MAKE SOME SPACE

Words: Lindsay Samson | Styling: Sanri Pienaar | Images: Inge Prins

No pressure, but a new year usually arrives with reimagined vision, insights and responsibilities. And everything starts at home. If you’re keen to start anew, we say spruce up your space in the simplest ways possible and spread out the process over a few days. It should only take an hour or two per room, at most, because who really has the time – or the will – to spend endless days doing nothing but cleaning? Here’s your guide to decluttering, made easy. This way, you’ll find the tasks much more manageable, plus a new decade deserves the fresh energy that comes with cleaning out those cobwebs, no?

Nothing’s worse than an untidy bedroom. In fact, a messy sleeping space has been found to increase tiredness and contribute to insomnia. First things first: clean your mattress. A great tool for this? Vodka. Simply mix it with some water and essential oils, then apply directly to any stubborn stains and leave it in an airy space to dry. When you put the mattress back on its base, remember to flip it over onto the side you weren’t using last year. Next, change your bedding. This is something you should be doing once a week anyway, especially in summer when we’re all sweating more than usual. Then, get your closet organised. If you haven’t worn it in over a year, toss it into the donation pile. Struggling with limited space? Wardrobe organisers create extra shelving quickly and dividers in your drawers help keep things tidy. Want your clothing to double up as decor? Get yourself a clothing rail, but remember to watch out for dust.

Decluttering doesn’t have to mean throwing everything out. Invest in clean-lined storage solutions and modern shelving units to display – or tuck away – knick-knacks and store light throws in woven baskets. Add a fresh bunch of blooms to the centre of the room and if flowers aren’t your thing, indoor plants are always a good idea. New year, new green thumb. Finish off your space with some wall art that won’t break the bank – take a beautiful scarf that you never wear, get it framed, then mount it on the wall.

Take a note from Marie Kondo and rid your bathroom cabinets of things that don’t spark joy, like that year-old tube of mascara that’s unlikely to inspire anything but an eye infection. On Wednesday, check the expiry date on all your cosmetics and discard accordingly. Store things such as cotton rounds and earbuds in compact glass canisters, use a different one for nail clippers, tweezers and bobby pins, and keep your bottles, jars and tubes in any easy-to-reach contained area. Come Thursday, it's time to tackle the grout. Use an old strong toothbrush for those difficult-to-reach corners.

Use the weekend to give your oven a real scrub down. Go the all-natural route and mix baking soda with a little water, spread along the inside (except the heating elements), then let it rest overnight. On Saturday morning, fill a spray bottle with vinegar and clean it all off. Use the juice of a lemon to polish the oven racks and you’ll be left with a sparkling clean oven that smells so fresh and so clean. Got limited kitchen cupboard space? Store dry goods, pasta, spices and baking ingredients in sturdy glass jars and line along your counter – this doubles as decor, too.