So, spring cleaning for me usually starts as soon as the Christmas tree comes down.  This is partly because it takes that long for us and partly because it really needs to be done by then.  I hate having too much stuff around all the time.  Hate it.  Our meager attempts at keeping the house clean go so much further when we have minimal clutter around.  This year, to begin post Christmas spring cleaning with a declutter process that is truly successful, we’ve employed what I like to call “the four bag method”.  It’s been so successful in our house because things that had just sort of melded into the background because they’d been there for so long, have actually been dealt with.  I’ve even gotten rid of lamps and lined baskets this way.  Who would have ever thought that a lined basket would need to go?  The magical reason? – Because we don’t have enough stuff to store in it, which truly rules!  So, here’s the method:  (It works best if you focus in on one area at a time and the smaller the area the better (like a cupboard or closet).)  Get four bags, or any type of handy container that’s big enough to hold more than one thing.  Label (or just remember) one bag “garbage”, one “recycle”, one “get rid of”, and one “put away”.  Choose the space that you want to tackle and take everything out of it.  Handle each and every item that’s not bolted down in that space and put it in one of the four bags.  The trick is to limit what you put in the “put away” bag to just those items that you really really really want to spend energy continuing to deal with.  Items that remain in the space that you’re clearing can be set aside and put back once the space is cleared and cleaned; however, the items in the “put away” bag are supposed to be items that go elsewhere in the house.  Once the space is cleared, cleaned, and appropriate items placed back in the space in an orderly manner, you MUST deal with the “put away” bag.  The other three bags are easy because you just dump the garbage and recycle in the outside cans and the get rid of stuff goes to charity or wherever you prefer to take it.  The “put away” bag can totally backfire if you don’t put everything in it away in an appropriate place before moving on to the next space you want to tackle.  Happy de-cluttering!