellbeing.
Why Spring Cleaning Feels So Good
Spring cleaning offers more than just a tidy home – it’s an act of self-care. Here are just a few mental health benefits of a proper clean-up:
- Reduced stress and anxiety: Removing mess helps reduce visual noise and tension, making it easier to unwind at home.
- Boosted mood: Physical activity like dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing releases endorphins, the body’s natural mood lifters.
- Improved sleep: A clean, uncluttered bedroom is proven to promote better sleep quality.
- Enhanced focus: A tidy environment supports clearer thinking and increased productivity.
- Sense of accomplishment: Completing tasks and seeing immediate results can significantly boost your confidence and motivation.
How to Spring Clean Without the Stress
The idea of spring cleaning can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to start. Here are some practical tips to help you get the job done without burning out:
- Start small – Pick one area, like a drawer or cupboard, and build momentum from there.
- Set a timer – Give yourself 20–30 minutes of focused cleaning, and then take a break to avoid fatigue.
- Use the four-box method – Label boxes: Keep, Donate, Bin, and Store. This simplifies decision-making. You could also consider selling any unwanted items on sites such as eBay, Vinted or Facebook Marketplace.
- Create a checklist – Break tasks into manageable steps to stay organised and motivated.
- Play music or a podcast – Make the process more enjoyable with your favourite tunes or a new episode.
- Reward yourself – Whether it’s a cup of tea or a relaxing bath, treat yourself after each session.
How Cookes Storage Can Help
Sometimes, clutter isn’t about mess – it’s about not having enough space. That’s where Cookes Storage comes in. If you’re struggling to part with sentimental items, seasonal gear, or bulky furniture, we offer secure, flexible storage solutions to free up valuable space in your home. Let us help you create a cleaner, more organised environment – and a clearer mind.
Spring is the perfect time to reset, both physically and mentally. So next time you find yourself wondering is spring cleaning good for mental health, remember: a clean home can mean a calmer, happier you.
Spring has sprung, and with it comes the perfect opportunity to refresh and revitalise our living spaces. A thorough spring clean not only enhances the comfort of your home but also promotes a sense of well-being. To assist you in this seemingly daunting task, we’ve compiled a list of 6 top spring cleaning tips, focusing on eco-friendly practices and manageable steps to ensure the process is both effective and sustainable.
1. Plan and Prioritise
Embarking on a whole-house clean can seem daunting. To prevent feeling overwhelmed:
- Create a Checklist: List all the areas and tasks you wish to tackle. This provides a clear roadmap and a sense of accomplishment as you tick off completed tasks.
- Set Realistic Goals: Break down larger tasks into smaller, manageable actions. One way to do this could be sectioning your clean by room, for example, dedicate one day to decluttering the kitchen and another to organising the bedroom.
2. Declutter Responsibly
Before diving into cleaning, address the clutter:
- Assess Each Item: Determine which items are essential and which are no longer in use.
- Donate or Sell: Instead of discarding unwanted items, consider donating them to local charities or selling them online. Platforms like Vinted, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace are excellent avenues to give your items a second life, reducing landfill waste and promoting sustainability.
3. Adopt Eco-Friendly Cleaning Solutions
Minimise the use of harsh chemicals by opting for natural alternatives:
- DIY Cleaners: Household staples like white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice can tackle various cleaning tasks. For instance, mixing equal parts water and vinegar creates an effective all-purpose cleaner.
- Reusable Materials: Utilise reusable cloths and mop heads to reduce waste and promote sustainability.
4. Focus on High-Impact Areas
Concentrate your efforts on areas that significantly affect your home’s appearance and hygiene:
- Carpets and Upholstery: Sprinkle baking soda on carpets and sofas to neutralise odours before vacuuming. You can also purchase carpet cleaner powders that can add extra fragrance to your carpets.
- Windowsills: Refresh tired windowsills using self-adhesive vinyl wraps, a cost-effective method to give them a new look. Be sure to let all cleaning products dry out fully on the windowsill to prevent damp, mould and mildew build-up.
5. Organise as You Go
An organised space is easier to maintain:
- Categorise Items: Group similar items together, making it simpler to find and store them.
- Storage Solutions: Use clear, labelled containers to keep items organised and visible.
- Stack strategically: Place items you use the least at the back of cupboards/storage spaces, and the items you use frequently at the front, making them easier to access regularly.
6. Maintain Your Space
Consistency is key to a tidy home:
- Daily Habits: Spend a few minutes each day tidying up to prevent clutter from accumulating.
- Seasonal Reviews: At the start of each season, re-evaluate your belongings, discarding or donating items that are no longer needed.
The Role of Self Storage in Home Organisation
For items that hold sentimental value or are used infrequently, self storage offers an ideal solution. By storing these possessions off-site, you can maintain a clutter-free home without parting with cherished belongings. At Cookes Storage we provide secure, accessible spaces, ensuring your items are preserved and available whenever needed.
