Mother/land, the new exhibit by Nicolei Buendia Gupit at Altro Mondo Creative Space, delves into the emotional scars hidden beneath the enduring stories of the Filipino diaspora. Our history with migration is filled with tense desires of seeking better economic opportunities abroad. While wealthy families have long sought opportunities abroad, it wasn’t until the Marcos […]
5 Easy Indoor Decluttering Projects During Rainy Season
It’s the rainy season again. The raindrops tapping against the roof and windowpane signal a retreat under the covers with a hot beverage. But before gloomy gray skies and cold weather send you curling up into bed, now might be the perfect time to declutter.
While you’re stuck inside waiting for the rain to stop, transform your space to prepare for the monsoon period. Here are five places in your home you can clear and organize for a warmer and more well-kept indoor stay.
Rainy Season-Prepped Living Room
As damp grounds and chilly breezes cool your home, you need materials that can provide warmth and comfort. Start your indoor decluttering project in your living room. Take down those airy drapes and porous covers and shift to these fabrics:
Polyester and Nylon. They both make good insulating material for curtains, sofa covers, and pillowcases. Not only do they have the ability to repel water, they also trap more heat. So, you know your furniture is safe from water damage. This makes them ideal for cozy movie marathons or rainy day naps.
Rayon. Despite its cool and lightweight characteristics, its quick-absorbent quality is perfect for accents, upholstery, and drapes. Due to its versatility, you don’t have to worry about changing it immediately once the weather gets warm again. Its breathability and moisture management properties can influence and regulate the indoor temperature. So, it can easily adapt to whatever season it is.
Spandex. When it comes to adaptability and stretchability, this fabric champions both. Along with its durability, it also repels body oils, perspiration, and other spills. Even when it’s constantly stretched as it adapts to your movement, it won’t break. Guaranteed, this fabric can be your long-term upholstery material.
Aside from fabrics, you can also store away your electric fans and alternative portable cooling devices. Replace them with candles and humidifiers to keep a warm and soothing atmosphere inside your home.
Mixed Up Closet
Now, you wouldn’t tackle a pile of clothes during hot days, would you? Before you know it, you and your wardrobe will be drenched in sweat.
That’s why the rainy season is a great time for sorting out your closet to help you transition to the cooler seasons. But it doesn’t mean that you have to do the entire wardrobe at once. Begin little by little—better if you organize it by section or category. You can start with bigger and heavier pieces like jackets, coats, and denims, then arrange garments last or vice versa.
You may do this on a daily or weekly basis depending on your availability. And while you’re sorting your clothes, you can separate old, outgrown, and unused pieces along the process. In addition, include organizers, particularly if your closet doesn’t have enough partitions, tiers, or drawers.
Cleaning the Fridge and Pantry
When was the last time you cleared out your refrigerator and pantry? If you haven’t had a chance to check on your dry and wet ingredients throughout the summer, maybe the rainy midyear is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start.
But instead of another trip to the store, you can rediscover forgotten spices and culinary gems from the back corner.
First, unplug the fridge and empty it. Take everything off the shelves to get a clear picture of what you currently have. Check on the expiration dates and ruthlessly discard anything past their shelf life. And if something doesn’t have a label or you have no clue what it is, don’t bother. Toss that in the trash, too.
For frozen foods, spot which has freezer burn. Although this gray-brown pigment doesn’t mean your food spoiled, it does reduce the quality of texture and flavor, particularly on meat. Decide whether it’s worth keeping based on the amount and how you plan to use it.
With everything cleared out, give your pantry and fridge a good cleaning. Wipe down the shelves with natural cleaning solutions like mixing baking soda with vinegar or water. Then, let everything air dry to fully get rid of the smell.
And while waiting for it to dry, you can start grouping the ingredients in containers. Then, label them with expiration dates to keep your pantry and fridge organized and prevent future mystery meals.
Follow the First In, First Out (FIFO) method in this indoor decluttering project. Place new items behind older ones to ensure you use everything before it expires.
Update and Refresh Your Bathroom
Your bathroom, like your living room, might haven’t moved on since the summer. It may still have summer-specific items like sunscreen, insect repellent, or after-sun lotion.
For this indoor decluttering project, embrace the seasonal shift and store these items away. Scan the shelves, cabinets, and drawers and determine if the products are past their prime, particularly medicine, toiletries, and cosmetics. Using the same technique in the pantry and fridge, categorize the products according to their use. You can consider using labeled baskets or containers for better organization.
Moreover, increased humidity during rainy seasons can lead to mold and mildew growth. Declutter around shower areas and remove any items that trap moisture (like damp towels). This improves ventilation and reduces potential problem areas.
Better if you gear up for wet clothes to fully update your bathroom by creating designated areas for drying them. Consider installing racks, hooks, or wall-mounted holders to keep them contained and prevent drips on your floor.
Tame the Cluttered Garage
Often seen as a convenient dumping ground for anything that doesn’t have a designated spot in the house, the garage is one of the places most prone to clutter. And rain can damage items stored in a cluttered garage.
For improved functionality, start fresh and tackle sections of the garage so you don’t risk your stuff getting wet. This can be motivating and helps with sorting. It can also reveal concealed leaks and damages that need immediate fixing.
Designate piles into trash, recyclables, donation, keeping. And after removing everything, optimize the space by installing shelves or cabinets on walls to keep the floor clear. You can also utilize wall hooks for bikes, tools, or extension cords to further free up floor space.
Not only does this give enough space for your vehicles, it also prepares your garage for future projects or hobbies when the weather improves.
While the rainy season might put a damper on outdoor plans, it also presents a chance to pay attention to your indoors. You can’t control the weather but you can decide on what to eliminate and organize to have a fresh and revitalized haven until the sunshine peeks back through. And these decluttering projects can help you spend your rainy days more productively and pleasantly.
Read more: Typhoon Proofing: How to Make Your Home Safe during Storms
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