A good spring cleaning for most of us means deeply scrubbing out our homes, after spending so much time indoors throughout the winter. As we prepare for spring, it just feels right to scour the house from top to bottom. For many of us though, clutter build up gets in the way of doing a good thorough cleanse, leaving us feeling overwhelmed and defeated before we’ve even started. Often, clutter needs to be addressed before we can clean properly. Luckily, so many unused and outdated items can be donated and recycled nowadays, and at Island Return It, we are here to help.

The Bedroom: Washing the curtains and wiping down all surfaces feels great in a bedroom ready to embrace spring. Sifting through our clothing and putting away papers and random items that have built up, are all good starting steps. While sorting, make sure to fill a box with those items that don’t feel right in the space anymore, such as old table lamps, dysfunctional alarm clocks and electric blankets, and drop them off at one of our convenient locations on Vancouver Island. Putting everything else away will feel amazing once your surfaces become clean again. Leave all the objects d’art you enjoy gazing at such as photos, plants and mementos.

The Kitchen is a workhorse and can become disorganized easily. Taking the time to tidy the cupboards and put everything away, as well as letting go of kitchen gadgets that are broken or no longer useful, will be essential before we start wiping down cupboards and washing the floor. Gather up all your empty cans and bottles, and bring them in to collect your returnables refund. Did you know we also take a wide variety of small kitchen appliances to be recycled, including toasters, food processors and coffee makers to name a few? Click here for full and comprehensive list. These we take back for free.

Since the pandemic, more of us than ever have Home Offices. These rooms are a magnet for piles of paper, and those often need to be sorted and filed before we can start cleaning our desks properly. Broken and outdated electronics also build up on surfaces and in drawers. Taking the time to cull those no longer useful can be such a relief, and many items such as calculators, ink cartridges, used batteries and even desk lamps, are just a few of those items we recycle.

The Bathroom: expired and unused toiletries, as well as forgotten grooming and medical devices, can make the bathroom hard to navigate let alone deep clean. Take some time to assess each item and recycle (or donate) everything no longer actively used. Did you know you can now recycle electric toothbrushes, hair dryers and towel warmers?

The Basement: The dreaded drop zone for all things disorganized and without a proper home. Ugh. Tackling the basement can be daunting to say the least. Gather up your old and broken power tools, irons, sewing machines, vacuums, smoke alarms and light bulbs to recycle. Then put everything back where it belongs before dusting out the cobwebs. Note: Our Duncan location takes back old paint that meet certain guidelines.

Lessening the amount of our personal belongings can release us from the stress and overwhelm from having too much to manage. The good news is, once you’ve clutter cleared, spring cleaning will be become much easier. So rally the troops and set aside a day or two, and tackle the excess stuff you may have lurking inside your home.

Happy spring cleaning everyone.