Embracing these spring cleaning tips will not only revive your living space but also promote a sustainable and organised lifestyle.
Having an office space is great, whether it’s a designed space at home or at your company’s headquarters. However, having an extra bit of space also means it can get a bit messy. If you struggle with keeping your office tidy, this blog article is for you.
Having a cluttered desk has plenty of downfalls. Working in a messy environment may also decrease your levels of productivity and effectiveness. If your desk is tidy, you will spend less time looking for documents and items around your desk. Also, with a clear space your mind won’t be distracted by the thought of having to sort things out. So let’s get into it.
Remove everything
By removing everything from your desk and office, you will have the opportunity to sweep and clean your furniture too. At the same time, you can actually go through everything you own. Which bring us to point 2.
Divide your things in different piles: throw away, donate and keep
The most important part of this step is to be rational, and only keep objects you know you will use, for example a mouse pad or a photo of your dog. When it comes to donating and throwing away, the best way to divide your stuff is to think whether someone else will make use of it.
Consider investing in space organisers and shelves
Clearing things up is helpful, but with time your office space will get clogged again. The best way to prevent this is to get some space organisers, such as bookends and pen cups. Shelves are also great for books and documents you don’t need to access as often. Another tip would be to get some drawers to have under your desk.
Fix your cables!
Cables really do make a difference when it comes to space tidiness. There are some options for cable management, such as buying sticky labels or even cable management boxes, bars and sleeves. Having tidy cables also makes it so much easier to clean your office space.
Don’t forget to clean regularly
Once you’ve invested in decorations and space organisers, and sorted out what you need, cleaning regularly comes next. At the end of the day, cleaning regularly is the best tip on how to keep your office space tidy! It’s important to have a routine and do this whenever you can. It doesn’t have to be every day, but even once a week or once a month works. It’s important to set aside some time for cleaning and sorting our your space. If you do this regularly, it will only take 1h tops every so often.
Storage is your friend
Sometimes getting rid of old things just isn’t an options, and that’s when renting a storage unit can help you keep your space tidy. Cookes Storage can support you throughout your business journey with a variety of storage room options, and more. If you’re based around Sutton Coldfield and have any questions, please email us at
info@cookesstorage.co.uk or give us a call on 0121 250 5055 .
After a long and cold winter, it’s finally April and the weather is getting a little bit warmer. The trees are blossoming, and the sun is shining. When the air is not so cold, you want to open the windows and let the warm air into your house. But to really refresh your house, opening a window isn’t enough. Therefore, we’ve put together a successful checklist for spring cleaning to help you prepare your house for the warm weather.
First, you may be asking yourself: why do I need a checklist?
Having a checklist, whether it’s written down or just in your brain, helps you keeping things tidy and organised – just like you want your house to be. This will help you define what you want to do for each room, and it gives you an idea of a timeline. Deep cleaning should also be an integral part of your house, in order to keep it tidy and organised.
Have a goal
You should be thinking of what’s the aim of this spring clean? Is it to identify what piece of furniture you want to donate? Is it to declutter? Change the layout of your house/flat?
Divide your tasks into categories
After you’ve figured out what you want to do, we recommend dividing your tasks in different categories. This way, you don’t feel overwhelmed. You can divide your activities this by day, or by room. For example, for each room you can select what you want to:
- Clean
- Donate
- Store away
- Recycle/repair
We recommend coming up with a realistic timeline, avoiding stress. Spring cleaning should be enjoyable, and it should be about bringing your house back to life.
Identify what products you need
You may be thinking, I already have bleach, mould remover and cleaning wipes. While this is true, spring cleaning is a good idea to identify what products you’re missing and which one you want to replace. Maybe you want a new bathroom cleaner spray. Maybe you want to use more plastic free and green alternatives.
In addition, it’s important to make sure your vacuum cleaner is running and that you have good mop at home.
Wash pillows and duvets
Washing pillows and duvets can be quite impractical, and you may not have a lot of time to do so. If you want to go ahead with it, we recommend doing it during spring cleaning. If you have a lighter duvet for the warm months, this is the best time to take it out.
Don’t be scared of emptying your drawers, donation is an option!
Are your drawers very messy and cluttered? Spring cleaning is the best opportunity to sort them out and identify what you want to do with your belongings. Throwing away is not always the best options, as we would encourage you to donate/resell as much as you can. This can be old Christmas decorations, plates, cutlery, dvds, old toys and of course clothes.
Don’t forget about the deep part of the cleaning
Dusting your furniture, donating, removing mould, and cleaning your mirrors is key to a good clean. But the point of spring cleaning is to do a deep clean. A successful checklist for spring cleaning included unclogging the sink and drains, cleaning behind the toilet… It also included throwing away expired make up, taking care of your garden if you have one, and most of all…make the most of it.
