Spring cleaning is a lot like New Year’s Resolutions — you make big plans and you mean well. But no matter how excited you get about your goals, somewhere between the snow melting and stocking up on sunscreen, you poop out. This year, there are some really cool, easy ways to tackle some of the toughest spring cleaning duties with a whole new host of tech tools.
Let’s start with a closet purge-fest:
Several sites and apps make it really easy to sell or donate your clothes. You can sell them piece by piece with sites like Tradesy and Vinted, or just send all of your unwanted clothes to Twice and get someone else to sell for you. Want to donate, but don’t have time to haul it all to Goodwill? Try Fashion Project. They’ll send you a pre-paid donation bag and once your pieces have sold, 55% of the proceeds go to a charity of your choice.
If you’re not ready to let go for good:
Ditching that big down jacket may free up some closet space but you don’t have to toss it. For the stuff you just can’t let go of, but don’t have room for, try a service likeMakespace or Boxbee (NYC, SF, Oakland, Berkeley). They’ll bring you crates to store your stuff, and deliver it to a carefully-monitored storage facility. Just give them a ring when you need something back and they’ll bring it to you. Say goodbye to maintaining a storage unit.
Another great thing to get rid of? Old gadgets:
But, don’t just throw them in the trash or sell it on Craigslist. To make some money off your old stuff – try Gazelle – one of the simplest sites to sell your old gadgets without any hassle of having to find a buyer. You can also drop off your gadget at an ecoATMand get your cash right there on the spot.
If your gadget has seen its last days and it’s beyond sellable, check out Electronic Recyclers International, Inc. or donate it to a site like Phones 4 Charity. Some manufacturers, like Apple, will also recycle your old stuff for you and in some cases, you’ll even get a gift card in return.
According to the EPA, one million recycled cell phones is enough to power 185 U.S. households with electricity for year, so donating should always trump dumpster. Just to be on the safe side, make sure to erase your data before recycling anything.
Cleaning Checklist
When it’s time to get down to business, a list is your greatest asset. Apps like Tody(iOS) or Clean House (Android) remind you of all the dirty details you may be forgetting by organizing and managing all of your cleaning tasks. Just pick a room and select the tasks you want to get done.
If you’re in a need of a deeper clean than you can get done on your own, start-upHomejoy will help you book a certified cleaning pro in just a few clicks, for a as low as $25 per hour. Just tell them how many bedrooms, bathrooms and you’re on your way to clean.
Take care of those annoying house repairs (Finally!)
Need to fix a leaky faucet? How about repaint a wall or hang a heavy TV? These are all things that are annoying to do for most people and so you put it off and just let it bug you every single day. Well, don’t do that anymore. Amazon Home Services is another great place to find someone to help you do just about anything. They recently teamed up with TaskRabbit, and other professionals, to offer everything from in-home deep cleaning to DIY furniture assembly and everything in between. (Yes, even goat-herding.)
Now that it’s all clean, here’s how to keep it that way:
Alfred is the butler you always dreamed of. For $99/month, an “Alfred” will come to your house and take care of everything from cleaning to buying groceries twice a week. The Happy Home Company is a service that gives you your very own home manager. Just tell them what you need done and they’ll get a pre-screened professional to come do it. They’ll even make sure that someone is there to let them in your house. They seriously take care of everything — even paying the repair person. For $10/month, you get some serious peace of mind knowing that someone you can trust is dealing with all of the headaches you’ve been avoiding. They’ll even wait for the cable guy!
[“source-usatoday.com”]