And finally…
If you’re not ready to let go of some of your belongings, or have no space to store your winter stuff, storage might be a good option for you. With plenty of storage rooms with different sizes, convenient prices and industry leading security, Cookes Self Storage will look after your belongings. And you don’t have to worry about a single thing. To enquire about self-storage, call us on 0121 250 5055 or email us at info@cookesstorage.co.uk .
Every new year we want to start it off right and we make resolutions we end up not following. We think of the new year as an occasion to reinvent ourselves, which we totally can, but maybe instead of making big plans, we could start small instead. This way, it’s easier to achieve what we set for ourselves.
Here are some ideas and some totally realistic resolutions we can all work on for 2022.
Start the new year off right by being more environmentally conscious
Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen a big focus on climate change and being environmentally friendly. As good as it sounds, buying an electric car or having solar panels installed is very expensive, and not everyone can afford it. Instead, there are plenty of small acts that can make a change. Taking public transport instead of driving is one easy step.
Or for example, turning the tap off when it’s not needed is a great start. Buying second hand clothes is also a great option, and if you can’t afford not buying from fast fashion brands, there’s plenty of things you can still do. For example, instead of buying clothes that are only fashionable for a short period of time, buy timeless pieces of clothing instead. Also, making the most of the clothes you have and wear them until they break can make a difference.
Also, ditching plastic as much as possible whenever you can really helps the environment. Eating less meat is also a good option, even though vegetarian and vegan options can be quite expensive.
Start the new year off right by sticking to a healthy routine
Everyone wants to be healthy, join the gym, exercise every day, never have cheat days and so on. As good as these plans sound, they’re hard to stick to. Having a routine can be hard when you are busy and have long shifts. If you see that going to the gym isn’t doable, instead of signing up and only going once, there’s other options. For example, there are plenty of 30 minutes workout videos on YouTube that you can follow from the comfort of your living room. Another option is aiming to walk at least 10k steps a day, or trying some yoga.
Balance is key, and never having cheat days is definitely not healthy. Instead of not eating food like chocolate or pizza, or drink alcohol, you should include them to your diet, just in controlled amounts among many other nutritious foods.
and keeping your house tidy
Having a tidy house is a big ask, but one easy thing that can be done is to recycle or donate items that you don’t need. By unclogging your garage or your spare room, your house will automatically be tidier. And if you still want to get rid of items you don’t use as much but you don’t feel the need to throw them away yet, a storage room is a good option.
We offer plenty of storage options to suit your needs, from 16sft to a 270sqft room. For more information you can check our website: cookesstorage.co.uk or email us at info@cookesstorage.co.uk.
You’re moving out of your parent’s house and into your first home or maybe you are moving into Uni halls… but you don’t know what to take and what do you leave? Don’t worry, you are not alone! We can guarantee that everyone has had to think about the ‘what do I take with me’ problem!
You might be thinking about all the new things you can get for your home, but you’ll soon find your parents on the doorstep with a car full of your childhood toys and teenage clutter. You might not see the need for them now, but one day you may well treasure those memories. So, what sort of thing should you hold onto and what should you let go?
Things to keep
Family photographs
You may not be that interested in pictures of yourself playing on a beach you don’t remember age 3 – but one day you’ll find yourself wanting to know more about your parents holidays before you were born, or your grandparents wedding. Go through them with your parents, and have them write down who each person is on the back, so you have the information when you want it.
Old toys
Just like clothes, toys often come back into fashion as trends renew. Marvel figurines, Matchbox cars, Furbies, Tamagotchi and Pokemon cards have all come back around as must have toys over time. If you are still holding on to original versions of these, they may well increase in value. The last thing you want to do it is throw out all of your childhood toys now, only to discover you had a rare and valuable Barbie. And even if they aren’t worth anything, your own children may enjoy playing with them in time.
School reports and pictures
You may have skipped out of school on the last day, glad you never have to think about it again. Perhaps you won’t for years. But then you’ll have a school reunion, or bump into someone you knew, and you’ll want to peek back at the memories.
Awards, certificates and trophies are all nice to keep, but perhaps one of the best things, though you might not think it now, as your school reports. In 20 years time these can be a great source of entertainment, although you might want to hide the teacher’s comments from your own children.
Things to recycle
Clothes
There may well be some favourite clothes you just can’t bear to leave behind: a snuggly hoodie or band T-shirt. But the majority of clothes you wore as a teen probably don’t need to go with you to your new home. Sort out the ones that no longer fit, or are a bit too worn, and see what you can give to charity.
Books and magazines
We certainly do accumulate a lot of paper in our lifetimes. But do you really need to keep it? Take a look at your bookshelves, and see which treasured paperbacks you are really likely to read again, and which ones you have outgrown. Comics and magazines are the same. It’s all extra weight.
Finding space
Now you’ve decided what you need to keep, you still might not have space in your new place for all the boxes. Don’t throw things out just because you can’t find a cupboard for them, if you know you’ll regret it one day. With your own small self-storage locker, you’ve got just enough space for your childhood treasures, secure and dry, until you’re feeling nostalgic.